ACHIEVE 2011

Yesterday I just completed what is my final National conference as MCP, and in many ways as a member of AIESEC Norway.

It was quite emotional for me, and at many points I was watching people, sessions and other things like a movie. More than anything, I feel proud of this AIESEC Norway. Of the path taken, of the people I see now. The focus, the passion, the priority. The will to be more - to do better.

The only thing left is the final sprint of the year as well as ensuring the sustainability of the organization for next year. 100 will be the milestone that will stay forever. That we will celebrate forever. I can't wait to see us succeed.

When I attended my first AIESEC conference in AIESEC Norway over 3 years ago, I had just been selected as Vice President of Talent Management of my Local Committee. My commitment was mediocre, my knowledge limited, my perspectives short term. As my later MCP told me this weekend - "You were a random member." Indeed.

For the last 3+ years my own path has followed that of AIESEC Norway hand in hand. As I have developed so has the organization. Or rather, as the organization has developed, I have had the opportunity to grow with it.

What is interesting for me is when people don't take certain opportunities because the external environment, f. ex. in the company is not so good. My AIESEC Norway, when random, when good, when distracted, when passionate, when structured and when not, has meant everything to me in terms of personal and professional development.

I have had the opportunity to formulate recruitment and talent policy in a local organization, and feel on my skin what happens when certain compromises are made. The processes were good - in theory - but that doesn't help much when the core is not. I have had the opportunity to develop, market, sell and deliver on products to some of the largest companies in Norway while sustaining the organization on a National level. I had the chance to lead an organization through fire and see impact in front of my eyes. I have been part of three executive boards, once as CEO of the whole organization. I have led three teams directly, one indirectly. I have been part of two virtual teams, one of which I have led. I have had the chance to manage and interact with our Board of Directors. I have had the pleasure of being the mentor of three amazing leaders on local level. I have done more or less everything that is possible in terms of an organization. Thank you AIESEC Norway.

But wait - I am still here. Still here with my heart and mind. And for the next weeks I will give it my all. The final sprint starts tomorrow morning.

Towards 100.

Final sprint

Finally my dearest "Back to the 80s" team is ready for our final sprint. Our final 3,5 months of impact and results. To leave behind an incredible experience with pride and energy.

What we want to leave behind:

Result items: (How we will measure our year)

• 100 X RE + pipeline
• FK delivered 100%
• LC Trondheim restarted fully
• 300,000 NOK surplus on operations to build reserves

Legacy items (How we will measure our sustainability as a leadership body):

• Full EB elects in all Local Committees who are prepared
• Financially sustainable LCs
• Corporate sales success in LCs
• Quality kick-ass MC transition
• Permanently reduce accountancy and audit costs
• Financially sustainable MC 11-12 through grant applications and secure corporate incomes
• New FK project applied for
• Books ready for clean closing

Team Experience

• Complete and fulfilled team experience on all levels

I am the proudest MCP in the world.

I have no idea where I found these talented, high-performing, resilient, result-oriented, funny, sarcastic, easily annoyed, happy, engaging, honest, supportive, beautiful humans that are my team. Thank you for the journey so far. The ups and downs. The results and the failures. They are ours to keep forever.

Let's be scared and proud together. Leading together. It is time for our final.

2 months that flew by

It's been almost two months since I wrote anything on this blog, which only goes to show the intensity of my life in that period. Briefly said:

• 2 weeks of an FK seminar and project delivery time
• 1 week of pan-national Scandinavian conference in Copenhagen, where my successor got elected
• 1 week of chairing Winter NatCo in Hungary, an outstanding experience
• 1 week of managing urgent and important matters
• 2 weeks in Mexico at the International Presidents' meeting

While all this has been happening we have arrived at 61 Exchanges Realized for our 10-11 term in AIESEC Norway. And with 4 months to go, including the summer peak for sure we have the chance to make history.

More than anything I have started to really reflect about my AIESEC Experience. The 4 different leadership roles I have had, and especially the President's role that I am living every year this year has changed me fundamentally. To an ever larger extent I see my purpose as serving this extraordinary organization. Up until the last two weeks that was mainly AIESEC Norway, and organization that was in disarray when I joined but is starting to find its identity, while still being fragile. Sincerely, I feel proud of my experience and my contribution. I feel that I have made a difference in loads of people's lives, as well as for the future of this organization.

But now what? IPM is well known among Member Committee Presidents (of which I am the current in Norway) to deeply impact those who care about the future also of the global organization. Those striped people from AIESEC International leading the organization and making you wonder.

Inspired and engaged, a part of me suddenly got this strong urge to keep serving, to keep learning. On the other hand, is that the right path for me. Is it the right choice in this moment in time? Or is it time to close the organizational experience with pride and success?

I guess I will feel it in some way or another next couple of weeks in Norway. Exciting times? For sure choices to be made. Where will the coin drop? Wish me luck in my pondering...

Application time

In 4 days the applications for the MC (National Board) in AIESEC Norway will close. Who will apply? And how will I feel?

I think for all leaders, succession is one of the key indicators of success. Whether you are prime minister, or a corner shop owner, the quality of the leadership that follows yours is perhaps one of the strongest indicators of your own performance.

AIESEC Norway is a growing country and the quality of the membership is growing as well. The question of how many will jump into the crazy pool of changing their life for one year is, however, one of the key questions now. Having been MC twice, and it now being almost exactly 2 years since I myself was selected, I can truly sign up to the "life changing experience" promise.

Two years since I first had water thrown over me, not having any idea what job I was getting into (literally as well as figuratively speaking it turned out).

Now, as deadline time closes begins my final sprint as well. 6 more months of impact in this organization. 6 more months of driving growth, of activating leadership, of seeing happy faces of members who work for and go on Exchange.

And who will lead AIESEC Norway next? Who will step into an MC role? I don't know. Excited and anxious. Perhaps you who is reading this will apply? Only you know

2 weeks to go

2 more weeks (+ some days) and it's Christmas. That means half our term is over. Personally it means half of my term is over. That's shocking, really. The question in my mind is - what will be the legacy of this term? Will it be a year that will be remembered, and if so - for what?

Euroco

I got some really exciting news this week, that I will be facilitating at EuroCo in Austria in October. EuroCo is an LCP conference only, meaning all the delegates are the leaders of their local committees somewhere. I feel so lucky to have this chance, and for sure it will be an amazing experience. Also, the facilitators team is absolutely awesome as well, which just enhances my excitement.

Facilitating an International conference outside my "obligations" was a dream I had already before I became and MC member last year. Last year, however, I never felt that I could permit myself to spend a week away from my job when the conferences were happening, and hence I always postponed it. It was one of the very few regrets I had in an otherwise awesome year in the Big Bang MC. This year I am going to grab the opportunity with both my hands.

So thank you again, AIESEC, for giving me amazing opportunities

Racing at full speed

Almost 45 days into my most amazing experience yet as President of AIESEC Norway, and I can't believe how fast time is running.

We have spent a lot of time planning, with the country and within the national team. We have spent time getting ready for national recruitment, which is kicking off next week. We have spent time preparing and delivering ScaLDS in Finland, a Leadership Development Seminar for Scandinavian leaders in AIESEC. We have eaten lunches together almost every day. And we have been tracking our Exchange every single day and are reaching our goals so far. Here is a year team presentation

Quite a rewarding month and a half for me. However, I believe now comes the toughest time period for all of this. At the end of the week 2 of my team members are leaving to work with our local committees for 1 whole month. In 2 weeks I am leaving for International Congress. And left in Oslo are only 2 out of 5, to manage operations and run the country.

Stressed? Nervous?

Not really, as my team hs already proven to me that they are leaders without me. I see it more as an amazing test of our team and of amazing individuals.

Other things? On Sunday I turn 28. I don't feel 28. I feel 20.

The small things..

Today is the first Monday as President of AIESEC Norway

So what has happened today? Basically we had our first weekly meeting, which I was leading. I am happy as the meeting achieved the outcomes desired and was on time. Sounds like a small thing, but in fact it is not for me as these operational tasks make up a significant part of my job. Some years back I was part of a team where we had meetings which went overtime, were often unproductive, and where the agenda was unclear or not followed. It was crap.

So basically that's it. The first Monday morning of my term.

A vision..

My experience as President of AIESEC Norway 2010-11 is full and well underway now. While my old and amazing Big Bang team says its last goodbyes, a clear vision for the future came out of the National Planning Conference this weekend. For me it was really quite an experiment, as I had never really done or seen a complete open planning process where the National and Local Boards co-create the future together.

The vision of AIESEC Norway 2010-11:

"We attract and select high potential young people for the AIESEC Experience, where every member takes an Exchange or Leadership opportunity in their first year in AIESEC"

"Our culture of Exchange Performance leads to exchange growth and profit in all entities"

"We deliver relevant exchange products to organizations which recognize the value of the AIESEC Experience"

Ready to be part of the Exchange Revolution?

My 2010 so far...

The following projects I have started, been involved in or been in charge of since 1st of January 2010

• MCP elections
• MC Sales: Raised TNs
• TN delivery: Workpermit issues with UDI
• LC structure revision
• DT Projects startup
• Hunting for LCPs
• Selecting full MCe team
• IPM
• FK Project
• Financial Model Revision
• Budget 2010-11
• Start building MCe team
• UNITE National Conference
• Apply for Steering Team
• Building National Leadership Team with LCPs and President’s weekend
• MCP transition
• MCVP transition
• Design National Planning Framework

What 3,5 months.....

Selecting my team

Only a month ago I was elected MCP by AIESEC Norway. More than 4 months before starting my term I have already made my first, and perhaps the most important, of all the decisions i will make this year.

You can have alot of plans and ideas and hopes and dreams about the future, but without great people a leader is going nowhere. I already feel lucky, as I have the best people.

My new team for AIESEC Norway 2010-11 is ready:

Raluca, Hege, Andreas and Elena - what a year ahead!

Running for MCP of AIESEC Norway 2010/11

Now I can announce it, to myself and to the world. Yesterday evening, I sent the application from an Internet Cafe in Lamu, Kenya - which thankfully:

1. actually was open
2. had Internet
3. had a computer working
4. had electricity
5. had opening for my pendrive

Choices:

How we make our choices has always interested me, and the last two days I was brutally exposed to my own decisionmaking. Sometimes choices are easy, but sometimes they are the hardest thing in the world. Running for MCP has been one of those choices for me. I knew all along I wanted the experience, but at the same time I was doubting about so many things.

In the morning of Christmas day, 25th of December, I was walking around in Mombasa with my girlfriend. All of a sudden I decided - "No. I am not applying". The decision felt certain, and at that moment right. I found an Internet cafe and sent a short email to my amazing MCP, who always supports me in everything I do, as I had promised him I would tell him when I (finally) decided.

Good. Done. Finito. Bravo!

No. You know the feeling of knowing a choice was wrong after only you had made it? Only a few minutes after stepping out of the Internet Cafe my mind was doubting. And an hour later I felt like I had just made the stupidest mistake of my whole life. NOOOOOOO! Of course I want to apply. It's the most amazing opportunity I will probably EVER have, and it's working for a cause I believe in with my whole heart - AIESEC Norway! What could be better?

But I had "made my decision". That night, I felt like crap. I ended up staying up, changing my whole application, living it, feeling it, imagining it - seeing the year as MCP of AIESEC Norway in my head. And I was loving it. Every minute of it.

So yesterday, on the bus to Lamu (if you ever get the "chance" to take the bus from Mombasa to Lamu, think carefully about how much you enjoy a "bumby ride" before you book - but Lamu is amazing!) I was thinking the whole day. For 8 hours during that transport it became clear to me.

I sent the application last night, and it all feels so right. I am calm (and hellish nervous!) and proud of myself. And I laugh at decisionmaking in generally and this process for me. Months of agonizing, pro's and con's, advice and non-advice (Mum!!!) and simply no decision.

Only when i had decided against did I know I should decide for. And where will the path take me? Well, first of all to Achieve in a couple of weeks time!

Now: Do you want an Exchange Revolution in AIESEC Norway?