The traditional East Asian lunar calendar is a twelve-year repeating cycle, with each year corresponding to one of the twelve animals of the Chinese zodiac. Each animal is said to embody specific traits and behaviors manifesting in those born within that year.
Lunar New Year, also known as Spring Festival and Chinese New Year, is one of the most celebrated holidays across all of Asia and by many communities worldwide. Marking the beginning of a new lunar calendar year, this holiday symbolizes renewal, family reunions, and the pursuit of good fortune. The holiday is steeped in vibrant customs, including feasts, festivals, and the exchange of red envelopes to symbolize prosperity and good fortune.
This year, from January 29 to February 16, we’re celebrating the Year of the Earth Snake, the sixth animal in the Chinese zodiac. The snake is associated with wisdom, elegance, and resourcefulness. People born in the Year of the Snake are often seen as intelligent, alert, intuitive, and calm. This zodiac sign also signifies transformation and renewal—qualities that resonate strongly with mobility professionals navigating a unique time of transition in our industry.
This got me thinking: How else can the Lunar New Year and the Year of the Snake guide us as mobility professionals? Beyond building our cross-cultural awareness of a festive period celebrated by many of our teammates, clients, and partners, what teachings can we employ when managing strong relocation programs and unleashing the talent our clients rely on to achieve their business goals?
In today’s mobile career journey, wisdom is a superpower.
The need to equip relocating employees with information is critical. However, mobility professionals must also be well-informed to hone our snake smarts. Knowing what is happening in our industry, what our competitors are doing, and what new solutions are available is imperative to ensure that our strategy is relevant and effective – particularly in a highly competitive talent landscape. The status quo will no longer cut it when it comes to attracting, developing and retaining the talent you need to grow your business. At Weichert, our revitalized service team structure and industry-leading tech platform deliver more impactful insights and better solutions for our clients, driving constant improvement in their programs. And our acclaimed consulting service, the Advisory Studio, offers facilitator-led, interactive workshops designed to generate bold ideas and map out how to act upon them (because all that wisdom doesn’t mean much if you don’t know how to apply it)!
Stay alert and responsive to protect the employee experience.
Snakes rely heavily on their supercharged senses of smell, taste, and heat to get the pulse of their surroundings, alert them to danger, and plan their route accordingly. Similarly, mobility professionals must harness their own “senses”—data insights, industry expertise, and global awareness—to navigate an ever-changing landscape. Duty of care remains a focal point as geopolitical changes, natural disasters, and global conflicts create new challenges. Like the snake, mobility teams must stay alert, responsive, and agile, anticipating risks and adapting strategies to protect the employee experience. By staying attuned to emerging trends and potential threats, they ensure that employees feel supported, secure, and empowered no matter where their journey takes them.
Adaptability is the precursor to positive change.
The snake is applauded for its ability to adapt to whatever terrain lies ahead. Not to mention the shedding of old skin to continually allow for new versions of itself. As relocating employees undergo transitions of epic proportions, we can empower them to be snakes in their own journeys, ensuring that they have the right tools, support, agility and personalized guidance to step into their new lives feeling renewed and productive. Building flexibility into your mobility policy is a good start: it ensures that every snake – err, relocating employee – can access the right combination of benefits so that each move feels perfectly adapted to their needs.
Forget the old adages. Western folklore may have painted the snake as cunning and conniving, but the Chinese zodiac encourages us to see it in a new light—as a creature of wisdom, adaptability, and resilience. The very qualities that we aspire to hone as mobility professionals, as we navigate complex terrains with foresight, act decisively to overcome challenges, and embrace renewal and transformation to stay ahead.
Gung Hei Fat Choi, Gong Xi Fa Cai, or however you say it: wishing you all a prosperous and harmonious Year of the Snake.
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