Movers and DSPs tend to suffer from an underdog complex – or Calimero effect – in the global mobility industry, and this affects their position in the food chain, says FIDI Secretary General Jesse van Sas
Calimero was an animated television series, quite popular in Europe in the 1970s, about a charming but hapless anthropomorphised chicken; the only black one in a family of yellow chickens. He wears half of his egg shell on his head, and every episode ended by Calimero lamenting ‘They are big and I am small, and that’s not fair’.
In a professional context, the Calimero effect refers to a mindset where an individual, team, or even an organisation perceives itself as unjustly small, overlooked or powerless – despite evidence to the contrary.
In the world of international relocation, movers and DSPs are often the unsung heroes. They are the ones who pack, lift, transport and deliver the very essence of people’s lives across borders; they are the ones who find homes and ensure that the transferee settles in, ready to take on the challenges of the job.
Yet, despite their critical role, many movers and DSPs continue to operate under a cloud of self-diminishment – the Calimero effect. In our industry, this manifests when they see themselves as the lowest link in the relocation chain, overshadowed by mighty procurement professionals, Relocation Management Companies, global mobility managers, or even fellow suppliers to the industry.
But let’s be clear: this perception is inaccurate – and harmful.
The relocation process quite literally begins and ends with the teams on the ground. Without the physical movement of goods, there is no relocation. The emotional and logistical weight of a move is borne by the mover’s or DSP’s team, who must deliver not just boxes or a suitable house, but also peace of mind. And yet, movers and DSPs often hesitate to claim their rightful place at the strategic table.
I have been reading a new book called Unpacking Employee Relocation by Chris Kline, a recognised leader in workforce mobility. The book shares insights in employee relocation programmes and covers the whole spectrum of global relocation. Guess what chapter in the book is by far the longest? You got it, it’s ‘Managing Household Goods shipping’.
As Chris Kline states in the book, moving is ‘one of the most critical elements of any relocation’. He continues by saying that household goods moves or DSP services are often treated as just another piece of the relocation puzzle, but the way they are managed can have a lasting impact on both the transferee and their company.
This underdog complex that we seem to have, can lead to missed opportunities: movers and DSPs may shy away from innovation, under-invest in marketing, or fail to assert their value in partnerships. Worse, it can create a self-fulfilling prophecy where others in the value chain begin to overlook the mover’s contribution – simply because the mover does too.
It is time to rethink the narrative. To move forward, we must first change the story we tell ourselves. Movers and DSPs, though fragmented, are not small. They are not powerless. They are not ‘the people who move boxes’; they are the enablers of global mobility, the custodians of trust, and the first and last touchpoint in a family’s relocation journey.
Let’s stop thinking like Calimero. Let’s start thinking like the indispensable professionals we are.