January Work

Back again. The last weeks have been really busy with sessions and phone calls and planning!

We finished developing our National Plan by doing our individual plans for each of our areas and then compiling them into the main document. Now we know what we want to achieve in the next 6 months and how we plan to achieve it. Our goals are ambitious but realistic. A big focus point for us is sustainability, which means having both the membership pipeline to continue our work as well as the financial pipeline to continue activities. It would be so easy for everything to fall apart, so we have to make sure it lasts.

(Warning, this paragraph contains AIESEC-speak) Meanwhile, we have been having training sessions with our members. I think I mentioned last time that we had a TEAM themed reconnect event to bring everyone back together. Since then we have been meeting with them twice a week to pass essential knowledge to prepare them for the coming semester. First we did AIESEC in depth, where we talked about AIESEC History, Strategy and the Brand Experience. On Friday we covered the different functional areas of the LC. Basically, how are the roles divided and what are the activities that happen every day in an LC. Plus we did financial and exchange management so all of them would have a good overview of how the processes work. On Monday we introduced them to strategic planning and the concept of the balanced score card. It’s a lot of information but I think they are absorbing the essentials and they see the value of this information.

Training like this on these kinds of topics has never been available to them before. To be learning about strategic planning, the Belbin team types and financial planning is something very new to them. Some of the member’s eyes just sparkle during the sessions.

Of course we have our challenges. A few of our precious new members have not been showing up to session and disappearing on us. It’s a tricky time because they are still new to the organization, so our culture of attendance and timeliness is still in progress. We have to be a little flexible and patient with them but we also need them to come to the sessions otherwise they are missing very crucial information. Striving for a balance is important, but the members who have been attending all the sessions are starting to get that AIESEC spirit and we are hoping they will spread it to their less committed teammates. Overall I think we are doing well.

Next week we are doing the LC strategic plans with them. Should be very interesting because it will be the first time THEY are producing most of the content rather than us delivering it. They will be discussing and brainstorming and goal setting and I am very curious to see what they come up with. One crucial question we will be asking them is how can AIESEC be most relevant here? I wonder if their perception will match with ours. I am looking forward to these two days of planning and I hope they will start feel more like they are doing that just listening and learning. Soon, it will start to fall on their shoulders.

In addition to the training sessions and National Planning, I have also been working on EP raising (selecting students to go on exchange). I started this back in Nov and Dec but didn’t quite get it done before the holidays. Last Saturday and this afternoon we had our Review Board, which is when we have a panel of people (one AIESEC representative and one business representative) interview the candidates and select who is ready to go on exchange. We are looking for things like ambassadorship, adaptability leadership, motivation and attitude.Of 11 candidates on two days, 7 passed the interview and will be going on exchange as the first EPs (Exchange Participants) of AIESEC in Mozambique. I think the fact that a few failed is actually good because it shows that we don’t accept just anyone into the program and the fact that we had excellent panellists means that we are showing how professional we intend to make AIESEC here. The candidates who didn’t pass are able to apply again next time, but for now I have 7 people to manage and get ready for their exchange experience. They won’t be going for a few months yet, but there is still lots to be done!!

As you can see, I have been pretty absorbed with work recently. I haven’t had time to do much else! Even if you were dumbfounded by the stuff I am working on, know this – AIESEC in Mozambique is moving forward and having success. There are challenges, sure, but we are happy with our progress so far and we are looking forward to achieving all of our goals until July.

And, as our team slogan states, we are “All Together Now!”

P.S. I would post pictures… but I haven’t been taking any! I will try to rectify this immediately.