A lean start up going global

Really? You want to make this a global thing?

A slight notion of misbelief was difficult to overhear in a conversation with an Australian friend. For sure, we are on an ambitious path. But yup! We are building a global network of professionals on the move. It is for real. And we are just beginning.However crazy this may seem, there is reason behind the madness. No huge market analyses are required and no extensive research needs to be done to state the obvious: there is a need for a new dual career narrative. There is a need for a bottom up, no nonsense initiative that dare to disrupt how organisations deal with global careers and the positioning of accompanying partners.

Build the example. Test, revise, repeat

Taking inspiration from Eric Ries , here we are global develops according to the Lean start upmodel. We start small. We develop a Minimum Viable Product (MVP). We test it. We fail or succeed. And we move on to think big - and develop bigger.

n practical terms it meant that we started as a small group of expatriated partners posted to The Kyrgyz Republic in Central Asia. Having met each other through the Bishkek International Women’s Club, we shared a wish to develop professionally and create a forum to discuss, learn and share knowledge on pursuing a professional identity while living abroad.

Over time the group changed, perspectives were altered and eventually, here we are Bishkek was formed as an entity to encompass mixed genders, nationalities and life trajectories.

What unites us is a growth mindset and global outlook. And what brings us together are local events on personal and professional development topics. And thus, the social impact side of things emerged. In fact, the expansion of our circles  was already (human) capacity building - and as such a rewarding side effect of the activities we organised.

Small success stories

So; here we are ;) We now have a MVP and a strong idea of what a group of global professionals can do together. We are collecting examples of how people in here we are global circles are engaging and contributing.  An architect is involved in community work and sustainable development. A development professional and a communication specialist obtained short term assignments with a UN agency. Four health care professionals were invited for a government round table on disabled childrens' needs. Another two persons got engaged with a social enterprise and a third one became the representative of a private company’s activities in the region. Professional identities were maintained and elaborated upon - and social impact secured.

As such, the here we are global network is growing organically and followers start sprouting in new locations across the globe. With a Country Team in formation in Nairobi, new resource persons,  advisors, start up members and HR partner companies  spanning four continents, we are slowly but steadily writing a new narrative. Neat and lean! Already global - thinking big - developing bigger!

Jannie Aasted Skov-Hansen is a Global HR professional and the founder of here we are global.