It has been two very intense days with Uncle Ralf, a.k.a Professor Ralf Boscheck. We have been working on setting up a framework for this somewhat peculiar 'industry' called 'NGOs' or more specifically 'Human Aid organizations dealing with street children'. Based on what we have learned so far we have defined the 'market', the 'competitors' and so forth. As with businesses we need to look at how the money gets in and how it is spent, but that is also the end of the similarities. For example, for a Human Aid organization it is not the 'customers', i.e. the street children, that pays for the services, but instead it is the donors who often have a different aim than the children.
On the 'operational' side we are looking at how different visions affects the choices an organization must make: 'Do you want to give as many children as possible the minimum that is required for them to move on with their lives' OR 'Do you want to create a heaven for a relatively small number of children, that then gets all the help you can provide'. Your brain will tell you that the first option is better, your heart will go for the second option if you are in Kenya where it all is happening. If there is one thing that has become clear so far, then it is that this project will be a battle against the dilemma of balancing brain and heart. The people that work in these types of organizations are there because of their good hearts, so we must be very careful not to come with a super rational mindset.
Ralf is a fountain of knowledge and a Duracell rabbit with new batteries. We worked full days, but frequently and intentionally sidetracked into other interesting discussion. He never ran out of energy. It is fascinating to hear these views and have a person of his caliber one-on-one (or one-on-five). He loves to provoke, to rattle the cage and see what comes out. Unless you are really trained and used to academic or political debates, it can be very hard to keep up, though. Nevertheless, it has been a couple of incredibly insightful days that drained me for every drop of energy I had. I have been sleeping very well the last couple of nights. And so I will tonight!
Sov godt!
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Perfect morning
It is the perfect morning on my balcony. Birds singing, a cup of coffee on the table, the air still cool, no noise from the road because it is Saturday, feet up, laptop in my lap, ready to write.
It has been a great week. Presentation technique, Advanced Finance and Negotiation skills. All of it very relevant, all of it very well taught. There are naturally different preferences and perceptions by the people in the class, but to me the Negotiations workshop stood out. It is probably the best training I have received in my life! Ted, Tom and Eric from CM Partners led us through 'The ladder of inference' and 'The Strategic Compass', the most important tools when negotiating. Simple, but very effective. The sessions were illustrated with rich examples and role plays played out in front of us.
All three of them have done lots negotiations at the top-top level, between governments, between major international corporations and in hostage negotiation situations. It was incredible to see how much they were in control of every situation. They would put the heat on each other in the role plays, but still they would evade the tough questions gracefully and redirect the conversation to where they wanted it to go. Impressive, very very impressive.
I have always thought that being a professional negotiator was someone doing hostage negotiations, and that mostly in Hollywood, but now I see how these gentlemen and their skills are the make or break of a deal, also in a business setting. Our personal impact will be enormous, if we can just do a fraction of what they can.
There was an incredible aura around these gentlemen. You had a feeling of being around someone that was absolutely world class in their field, someone who possessed an enormous natural authority and who was so much in control in the situation that you felt they could get you to do anything. In the words of classmate Simon Brunner (Switzerland): 'Could you imagine negotiating you salary with these guys? You would end up paying to go to work!'
Thorsten
It has been a great week. Presentation technique, Advanced Finance and Negotiation skills. All of it very relevant, all of it very well taught. There are naturally different preferences and perceptions by the people in the class, but to me the Negotiations workshop stood out. It is probably the best training I have received in my life! Ted, Tom and Eric from CM Partners led us through 'The ladder of inference' and 'The Strategic Compass', the most important tools when negotiating. Simple, but very effective. The sessions were illustrated with rich examples and role plays played out in front of us.
All three of them have done lots negotiations at the top-top level, between governments, between major international corporations and in hostage negotiation situations. It was incredible to see how much they were in control of every situation. They would put the heat on each other in the role plays, but still they would evade the tough questions gracefully and redirect the conversation to where they wanted it to go. Impressive, very very impressive.
I have always thought that being a professional negotiator was someone doing hostage negotiations, and that mostly in Hollywood, but now I see how these gentlemen and their skills are the make or break of a deal, also in a business setting. Our personal impact will be enormous, if we can just do a fraction of what they can.
There was an incredible aura around these gentlemen. You had a feeling of being around someone that was absolutely world class in their field, someone who possessed an enormous natural authority and who was so much in control in the situation that you felt they could get you to do anything. In the words of classmate Simon Brunner (Switzerland): 'Could you imagine negotiating you salary with these guys? You would end up paying to go to work!'
Thorsten
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
What does sun look like for a whale?
What does the sun look like for a whale?
This week the class divided in three. One group does Presentation Skills, another is working on their Negotiation Skills and the last is learning Advanced Finance. Each course is two days and then we swap. That makes the usual six day week.
I have been working on my presentation skills this first week. The course is run by the one-man army Steve Knight. Journalist by training and broadcaster by heart Steve has done broadcasting for many different people and institutions, amongst others the British Forces in Gibraltar and The Discovery Channel. The course in itself was excellent, but the presentations that people gave were intriguing themselves despite that the content was not the main aim. The course started with everyone delivering a one-minute presentation about a subject they were passionate about. I did my speech on motor biking in the Swiss mountains. The subjects otherwise included subjects such as
- making omelet with passion (courtesy of Peter Griesmayr, Germany),
- getting married on Bali with your whole family around you (Sylvain Cabalery, France),
- making a real Brazilian barbeque (Bruno Portnoi, Brazil),
- taking time to enjoy the local beverages when you visit new places (Ryo Abe, Japan),
- seeing the sun from the point of view of a whale (scuba diving) (Vladimir Korobkin, Russia) and several others.
Allegedly Brad Moldin (US) did a speech on the subject of 'Bullshit'. Unfortunately, I did not hear it myself, so I will have to get him to repeat it at the White Horse one of these days.
Second and third round presentations were done in groups and again included intriguing subjects such as 'France and the burka' and 'Swiss Banking secrecy laws under pressure'. Steve was cheering us along in his positive and energetic way, while improving the way we put the message across:
- 'Don't chase around like a tiger in a cage',
- 'You are standing like you are about to start a gun fight',
- 'Keep eye contact with a person in the audience for 5 to 8 words at a time',
- 'Don't turn your back to the audience, do the weather man instead',
- 'Slow down!'
- 'Speed up!'
It may sound harsh, but it was done in a very positive atmosphere and I think we all needed to hear these things. We have probably heard most of it before, but you forget once you are in front of the crowd and your heart starting pumping faster and your hands get sweaty. Of course everything was video taped for us to review.
This week the class divided in three. One group does Presentation Skills, another is working on their Negotiation Skills and the last is learning Advanced Finance. Each course is two days and then we swap. That makes the usual six day week.
I have been working on my presentation skills this first week. The course is run by the one-man army Steve Knight. Journalist by training and broadcaster by heart Steve has done broadcasting for many different people and institutions, amongst others the British Forces in Gibraltar and The Discovery Channel. The course in itself was excellent, but the presentations that people gave were intriguing themselves despite that the content was not the main aim. The course started with everyone delivering a one-minute presentation about a subject they were passionate about. I did my speech on motor biking in the Swiss mountains. The subjects otherwise included subjects such as
- making omelet with passion (courtesy of Peter Griesmayr, Germany),
- getting married on Bali with your whole family around you (Sylvain Cabalery, France),
- making a real Brazilian barbeque (Bruno Portnoi, Brazil),
- taking time to enjoy the local beverages when you visit new places (Ryo Abe, Japan),
- seeing the sun from the point of view of a whale (scuba diving) (Vladimir Korobkin, Russia) and several others.
Allegedly Brad Moldin (US) did a speech on the subject of 'Bullshit'. Unfortunately, I did not hear it myself, so I will have to get him to repeat it at the White Horse one of these days.
Second and third round presentations were done in groups and again included intriguing subjects such as 'France and the burka' and 'Swiss Banking secrecy laws under pressure'. Steve was cheering us along in his positive and energetic way, while improving the way we put the message across:
- 'Don't chase around like a tiger in a cage',
- 'You are standing like you are about to start a gun fight',
- 'Keep eye contact with a person in the audience for 5 to 8 words at a time',
- 'Don't turn your back to the audience, do the weather man instead',
- 'Slow down!'
- 'Speed up!'
It may sound harsh, but it was done in a very positive atmosphere and I think we all needed to hear these things. We have probably heard most of it before, but you forget once you are in front of the crowd and your heart starting pumping faster and your hands get sweaty. Of course everything was video taped for us to review.
Monday, August 10, 2009
From the present to the future
It has been a relatively quiet weekend with beautiful weather and friends visiting. Still I have had quite a bit to do, so I have not really been the good host that I would like to be. I have been blessed with very understanding friends, though, and I have apparently managed to lower their expectations to a level, where it is not a problem that I am not much around. They just use my place as a base and stroll around Lausanne or drive around Switzerland on their own. It is great we can work it out that way!
Thinking back on the first week of 'part 2' of the IMD program, the thing that strikes me the most is the mental switch from worrying about the present to worrying about the future. It used to be the everyday stress of the class that would keep us pre-occupied. Now it is the search for our dream. CVs and cover letters go out by the dozen and interviews are being planned both on-campus and away. It is now that the game starts, the game that Career Services have been warming us up for the past six months.
Professor Jean Pierre Jeannet (standing far right) took us through four cases on world class football teams and emphasized the many things that modern business leaders can learn from these teams. To mark the event some wore the team jerseys of their own favorite football teams.
Thinking back on the first week of 'part 2' of the IMD program, the thing that strikes me the most is the mental switch from worrying about the present to worrying about the future. It used to be the everyday stress of the class that would keep us pre-occupied. Now it is the search for our dream. CVs and cover letters go out by the dozen and interviews are being planned both on-campus and away. It is now that the game starts, the game that Career Services have been warming us up for the past six months.
Professor Jean Pierre Jeannet (standing far right) took us through four cases on world class football teams and emphasized the many things that modern business leaders can learn from these teams. To mark the event some wore the team jerseys of their own favorite football teams.
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Global mindsets
We have had a relatively soft landing after South Africa. We have been in the class room all week with Professors Cyril Bouquet and Jean Pierre Jeannet working through the subject of 'Managing within global companies'. We have been through two cases each day that have stressed the importance of approaching problems with a global mindset in today's world of business. Today we had a really interesting case about the Swiss America's Cup team, Alinghi. It was the story about how they in a period of 37 months build both a team and a boat in landlocked Switzerland and moved it all to New Zealand to bring back the most prestigious trophy in the world of sailing.
Most of all the case was an example of how much building a high performing sports team resembles building a high performing business team. Tomorrow, we will continue down the same road with cases on Manchester United, Juventus, Real Madrid and Ajax Amsterdam. I will be wearing my AaB jersey tomorrow. Never heard about AaB? I don't blame you. It is my club in Denmark.
I have my apartment full of guests this weekend. 5 of them, actually, if you include my girlfriend. They have chosen the perfect time to come. I took this picture when I was out biking in the vineyards east of Lausanne the other day. The picture is taken with my phone and does not at all justify the amazing colors; the vineyards are completely green and the lake has a very deep blue color. It is an absolutely breath taking view. It is equally breath taking trying to climb these hills by bike. Eventually I had to give up and walk. Anyway, if you have been considering visiting some of you friends in Lausanne, NOW is the time to do it. I am afraid that in a months or two nature will start preparing its winter coat again.
Most of all the case was an example of how much building a high performing sports team resembles building a high performing business team. Tomorrow, we will continue down the same road with cases on Manchester United, Juventus, Real Madrid and Ajax Amsterdam. I will be wearing my AaB jersey tomorrow. Never heard about AaB? I don't blame you. It is my club in Denmark.
I have my apartment full of guests this weekend. 5 of them, actually, if you include my girlfriend. They have chosen the perfect time to come. I took this picture when I was out biking in the vineyards east of Lausanne the other day. The picture is taken with my phone and does not at all justify the amazing colors; the vineyards are completely green and the lake has a very deep blue color. It is an absolutely breath taking view. It is equally breath taking trying to climb these hills by bike. Eventually I had to give up and walk. Anyway, if you have been considering visiting some of you friends in Lausanne, NOW is the time to do it. I am afraid that in a months or two nature will start preparing its winter coat again.
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Bye Bye Mandela
Old man, you did well.
The country that you have fought for is amazing and the direction in which you have sent it brings more than just hope - it brings firm belief – that a glorious future awaits South Africa.
Over the past two weeks we have visited the sites that tell the story of South Africa, the Apartheid Museum, the Hector Pieterson Museum for the Soweto uprising and your own house, which – whether you like it or not – has become yet another symbol of freedom and the fight that it took to get it. We have lived in fancy Sandton City with its shopping malls and posh hotels that few can afford. We have seen the unfortunate souls in townships and squatter camps and looked the HIV children of Cotlands in the eyes. Despite the sad sad circumstances, we saw nothing but big bright smiles. We were welcomed by thousands of singing, dancing and smiling souls in Soweto’s Grace Bible Church and we saw the roots of the country - its amazing nature and wildlife - in Pilanesburg National Park.
Not least, we have worked closely with the entrepreneurs of South Africa who produce anything and everything from diamonds and tractors to beds and hydraulic fittings. As much as soldiers and politicians are the heroes of the past, these passionate business men and women are the heroes of the future. They are the ones that will bring South Africa to the next level. We were told the huge success story of MTN, Africa’s first true multinational company, and we know that many more will follow.
When asked to define South African leadership my team quickly agreed on the three words: Forgiveness, inclusiveness and optimism. Forgiveness for the pain of the past, inclusiveness of all races, religions and colours in the prospects for the future and an incredible and forceful optimism that cannot be held back.
You will show them all of this in the FIFA world cup next year, where you have invited the whole world to your home. We know that you are preparing hard and we know that will do great. Just be yourself.
See you soon!
The country that you have fought for is amazing and the direction in which you have sent it brings more than just hope - it brings firm belief – that a glorious future awaits South Africa.
Over the past two weeks we have visited the sites that tell the story of South Africa, the Apartheid Museum, the Hector Pieterson Museum for the Soweto uprising and your own house, which – whether you like it or not – has become yet another symbol of freedom and the fight that it took to get it. We have lived in fancy Sandton City with its shopping malls and posh hotels that few can afford. We have seen the unfortunate souls in townships and squatter camps and looked the HIV children of Cotlands in the eyes. Despite the sad sad circumstances, we saw nothing but big bright smiles. We were welcomed by thousands of singing, dancing and smiling souls in Soweto’s Grace Bible Church and we saw the roots of the country - its amazing nature and wildlife - in Pilanesburg National Park.
Not least, we have worked closely with the entrepreneurs of South Africa who produce anything and everything from diamonds and tractors to beds and hydraulic fittings. As much as soldiers and politicians are the heroes of the past, these passionate business men and women are the heroes of the future. They are the ones that will bring South Africa to the next level. We were told the huge success story of MTN, Africa’s first true multinational company, and we know that many more will follow.
When asked to define South African leadership my team quickly agreed on the three words: Forgiveness, inclusiveness and optimism. Forgiveness for the pain of the past, inclusiveness of all races, religions and colours in the prospects for the future and an incredible and forceful optimism that cannot be held back.
You will show them all of this in the FIFA world cup next year, where you have invited the whole world to your home. We know that you are preparing hard and we know that will do great. Just be yourself.
See you soon!
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Delivery
Today was delivery day. Delivery of the projects we have been working on the past week. Judging from the many stories I have heard from my classmates South Africa have made an impact on us all and judging from the very same stories we made an impact on South Africa. Maybe not as a country, but for the entrepreneurs we have been working with. It is incredible how much you as a group can pick up, process and feed back in a week once you really set your mind to it.
The last two days we borrowed a room in the office of our host IDC, where we could digest and process the information we absorbed over the past week. For some reason, it did not feel much different than the dungeons back in Lausanne.
My concerns about us knowing absolutely nothing about hydraulic fittings evaporated already the first day and this week became an awesome demonstration of the power of a multi-skilled team. Eric – our financial genius – drew up a complete financial model from scratch and helped Peter sort some outstanding issues with his bank. Stone – our engineer – made a model that allows Peter to accurately calculate his production cost of each product, which ensures that the prices are set correctly. Stone also made suggestions to how Peter can make very significant improvements to the utilization of his machines. Shibu – our marketing wizard – draw up a plan for a more structured sales process than Peter has today. Myself, I got really good at getting coffee for everyone ☺ We wrapped it all up in a business plan that Peter can take to his bank to help him refinance his existing business and obtain new capital for his planned expansion. That was our deliverable and Peter seemed very happy with it.
Eric and Stone trying to get the financial and operational figures to match.
Delivery of the business plan took place at ‘The Mug & The Bean’ coffee shop. Here Shibu and Peter are discussing the marketing plan. Please note the huge cup of coffee in the front. This is on the menu as a so-called ‘Serious Cappuccino’ and consists of almost half a liter of warm milk and coffee. Not only in America!
What better way to end it all than with a team phoon in front of the Mandela statue on Mandela Square here in Sandton City. From left it is myself, our entrepreneur Peter, Stone, Eric, Shibu and our driver Sharl.
We had lunch at a Thai restaurant today. My teammates apparently thought I needed to relax and bought me a massage in the restaurant. For the equivalent of 5 dollars you get about 20 minutes of massage of neck, shoulders and arms before and after you eat. I could really get used to that. Although we were in a Thai restaurant the girl proved to be Chinese. As Stone and her started talking in their native tongue we learned that she was from a place in China not far from Stone’s and that she had migrated to South Africa a couple of years ago to work. Interesting, I thought, that someone would migrate to find work in a country with 25% unemployment. Stone explained that many Chinese go abroad these days, most of them to set up their own businesses, though.
We have also experienced the diversity of our group in a culinary way this week. Thursday Shibu treated us for Indian food, Friday Stone treated us for Chinese and today Eric took us out for Thai. There are unfortunately very few traditional Danish restaurants outside of Denmark, but I can always buy you a Carlsberg! ☺
South Africa is now seeing the rise of a new term: ‘White poverty’. This little exhibition was set up today across the street from our hotel.
The poster reads: ‘…poverty in South Africa no longer has an exclusively black face….. Poverty is becoming less of a racial issue and more of a South African problem…. Having been deprived of their previously ‘privileged’ position, the white poor are now seeking new ways to adapt or at least survive.’
In some bizarre way this is a good sign. Not that people get poor, but than when there is poverty, that it is evenly split among races. This is the precondition for eventually bringing South Africa out of the poverty!
Less than 50m from where the previous picture was taken we found this display of material wealth. Aston Martin, Lamborghini and Audi R8 in front of the posh Michelangelo Hotel reminds us that South Africa still is a country full of contrasts.
The last two days we borrowed a room in the office of our host IDC, where we could digest and process the information we absorbed over the past week. For some reason, it did not feel much different than the dungeons back in Lausanne.My concerns about us knowing absolutely nothing about hydraulic fittings evaporated already the first day and this week became an awesome demonstration of the power of a multi-skilled team. Eric – our financial genius – drew up a complete financial model from scratch and helped Peter sort some outstanding issues with his bank. Stone – our engineer – made a model that allows Peter to accurately calculate his production cost of each product, which ensures that the prices are set correctly. Stone also made suggestions to how Peter can make very significant improvements to the utilization of his machines. Shibu – our marketing wizard – draw up a plan for a more structured sales process than Peter has today. Myself, I got really good at getting coffee for everyone ☺ We wrapped it all up in a business plan that Peter can take to his bank to help him refinance his existing business and obtain new capital for his planned expansion. That was our deliverable and Peter seemed very happy with it.
Eric and Stone trying to get the financial and operational figures to match.
Delivery of the business plan took place at ‘The Mug & The Bean’ coffee shop. Here Shibu and Peter are discussing the marketing plan. Please note the huge cup of coffee in the front. This is on the menu as a so-called ‘Serious Cappuccino’ and consists of almost half a liter of warm milk and coffee. Not only in America!
What better way to end it all than with a team phoon in front of the Mandela statue on Mandela Square here in Sandton City. From left it is myself, our entrepreneur Peter, Stone, Eric, Shibu and our driver Sharl.
We had lunch at a Thai restaurant today. My teammates apparently thought I needed to relax and bought me a massage in the restaurant. For the equivalent of 5 dollars you get about 20 minutes of massage of neck, shoulders and arms before and after you eat. I could really get used to that. Although we were in a Thai restaurant the girl proved to be Chinese. As Stone and her started talking in their native tongue we learned that she was from a place in China not far from Stone’s and that she had migrated to South Africa a couple of years ago to work. Interesting, I thought, that someone would migrate to find work in a country with 25% unemployment. Stone explained that many Chinese go abroad these days, most of them to set up their own businesses, though.
We have also experienced the diversity of our group in a culinary way this week. Thursday Shibu treated us for Indian food, Friday Stone treated us for Chinese and today Eric took us out for Thai. There are unfortunately very few traditional Danish restaurants outside of Denmark, but I can always buy you a Carlsberg! ☺
South Africa is now seeing the rise of a new term: ‘White poverty’. This little exhibition was set up today across the street from our hotel.The poster reads: ‘…poverty in South Africa no longer has an exclusively black face….. Poverty is becoming less of a racial issue and more of a South African problem…. Having been deprived of their previously ‘privileged’ position, the white poor are now seeking new ways to adapt or at least survive.’
In some bizarre way this is a good sign. Not that people get poor, but than when there is poverty, that it is evenly split among races. This is the precondition for eventually bringing South Africa out of the poverty!
Less than 50m from where the previous picture was taken we found this display of material wealth. Aston Martin, Lamborghini and Audi R8 in front of the posh Michelangelo Hotel reminds us that South Africa still is a country full of contrasts.
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