The Magic of Investing in People

I was recently invited to facilitate a Personal Branding workshop, on behalf of SAWomEng, as part of a bigger Girl’s Networking Day hosted by Sasol. The event was attended by about a hundred sparkly eyed, enthused and energetic high-school girls! My job was to motivate and inspire them to discover their “onlyness” and celebrate their individuality. The only thing is... I think I was the one who was left most inspired!!

With many learners these days being plagued by apathy, laziness and sheer indifference, it was so refreshing to be able to interact and engage with young girls so willing to learn and just wanting to absorb every last inkling of everything they were exposed to. For me, it simply reiterated my belief that when you invest in someone, when you make the time to show them that they and their needs are important too, they will reciprocate. Maybe not immediately, and it might take some effort, but it all becomes so worth it when you see the difference that a simple belief in someone can make.

How often do we find ourselves saying “Kids these days!” and shaking our heads in dismay? How quick are we to brand kids as lazy or call them incompetent? Yes, no doubt there are multiple factors at play - our distressed education system, teachers constantly being on strike, kids coming from troubled homes - but instead of blaming these factors, which are often out of our direct control, perhaps we should look at this a different way. What is in our control? How can each of us give a little bit of our time and effort to invest in someone, even in a small way? Try it.. You may just be surprised by the magic that results!! ;)

Take 2...

So all it took was a little motivation, coupled with a lot of inspiration (from being surrounded by some phenomenal bloggers), to get me to try a “Take 2…” at this blogging thing! After a whirlwind start with so much to share (the length of my last few posts says it all!), I slipped into a bit of an abyss called “Life” and found myself in a complete state of overwhelm. Next thing you know, it’s almost 3 months, gazillion incredible opportunities/ events/ adventures, but 0 blogs later… and I’m like, I’m sure this is not how this supposed to work (not even the passionate procrastinator could justify this one!).

But it seems like an intervention was in store and I found myself at the awesome Jozilicious mixer yesterday, and as I was sharing some of my stories with my newly found friends (yes, the passionate mingler was in action), I realised, there is still so much I want to share/write about… and more importantly, that “being too busy” is simply not a good enough excuse!

…and what better day to get started (again!) than on my 30^th Birthday! I know it’s a year that daunts most people, but when I woke up this morning, I was filled with an immense sense of content and readiness to tackle this next chapter. I have been incredibly fortunate to have had an amazing 20's decade, but that was just laying the foundation. As I look forward, there is SO much that I want to do, to achieve - and I once again invite you to join me on what promises to be an exciting journey ahead…

So keep a look out, definitely more to come in this space as I attempt to not fall off this "bicycle" by making sure I keep this blog moving!  Here’s to a bountiful, informative and exhilarating Take 2… :)

Powerful Lessons Learnt and Meaningful Take-Aways

Fortune/U.S. State Department Global Mentorship Exchange Program (Part 2)

Date: Work in progress since 1 May 2013 till published

Place: New York to Johannesburg - from office desks, hotel rooms to lying in bed

So after a 4 week overload of information, stimulation and inspiration, I’ve finally managed to take some time to process and reflect on the extraordinary happenings during the program. It’s easy to go from meeting to meeting, workshop to workshop and feel great about it afterwards. But for me it’s about so much more than just that. It’s about consolidating the learnings and information and really thinking about how has this process enriched my life, what did I really learn and what is it that I am going to do with all of this?

Writing this blog was part of the answer to each of those questions. In order to write this, I really needed to sit down and think about what’s changed in me over the last month. Instead of just having pockets of knowledge and advice in separate areas, the process of writing required me to consolidate my learnings and draw a holistic overview of how everything is connected. And most importantly, writing this blog is the first part of what I plan to do with all of this – and that is to SHARE my learnings.

There are some parts of the learning that are very hard to describe in writing, but these will be shared in my “doing” as I go forward on my journey. For now though, that which I can share in writing, is presented here.

The Power of a Brand

In all honesty, before I embarked on my time spent with the company, I very much thought of IBM as a computer and software company. Little did I know that they’re world leaders in technology, innovation, business consulting and so much more! And at first I questioned the way the brand was represented. But I soon discovered a very different and powerful branding strategy.

Considering that the entity that IBM services is not the average man on the street, but rather institutions such as businesses, corporations, banks and governments, their brand marketing is not focused on the individual consumer like you and I. But when you look at the magnitude and calibre of the clients that they do service, you realise that they do indeed have a very well established brand in the relevant space that they play in.

But that is not the powerful strategy I was referring to. What I was more impressed by was the focus on which IBM puts on establishing a respected brand internally, to its very own employees. I mentioned the term “IBM’er” repeatedly in my previous blog. This is because the concept of the IBM’er came up repeatedly, from everyone I interacted with at the company - be it the man on the ground or the most senior leaders. This sense of identity, of belonging, for a company that’s over 430 000 employees strong, is simply astounding!!  It is the finest example of “Brand around product vs Brand around purpose”. At IBM, the employees I interacted with all spoke about a sense of purpose, and with that purpose came the sense of pride to be part of this “family”. It’s often said that it’s the people that drive a company’s success, and if you look at IBM’s success track record, the power of internalising a brand to such an extent could not be more evident!

The Power of You

Keeping in line with the Power of a Brand, this is not just limited to companies or products. This is equally, if not more, important when it comes to your Personal Brand.

If there was one clear message that resonated in all the discussions with a multitude of leaders, both with IBM and through the Vital Voices program, it was certainly around The Power of YOU!

We often spend so much time and energy trying to be who we think our boss, our partner, the world wants us to be, that we rarely ever stop to understand who we really are and what potential lies within us. There is nothing more powerful than being your authentic self, and once you embrace that, you have freed up all that energy to contribute to something more meaningful and constructive.

Continuously seeking the approval of the masses is frivolous and exhausting. Chris Quinn says, “Don’t spend so much time thinking about what people think about what you do, just do it!” I will admit that this is easier said than done and I too still struggle with this. The need to be liked, to desire to have people agree with me, the fear of negative criticism – I am still finding my way through it all. But having heard these amazing women, even during the tough times, all embracing the concept of the Power of You, was certainly a powerful affirmation to stay the course and keep focusing on getting myself in this space.

Susan McPherson spoke of the concept of “onlyness” – that which distinguishes us from others. It is this “Onlyness” that we should be celebrating, and not trying to change.

A large part of being successful is knowing who you are, because only once you understand the Power of You, can you build your reputation, your Personal Brand.

(From Left to Right) Lounging around with Gerri Laybourne, Founder Oxygen Media and her bosom buddy Donna Orender, past WNBA President; Pattie Sellers, Senior Editor in Chief of Fortune interviewing New York Council Speaker, Chris Quinn; Alyse Nelson, CEO Vital Voices moderating a panel discussion with Senior Vice President Fenton Media and the extraordinary Beth Brooke, Global Vice Chair E&Y; Christiane Amanpour of CNN

The Power of Choice

With the hot topic for many career women being around “work-life balance”, or rather the existence thereof, it was interesting to hear what these extremely successful individuals had to say. What came through was that the first thing to understand about “work-life balance” is that is actually more about“work-life choices”.

“Balance” means different things to different people. The world has this perfectly painted picture of what a “balanced” life looks like. And the minute we deviate from it, everyone points fingers judgmentally and says, “Look, it’s all about her career!”, or “Shame, she gave up an amazing career and is now stuck as a house-wife.” But at the end of the day, it’s not about pleasing the world. It’s about making choices and being comfortable with them. Just because your choices lead to a life which does not fit your neighbour’s definition of “balanced”, it doesn’t mean it wasn’t the right choice for your life in your context. And more importantly, having a life that isn’t “balanced” doesn’t have to necessarily be a negative thing. After all, the extremely successful Gerri Laybourne emphatically said “I have lived a joyous life of imbalance”.

Yes, with ambitions of a successful career, there will no doubt be challenges and sacrifices that need to be made. There should be no delusions around this, but giving these the due consideration that they deserve is an integral part of the “work-life choices” that one makes.

The Power of Discomfort

This one was very clear and succinct: If you’re comfortable in your job, then you’re not growing!

Few things offer better growth than a new challenge. Yes, it’s very easy to fall into a comfort zone, and more dangerous is that often we don’t even realise that that’s what has happened. That’s where the importance of rotation programs, having a good manager, being on good development program and/or just being proactive has the most value.

Both IBM and Sasol, where I currently work, have a fantastic rotation policy. Being matrix organisations, they encourage lateral movement to enhance vertical growth.  A rotation model is not always easy - both for management, where it means they have to allow talented individuals to leave their teams; and for individuals, where it means moving out of a comfort zone. But the results often speak for itself.

Depending on the company structure and/or programs, this may not necessarily be the way new challenges and opportunities are presented to you. But that’s when you need to either find an environment that cultivates this, or be proactive about seeking new challenges outside of your current space.

  

The Power of Sharing Power

Often in very male dominated environments, when women do succeed, they hold onto their success. Sometimes so tightly, that they make it even more difficult for their female counterparts to progress. I asked a number of the leaders I met about this and I received some great feedback on why, as leaders, they choose not to do this.

Many of these leaders spoke about how “inclusive leadership” is a more progressive style of leadership and something that women are inherently better at. In the past women often felt like they had to lead like men in order to succeed in a man’s world, and often that was what worked against them more than anything. This was largely as a result of the fact that this kind of leadership style was not necessarily one that came naturally to them (and this again speaks to exploiting the Power of You, instead of trying to be someone else).

They went on to share that most successful people will show that power is more likely to expand when shared. When you shine a light on someone else, it reflects positively on you too. Often, it enhances your reputation as leader when you celebrate the successes of those around you.

Or quite simply put, Susan McPherson says “It’s easier to be nice than to be mean.”

Unfortunately this is not always the mind-set of the leaders we are exposed to in our everyday lives. But being exposed to leaders who do actually think this way, has really got me thinking about how do we spread this message? How do we encourage this to become the norm? I am determined to delve more into this and do some work around promoting inclusive leadership, and also looking into ways on how, as women looking to succeed and grow, do we tackle leaders who don’t practise this?

  

The Power of Paying It Forward

When people hear the phrase “paying it forward” they often think it needs to be in some huge, complex,  magnificent way like starting a Non-Profit or a Movement of sorts that tackles massive, life-threatening issues around the world. If one has the capacity, resources and passion to do just that, then that’s great. But “paying it forward” is no less valuable when it is done in your immediate space, in an unstructured manner, integrated into your day-to-day activities by just yourself or a handful of partners. It simply means finding a way to help make a positive change in your own life, and the lives of those around you.

It doesn't even have to be in the form of a novel, grand idea. Take the concept of the Bottom Closet, which was started off by affluent executives donating business attire to the less privileged to help these women enhance their confidence and create a better impression when interviewing. This is such a reproducible concept – something that we can each easily do by ourselves, and not even limited to just women. This is certainly something I am going to start encouraging in both my work and community environment.

More so, sometimes “paying it forward” is as simple as getting a conversation started. My personal area of interest in doing so is around people development and women empowerment. Now in a country plagued by BEE and quota’s and diversity incentives etc, a term such as women empowerment is often misunderstood as getting the numbers of women in relevant positions up for the sake of compliance. I’m saying NO, women empowerment actually means investing in women, enhancing their skills, expanding their exposure, encouraging them to learn and grow SO THAT they can then build up the right skills set, experience and qualifications to be excellent at what they do and get into relevant positions based on MERIT! And thereafter encouraging these women to use their success to help those around them succeed to create a positive change reaction of success. This is the conversation that I want to get started and this is where I plan on directing my mission to “pay it forward”.

The Power of Mentorship

When you interview for a job, one of the first things the interviewer usually asks about is what experience do you have. In a world where competency is measured by experience, why would you limit yourself to only your own? By of having a mentor, you’re able to leverage off their experiences, and learn from their successes and failures. Imagine the value that this adds to your competency measure!

Mentorship can take place in various forms - oftentimes it’s through structured programs in the workplace, through organised programs, or certainly through exchange programs like this amazing one - and that is really fantastic and powerful, but mentorship doesn’t always have to be through formal or structured channels. Mentorship can be any engagement with an individual or group of individuals who you can learn from and who are willing to guide you in their expertise of choice. Sometimes this kind of mentorship can be the most powerful, but it’s up to us to be open to mentoring that happens inadvertently/naturally. Be willing to learn from other’s to help you grow. As Beth Brookes says about learning from others, “I steal everything. I’m an amalgamation of everyone I meet.”

We also need to learn to pick up cues on when people are opening themselves up to help us. That conversation can be the start of great things to come!

And as valuable it is to have a mentor or mentors is in your own life, in line with Paying it Forward, it’s equally important, and a tremendous learning and growth experience to mentor others. When mentoring others, take some advice from Christiane Amanpour. She says “Always be your best, and make other’s want to be their best”. But remember, mentoring is more than just inspiring others, it’s about being there to guide your mentees along the way and as Alyse Nelson says, “The best gift that you can give your mentee is to still be there for them when they fail.”

Being both a mentee and a mentor is one of the most invaluable gifts you can give yourself!

The Power of Networks

With the high level of corruption and fraud taking place in South Africa, the term “It’s about who you know” is very often seen in a very negative light, and rightfully so under these circumstances. But the Power of Networks looks at “It’s about who you know” in a very different context. The networks that I’m talking about are built on credibility, reputation and trust. If you are able to build this kind of network, you have just extended the boundaries of possibility infinitely.

The power of having networks calls on everything I have already spoken about – it’s these networks that you can call upon when you find yourself in a comfort zone and you’re looking for doors to be opened to a new challenge. It’s these networks that you can call upon when you’re looking for a mentor or someone to guide you in making critical decisions. These are the networks that, because they’re built on trust and common ground, you can turn to when you find yourself losing the Power of You or looking for guidance on making your “work-life choices”. It’s also these networks that you can call on to help you find ways and means of paying it forward and possibly even doing so together.

Part of practising the Power of Sharing Power can be the opportunity to share your networks with those who you trust and believe can use them for good. And most definitely these networks, these allies are the people you can call on to help you promote both the brand of your company and yourself.

I have had the unique opportunity to expand my network to include some of the most extraordinary people through this program. The possibility for collaboration, shared learning, assistance, and potential is unlimited! 

Don’t ever underestimate the Power of Networks. This is your opportunity to have levers of influence within reach and using these to your advantage. But at the same time, remember, networks are kept alive with integrity and trust, and the minute this is broken, it is very hard to re-establish.

The Power of Friendship

Over and above everything else, one of my greatest take-aways from the program is the set of friends I have made. I specifically call them “friends” because the relationships that were built with my 26 fellow mentees extends far beyond just a network. There we were, from 17 different countries, an age range spanning almost 20 years, and from a multitude of cultural backgrounds, yet there was a golden thread that bonded us all. These phenomenal women, each no doubt the next leading CEO’s, President’s, Change-makers in their own countries and beyond, have each enhanced my life in such a special way. 

Building friendships and making memories with my 26 fellow mentees from all around the world

I look forward to growing these relationships and extract a great deal of comfort knowing that I have so much support from all 4 corners of the world as I take these powerful learnings into my own endeavours!! This is only the beginning...

My Incredible IBM Experience

Fortune/U.S. State Department Global Mentorship Exchange Program (Part 1)

Date: Work in progress since 1 May 2013 till published

Place: New York to Johannesburg - from office desks, hotel rooms to lying in bed

So I know it’s been over a month since my last post, but when you read about what it is that kept me busy during this time, I hope I’ll be heartily forgiven!

In my last post I wrote about the incredible program that I had just embarked on and detailed the amazing Week 1 activities. Soon after that I was whipped up into a “whirlwind adventure” that has without a doubt enthused and invigorated me down to the very core of my being!

It’s taken me a good few days to sit back and digest the incredible happenings of the last 3 weeks and as I sit here trying to gather my thoughts and write it all up, it still all just feel like some dream that transpired in a parallel universe!

Because there’s so much I want to share with you, I decided to break it up into two parts:  The first is really a blow-by-blow description of My Experience – the day to day happenings and activities I engaged in, so I reckon you make yourself comfortable as it’s a detailed, but hopefully captivating, read :)

Then next, I will write about My Learnings - the impact the program has had on me, what I’ve taken away from it, and what I hope to go forward and do with this. For those who aren’t into details, wait till tomorrow, when this one will be posted ;)

So let’s get going:

For my mentorship component of the program I was partnered with IBM. Having briefly chatted to my program coordinator prior to my arrival in the US, I knew they were going to put an absolutely amazing program together for me. Little did I know that “amazing” would be the understatement of the century!

Day 1

From the very first walk from my hotel to IBM, it was clear that I was in New York. Within 10 minutes I walked past the Trump Tower, Central Park, Carnegie Hall, 5^th Avenue, a dozen Starbucks and countless yellow cabs! I couldn’t help but grin all the way to work.

I was greeted by my program coordinator, Sophia Tu, who would subsequently become my closest counterpart in my adventures and a wonderful friend. First up was a morning spent with the Executive Director of Enterprise Social Strategy and Programs at the newly renovated IBM Design Lab. From the very first step through the door, I was wow’ed by what I saw. Truly an inspired space that nurtured creativity and sparked the imagination. Ethan was equally as inspiring as he spoke with passion about being a proud IBM’er (the very first time I was introduced to this concept). I also learnt about the evolution of the graphics around IBM logo and the significance of the IBM brand being adequately represented on a vast array of platforms. A brilliant introduction to IBM as a company and a great start for what lied ahead!

Speaking to my passion for STEM exposure and learner development in the field, my program included a visit to the very first P-Tech (Pathways in Technology Early College High school) in Brooklyn, first started in 2011. This fantastic concept developed by IBM in partnership with NYC Department of Education, NYC College of Technology and the City University of NY, is revolutionising secondary and post-secondary education in the US. It was endearing to see the effort and passion that was put into steering education, especially in technical fields, in a new and exciting direction. I will definitely be keeping my eyes on this as I’m sure it will be making waves in education in the future!

Day 2

Today was spent engaging with the vibrant Vice President of Strategy and Innovation, Kinthi Sturtevant and her fabulous Organizational Change Management team. I learnt about how an enormous global organization, that is always at the forefront of innovation, tackles its ever changing environment and ensures that employees remain motivated and engaged. I also had the opportunity to participate in a powerful and extremely inspiring networking call with some amazing women IBM'ers, each doing so much over and above their demanding jobs to promote engineering, technology and leadership growth to women - in absolute awe of their incredible stories and received some great tips and advice for success in my future endeavours.

(Left) Learning about design from Ethan McCarthy, Executive Director of Enterprise Social Strategy and Programs; (Middle and Right) Vice President of Strategy and Innovation, Kinthi Sturtevant and some of her fabulous Organizational Change Management team members

Day 3 and 4

Today I travelled to upstate New York to IBM’s Somers campus to meet with some more amazing leaders. I was blown away by the inspiring Susan Puglia, Vice President of Global Sales Technical Leadership, who over and above her incredible growth within the company, has also invested a significant amount of time and effort in establishing leadership development programs for technical leaders, especially women, within IBM. She definitely gave me plenty food for thought and I’m sure there is much I can learn from her in the future.

I also had the opportunity to meet with Katherine Frase, Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, IBM. This remarkable mother of 4 boys and active member in enhancing her community outside of work, is living proof that anything is possible!

I then headed off to IBM Corporate Headquarters in Armonk to meet with Jen Crozier, Vice President of Global Citizenship Initiatives. This incredible woman shared with me the power of social investment and how to make it an integral part of the company’s strategy. It was clear that when this was the case, and not just something on the side to make the company look/feel good, the potential to create change and have a positive impact is so much greater. Over and about our conversations about her work, Jen also imparted some wonderful pearls of wisdom to me about social identity and growing both within and outside of your “work” environment. I loved our conversation and was glad that my program included more time with her in the next weeks.

Jen then escorted me to the Armonk hangar where I was to meet my mentor Bridget van Kralingen, Senior Vice President, Global Business Services and her Executive Assistant, Liz Healy. I had the unique opportunity to travel with Bridget and Liz to Bloomington, Illinois to get an inside view of the IBM Client Experience. It was such an absolutely wonderful experience to be exposed to a leader like Bridget, being able to engage with and observe her in so many different environments – in one-on-one conversation, preparing for a big meeting, working with her team, hosting a team dinner and then winding down after a busy trip.

Her poise and warm demeanour are the first things that I took note of. She engages with people in such a meaningful way. From observing the manner in which she interacts in meetings and the questions she poses, I already got a sense of what an incredible mind she has. I was taken aback at how someone in this position, who obviously has an insane schedule, was still willing to take the time out and hear about my story, my goals and objectives and be so willing to contribute in whatever ways she could.

I was also really fortunate to get to spend time with her Executive Assistant Liz, who is a whopping success story in her own right. I gained a lot of value from my conversations with her and drew a lot of learning from her own journey.

As part of my Client Experience adventure, I had an opportunity to spend some time with the IBM State Farm team. State Farm, one of the largest Insurance companies in the US, is one of IBM’s longest standing clients. It was a great opportunity to interact with some client facing IBM’ers and get an insight into what the “Client Experience” means and why it is so important to an innovation giant like IBM.

I also had the pleasure of meeting one of State Farm’s leading executives, Dianne Fleming. As a senior woman in the technology space, Dianne has endured many challenges in her career but has not only overcome them, but has gone on to far surpass any obstacles that came her way. It was an absolute pleasure to be in her space.

After an insightful and exciting trip to Bloomington, I returned to New York with Bridget and Liz later that evening and got to spend more time engaging into fruitful and inspiring conversation with them both. I returned to my hotel that night simply overwhelmed at all I had been exposed to in just 4 days with IBM so far!

Day5

Today’s agenda hosted something very different for this engineer, passionate about people development, but fairly inept when it comes to finance – a day with Treasury! I must admit, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but being hosted by IBM’s ebullient General Auditor Evaristus Mainsah certainly showed me that finance can be exciting and exhilarating too! I learnt about various audit processes, investigation procedures, treasury strategy and capital markets, and even got to visit the IBM trade floor.  I had the pleasure to meet with the Assistant Treasurer Pamela Beshoory, who shared with me some thoughts on her leadership strategy both in and outside of the workplace. It was an absolute delight to learn from her and there’ll be plenty of her advice that I will be taking with me as I move forward.

Day6 - 7

After having the weekend to somewhat round-up my incredible learnings from a jam-packed week 1, and sneaking in a bit of R&R, I was more than ready and enthused to take on week 2. My adventures started at the IBM Learning Centre where I had the opportunity to sit in on one of IBM’s world class Leadership Development programs TechGen. The program brings together high-potential IBM’ers from around the world, and focuses on their development along the technical path with the objective of becoming a distinguished engineer.  I had the unique opportunity to sit in with a panel of observers, made up of 4 Distinguished engineers and 2 Vice Presidents, as they assessed the program’s participants work through a series of case studies and technical development exercises designed to rattle their brains and stretch their minds to extreme.   

I also had a chance to complete my own leadership assessment to get an insight into my leadership styles, how to use my strengths to their fullest and how to build on my talent to become the best leader I can be. The learnings were extremely beneficial and interesting to say the least.

I managed to sit in on almost 2 of the 3 days over which the program ran and was suitably impressed not only by the quality of the employees partaking in the program, but also by the time and commitment that the senior executives were dedicating to the development of these employees, and by the level of detail and effort that had gone into developing a curriculum of such intense standards. It’s no wonder that IBM has the calibre of leaders that they do.

On Day 7 I was also afforded an opportunity to have lunch with the delightful Nancy Deviney, Vice President Organizational Change Management who imparted some fantastic advice on the power of building your personal brand. She also shared some pearls of wisdom from her own journey to becoming a leader and as an avid Oprah fan, some wonderful anecdotes on inspiration and being the best you can be.    

My day ended off with a wonderful meeting with the endearing Jill Puleri, Vice President Global Industry Leader – Retail. I loved every moment of conversation as Jill took me through her incredible journey. Her openness and willingness to share with me was just so powerful and I walked away from the conversation feeling so empowered and enriched by everything she had shared with me.

(Left) My inspiring mentor, Bridget van Kralingen, Senior Vice President, Global Business Services, and I on our trip to Bloomington; (Middle) An amazing group of Vice Presidents and Distinguished engineers taking the time to assist on the TechGen Leadership program; (Right) The delightful Nancy Deviney, Vice President Organizational Change Management, and myself 

Day 8

So today had a rather interesting start - Unlike the cool, but sunny, weather I’d been fortune enough to have had thus far into my trip, today I encountered a wet, stormy New York. Despite my efforts to be delivered as close as possible to the office, I still had to cross one street, which left me completely,hair-drippingly soaked. With no time to dry off, this is how I presented myself to the immaculate Sarah Diamond, General Manager Global Consulting Services, who I would be shadowing for the rest of the day. I could’ve died with embarrassment but it turned out to be a great conversation starter and Sarah was extremely charming in not making me feel much worse.

The rest of the day more than made up for my jerky start. I was invited to partake in a meeting discussing IBM’s growth into Africa and was taken aback, when I was asked by this incredible group of leaders and strategists to give my thoughts and opinions about their strategy. I spent the rest of the day learning from Sarah as she engaged in a number of meetings and from simply watching her go about her (extremely jam-packed) day-to-day work. I also had the privilege of stealing some of her precious time for a one-on-one session to learn about her story, which, coming from a successful career in Britain and then relocating halfway across the world, gave me a very different kind of inspiration compared to what had been exposed to thus far. The day with her was simply brilliant.

Day 9 – 10

The next 2 days were spent in upstate New York in Yorktown, the home of the IBM Watson Research Centre, which is often regarded as the heart of innovation giant, IBM.I was hosted by the charming Abby Lewis, Director of Research Strategy, who gave me a fantastic overview of the magnificent work taking place at the IBM research facility, including an overview of the ground breaking Global Technology Outlook initiative. The fact that IBM filed about 6500 patents last year speaks for itself when it comes to what type of impact these researchers are having.

I also had a pleasure of interacting with Kevin Hutchings, Vice President of Business Development; Guru Banavar, Vice President Industry Solutions Research; David McQueeney, Vice President Technical Strategy and the charismatic Michael Karasick, Vice President and Lab Director. Each of these leaders gave me an insight into IBM’s remarkable research ventures and strategies, which made it clear why they are at the forefront of innovation in a vast array of fields ranging from medicine, linguistics, agriculture, technology, etc, etc, etc!

I had the pleasure of meeting a highly talented researcher, Lynne Gignac, who is doing some mind-blowing work on advanced material characterization. Just by getting a short overview of the type of work she is involved in led me to the conclusion that she is possibly on of the smartest people I’ve met.

My second day hosted by Research started off with sitting in on a strategy meeting hosted by Dario Gil, Director of Energy and Natural Resources at the Innovation Solutions Lab. What a fantastic experience to watch a group of masterminds sit together and strategize on how to best engage clients. It was incredible to see something that could somewhat be considered a simple discussion, tackled in such a detailed, constructive manner. This once again reiterated the importance of the “client experience” to IBM.

I then had an educational working lunch experience, sitting in on the Cognitive Enterprise Lab Book Club. It was fascinating to see how idea generation around real working projects were extracted from a “social” meeting gathering such as this. This unconventional approach to research was such a fantastic way in which IBM research cultivates an environment that inspires innovation.

The excitement continued through to my meeting with one of the very few female Distinguished Engineers, Nancy Greco. This emphatic leader displayed such an infectious enthusiasm and fervour for her work that I couldn’t help but sit there sparkly eyed, staring at her in awe the entire meeting. Every time I think back to this meeting, it simply makes me smile.

My deep-dive into Research concluded with a demo of IBM’s very own Artificial Intelligence computer, Watson. Watson made headlines when this super computer competed on Jeopardy with reigning champions and WON! I had the opportunity to see Watson in action first-hand as it was demo’ed on its future potential in the Health Care sector. Can’t wait to see the impact this has once it's commercialised!!

(Left) Me and the immaculate Sarah Diamond, General Manager Global Business Services; (Middle) Super researcher Lynne Gignac and myself; (Right) IBM Headquarters and Watson Research Centre

Day 11

Today started off with a meeting with Stanley Litow, Vice President, Corporate Citizenship & Corporate Affairs and President, IBM International Foundation. Stan is nothing short of a genius when it comes to combining philanthropy and corporate leadership, and has been instrumental in IBM being regarded as a leader in Corporate Citizenship. Stan was fantastic about sharing his insights on how I can become more involved in corporate citizenship and left me more enthused than ever to do so upon my return.

After the meeting I headed off to join Bridget at the Bottomless Closet Annual Luncheon where she was being honoured. The mission of Bottomless Closet is to help disadvantaged New York City women become self-sufficient through a comprehensive program that begins with business attire and interview preparation and continues with professional development, financial management and personal enrichment.  I loved the concept of what this organization does and the beauty of it is that it is so reproducible.   Starting with something as simple as providing suitable business attire to underprivileged women, is something that we can easily do back home and I’ve already started brainstorming around ways which I can make this work!

The day ended off with a dinner hosted by Fortune’s Most Powerful Women where we were not only treated to an opportunity to dress up for eve of glitzy celebrations, but more importantly another wonderful networking opportunity to meet our fellow mentees’ mentors and a range of other wonderful guests. We had the pleasure of being addressed by the influential Christiane Amapour of CNN and the simply delightful, no-bull Chris Quinn, the first openly gay Speaker of the New York City Council and next mayoral candidate. I also had the pleasure of sitting next to Rebecca Shapiro from the Huffington Post who made for great company.

  

Day 12

With yesterday being the “official” end to the IBM program, the next 2 days were dedicated to the Vital Voices closing program, but I unfortunately had to miss the first morning session. Why? Because IBM had something very different in store for me- a meeting with IBM CEO and Fortune’s MOST Powerful Woman in Business, the awe-inspiring Ginni Rometty!!

I was simply beside myself when I found out this meeting was scheduled in my program. After spending 2 weeks engaging with IBM’ers in various fields, of various backgrounds and in various positions within the company, one message was clear - they all respected and admired their CEO. When she walked into the room, I immediately saw why! Her presence was immediately felt, but together with the deep-seated power, she displayed an immense warmth that was encapsulated in her smile. She engaged in conversation with me in the most genuine and sincere way. There I was, just an average Jane sitting in the presence of this revered leader and yet she was wanted to hear my opinions. It was amazing. The conversation was most inspiring and I gained so much in the little time I spent with her. I can only hope that I can emulate her leadership as I move forward on my own journey.

Me with IBM CEO and Fortune's MOST Powerful Woman in Business, Ginni Rometty 

For the rest of the day I joined my fellow mentees as we shared our amazing experiences with each other from our Mentorship assignments. But the Vital Voices team didn’t stop there. There was plenty of inspiration still lined up for us.  I joined in on lunch hosted by the amazing Dina Powell and a panel of equally amazing senior female leaders at Goldman Sachs. It was wonderful to be able to engage with these women and have them give us invaluable advice in building our own stories.

The inspiration continued as we moved on to Ann.Inc where we met Aniela Unguresan, Co-Founder of the Gender Equality Project, a Swiss non-profit organisation working with large organisations around the world to close the gap in opportunities between men and women in the workplace. It was a great insight to see how gender equality is being addressed around the world and definitely some food for thought going back to our own home countries.

Day 13

The official final day of the program started off at the beautiful home of the super impressive Geraldine Laybourne, who revolutionised kids’ education through Nickelodeon and founder of Oxygen Media. We were also fortunate that her bosom buddy, Donna Orender past president of the WNBA, joined us too. Gerri’s story was simply phenomenal, and watching her and Donna interact and call on each other as they shared their stories was simply magical. So much energy and so much to learn from the special relationship that these two have!

We then headed off to Fenton media where we had a fantastic panel discussion with leading business women, the vibrant Susan McPherson, Senior Vice President Fenton Media and extraordinary Beth Brooke, Global Vice Chair for Public Policy Ernst & Young. The session was moderated by the wonderful Alyse Nelson, who we had all so grown to love since meeting her on Day 1 of the program.  The discussion was powerful with both Susan and Beth sharing their most challenging experiences and the power of helping other’s succeed. It was an enlightening discussion and I certainly gained a lot of value from.

(Left) Super-woman Dina Powell, President Goldman Sachs Foundation; (Middle); Powerful discussions with Susan McPherson, Senior Vice President Fenton Media and the extraordinary Beth Brooke, Global Vice Chair E&Y moderated by Alyse Nelson, CEO Vital Voices; (Right) Welcomed into the home of Gerri Laybourne, Founder Oxygen Media and co-hosted by the wonderful Donna Orender, past WNBA President

The final session of the official program focused on Communications and Media Training. Now that all of us had this incredible experience, how do we go forward and share our stories. How do we share the learnings and powerful insights gained from this remarkable program? Hopefully the fact that I started my blog means that I’m making progress :) We also touched on some awesome advice for on-camera interviews and had a go at doing some mock interviews. What a great learning experience!

The program officially closed with a divine dinner party at the plush Upper Eastside Penthouse of Alice Kandell, President, International Opera Alliance. The grand finale was nothing short of GRAND with all of us being totally surprised by the out-of-this-world Opera Flash Mob that she had organised for us. It was certainly and experience of a life-time and we couldn’t have hope for a more magnificent send-off!

Day 14

So yesterday was supposed to mark the official end of the program, but much to my surprise and excitement, when it became known that I would be spending 2 additional days on New York post the program, IBM were keen to set up some more amazing meetings for me! I couldn’t have been more ecstatic at the opportunity as the next 2 meetings would turn out to be part of the most incredible highlights of my experience!!

The first was a session planned with Mark Harris, Vice President of Communications. This was a unique opportunity to be coached by the brilliant man behind both the current and past IBM’s CEO’s speeches, and also their media training coach!  This was simply a mind-blowing session which gave me so much insight into my own delivery styles and thoughts on how I go about presenting myself as I move forward.

The session also included a daunting on-camera session (which was a great follow-on from yesterday’s session!). Analysing yourself on camera is one of the most difficult things to do, yet one of the greatest learning experiences. Mark was such a natural and really had a special way of bringing out the best in me. I am so excited to have such a talented coach in my newly formed network and look so forward to working with him in the future.

Day 15  

For my final day, what more could I have asked for than being hosted by Joseph Tama, the MD of the Global Corporate Client Group at the New York Stock Exchange! Our morning started off with the surreal experience of being on the floor to watch the ringing of the bell that signified the opening of the NYSE. It was also great timing as today hosted the IPO (Initial Public Offerings) of the software company Tableau.

This meant that I had a first-hand experience of how the stock price was negotiated and auctioned before the company went public. What a rush!! Joe was a wonderful host and gave me a great overview of the NYSE from its history, through its transformations and on how it goes about running on a day to day basis. This was no doubt the perfect way to close my program and left me completely awed regarding the potential that now lied ahead!

My mind-blowing visit to Wall Street

As I said in the beginning, never in my wildest dreams, could I have conjured up a program as extraordinary as this. The IBM team went far and beyond the call of duty to make my experience one of such fantastic value and for that I am beyond grateful!

So I know that was quite a read, but for those of you who stayed the course, I hope you enjoyed getting an insight into my experience as much as I enjoyed sharing it. Believe it or not, this is still somewhat of a summarised version, as there was just so much more that took place in between it all, but alas, maybe we have to wait for the book to be written so that I have enough space to write it all :)

As you can imagine, there was much learning and growth from all this fantastic exposure that I was fortunate to have during my program. I will be writing more about that in my next post so do watch this space!!