Sproutify Sessions: Hello, Pivt!
Real Talk + Real Change = Real Feels
Two friends sprouted up on a Zoom call and hit record.
This is what happened…
An unplugged chat and beginning of our video series we’re calling Sproutify; a digital space we hold for the curious and changemakers, exploring how to make real impact in our industry and walk-the-walk with humans as they embark on a relocation journey.
Diving Deep
At Sprout, we talk about giving people the feels - a sense that throughout the relocation journey you feel guided, supported, and cared for. What we aim to do every day with every person we help relocate is ensure this experience is curated and memorable.
We quickly realized when sitting down with Chris Roberts, COO, Pivt, that the impact we strive to make broadens as we dig deeper into our current assumptions and actions as leaders in the global mobility space. Our first Sproutify Session uncovered insights we may not have gleaned otherwise, prompting us to ask:
Are we offering a true act of service, or providing what historically has worked - is the unknown (The Future of Work/AI) paralyzing the shift to change course?
Are we opening up a candid dialogue with humans on how to help humans? Feedback gifts us with insights; are our efforts resonating as intended?
Are we walking-the-walk, meaning what we say, investigating what trends/buzz-words mean vs. leaning on them to derive an action?
Dean and Chris took a moment to pause and explore, below are our take-aways:
3 Plays in the 2024 Relo-Game
Take the Detour: Relocation is More than Just a Move
People are shifting. Physically; relocating to environments that support their professional and personal growth, and in mindset; rebalancing priorities to iron out what truly matters in life.
With this pendulum swings back a new reality for Relocation, HR, and Business Leaders: how do we stay relevant to attract and retain talent during this unprecedented time?
The OG play we’re coming back to (and have planted our flag in the ground for) is doubling down on experiential service delivery - the Hu (Human) Element.
Real Talk: Relocation is an emotional journey as much as it is moving from point A to B. What seemed relevant in our industry 5 years ago, simplifying a move down to a transaction, no longer wins the hearts of employees wanting to thrive both in life and in work.
Real Change: A mindset shift in viewing relocation as a life-changing adventure. How do we as leaders ensure the experience is supported and memorable before, during, and after they’ve embarked?
Real Feels: Relocation is about relationships. Placing this Hu Element at the forefront of your global mobility strategy means caring about the success of the individual and the relationships that go along with them. From family members joining their journey to building new friendships, staying connected doesn’t stop once someone has reached their destination - it’s at this point in the adventure we can help people truly thrive and feel like they belong.
2. Chat About AI: It’s the first step in embracing it.
Part of the fun in creating our Sproutify Session is that we open ourselves up to conversations that we may or may not have had around what is and isn’t resonating for our customers, industry, and partners.
We embrace the unknown; unlearning, listening, learning, and leading the conversation forward from this place of curiosity.
AI is here, here’s what we think about it (so far).
Real Talk: AI innovation is rapidly making a presence in our day-to-day realities. Like tech advancements preceding it, AI adoption comes with a set of challenges: it’s not fully understood, difficult to implement at organizational level, and at its current state - seen as another expense to prioritize spend towards and allocate resources to.
Real Change: What happens when we switch up how we chat about AI, from the fear of what it replaces to the liberation of what it frees up time for? Ah-ha moments can happen once we let go of control that we don’t know what we don’t know. AI in the relocation sphere can look like mobility advisors using tech as an efficiency tool, freeing up time and heart to deliver on the much-needed human and experiential service offering.
Real Feels: We may not be all-in on AI just yet, but what we do feel is that life is about living in harmony with it all. A tech + human touch strategy gives way for new opportunities to evolve the way we operate our businesses and add ease for the end-user of our services.
3. Listen, Test, Implement, Repeat: Leading Through Change
Real Talk: The consumerism of global mobility has occurred. File volume has taken priority over quality of service. Winning the relo-game in 2024 requires leaders to break free from status-quo thinking to uncover the underutilized skill-set of assumption validation. What preconceived notions are we making around how our services are received and valued?
Real Change: … happens when you hit pause and reflect. Leveling up your service offering starts with challenging and validating your assumptions, testing out if the current way of doing things is resonating or not. Shifting from where you think you should go to where the end-user (the person experiencing) is telling you to move towards. What insights can be derived from a candid feedback survey that asks “tell us how you really feel about your relocation experience?” vs. leading questions that help tick boxes to get the “right” response in outdated processes. Leading through change requires willingness to go where your user goes and co-create solutions.
Real Feels: Getting the feels is at the core of the human experience and in 2024 we’re continuing to evolve everything we do from this visceral place. Collaborating and conversing with partners like Pivt generates joy for us; sharing insights with like-minded leaders fuels our continuous improvement mindset and keeps us accountable in upholding the Hu Element at every stage of the relocation adventure. Placing yourself in a position for real feedback is vulnerable, but with this comes the gift of knowing what’s needed to create real impact.
Real Talk. Real Change. Real Action.
Stay tuned as we keep it real on our reels this month, highlighting budding moments from the session.
Watch the full-length video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b2PjVy1_Aq4