Purpose of Global Internship Programme

Dear AIESECer (or non-AIESECer if you are interested)

We run two separate exchange programmes in AIESEC:

1. Global Internship Programme
2. Global Community Development Programme

In both cases, young people - students and recent graduates, leave their home country for several weeks and months and have an experience of working and contributing in another country.

For the Global Internship Programme, the internships are inside of corporations (anything from startups, to SMEs to national champions to multinationals), inside government sector in adimistration, in the education sector as a teacher or even as a journalist, nurse, researcher or similar. There is a third party organization that decides that getting a highly motivated, dynamic student with a global world view from another country will help my business in one way or another.

For the Global Community Development Programme, the focus is on volunteering and bringing value to that local community. Typically, AIESEC partners with local or national NGOs to deliver community development projects related to specific issues and topics - be it HIV/AIDS, ecological challenges, cultural exposure, helping disadvantaged groups in building competencies, challenges around immigration - or any other issue that is relevant in the local community. AIESEC brings, again, a highly motivated and dynamic student or graduate for a period of time to that community to deliver change and impact.

Why does AIESEC do this?

The purpose, in both cases, of AIESEC doing this - is to develop young people - the interns and students that get these opportunities. AIESEC believes that in both cases young people will develop a set of values, competencies, skills, professional experience, cultural understanding, work habits etc. which makes this person better. We call it leadership development. It's practical, experiential leadership development. Not through a classroom or through a textbook, but by having to deal with challenges and applying yourself in another country, in another context or organization.

And we believe that young people with these experiences become better people. Better leaders. And that the world will be better of because of it.

Global Internship Programme

When AIESEC started, in 7 countries in Western Europe, in 1948 - AIESEC started with internships of these kinds. Back then, the opportunities for young people to go to another country to get a practical work experience was limited, if existing at all, and it immediately became a "hit on campus". Companies, too, saw this as something new and interesting - AIESEC grew rapidly. Throughout our 64 years, the ability of AIESEC, on a local level, to ensure relevance both to students and to companies, has driven this programme. In the cases where the relevance has been found, and the value delivered, partnerships and student reputation has grown. Where it hasn't, AIESEC has been less successful.

At the very core of this programme, however, one thing must remain clear to AIESEC - and AIESECers, everywhere. The reason AIESEC does this programme is only 1 reason. To impact students and graduates. And the only way that can happen, is if the company sees value, and the student and graduate (A) has the opportunity in the first place and (B) what is delivered on the ground corresponds to that value.

The reason that AIESEC does GIP is NOT MONEY

Now - to run AIESEC as a social business, the business model is centered around companies (especially) and also students (to a certain extent) contributing financially to when these internships happen (if there is value for both, then that makes sense anyway). If AIESEC isn't able to apply that business model, then the organization cannot succeed either.

However..

If any (and I mean any), AIESEC office forgets that the purpose of the programme is the opportunities it provides, and that the money is about running the programme and organization sustainably, then the value delivered on the ground level will not work out. And companies will not work with you. And students will not have a good experience. If you are in an LC or MC right now - do you know exactly how are the experiences of each and every one of the interns that is on a GIP internship in your country? Do you know how the students you have sent abroad and are there right now are doing? Does someone speak to them and their companies on a weekly basis? Are they taken care of? Are they experiencing your country the way you would like them to? Are you experiencing them - are they challenging you with their world views? Why are you doing Global Internship Programme in the first place?

Get your priorities straight. Deliver great experiences.

What about me? I was VP Business Development on national level, responsible for the incoming GIP Programme in Norway just 3 years ago. Where were my priorities? Honest answer: Not always in the right place. Why? I didn't focus enough on that. Did I know every intern in the country? No. Did I focus on everyone being delivered a great experience? Probably not to a high enough extent. I was too focused on making new promises to new companies, rather than fulfilling the ones that had already been made - by me or someone else. Our Internship programme was operating at extremely high marginal profits - and we needed them to - because our scale and sustainability on other aspects was insufficient. And we weren't even looking to investing those margins in the experiences themselves, because we felt pressured.

I would go back, if I could, and change some things. In general, I still speak to many of the intern we brought to Norway - and I hope they had great experiences (perhaps someone reading this is one of them). However, I would have done more. I think the companies would have seen more value - and would have taken more interns had we done that. I think the interns would have become better promoters of AIESEC in Norway and in their companies. And I think we could have had even more impact.

Thanks for reading.

Remember why you are doing Global Internship Programme.

This morning, I had a call which reminded me.

Supervisory Group

The last couple of days we have had our quarterly Supervisory Group meeting. The SG is an advisory group in nature, which plays a role of keeping AIESEC International accountable. it lacks the formality of a board itself, mainly as AIESEC is to remain a purely student-run organization. However, it does play many of the same roles a board would, including oversight and report back to our 'shareholders' the Member Committees.

In life, asking for advice, feedback and consultancy is a tricky thing. If you don't ask the right questions, or frame the right context, you might not actually get what you are looking for. If you frame it too strongly, you might take away the space of someone pointing out your blind spots- the questions you didnt't think of, but you should have.

For the last couple of years we have tinkered with the model of our SG meetings to truly get the best out of them. The combination of reporting, presentation, questions, case studies- how to get it exactly right?

In this process we are approaching sone sort of balance, I believe. Again we left the SG with some key insights and perspectives, as they challenge us and pull from their vast experience.

For my own sake its the fourth year that I am reporting to a board of some sort, our Board of Directors when I was in AIESEC Norway, and our SG on AI. I think I have gotten used to the fact that there is someone keeping me fundamentally accountable, while at the same time having significant, almost absolute, daily decision making power over what to do, what to focus on. I like that combination, very much. But thinking about it, that combination is pretty rare in life.

As an entrepreneur, which I aspire to become, freedom is the name of the game, but corporate governance is usually lacking, at least in an early phase. If I go into a company as an employee, I will be expected to report upwards, of course, but with more restrictions and scope of action.

All this just reminds me how lucky I am to be living the experience I am. Thank you AIESEC.

Quarter 1 review

I came to Rotterdam , to be Vice President of Finance of AIESEC International on the 1st of May 2011. That is now 17.5 months ago - and age and a half in AIESEC lingo - where most positions only last 12 months.

Since then I have found it difficult to talk and write about my experiences and my learning. In fact I have found it difficult to write about my path to leadership. I realized this morning why that is.

During this time I haven't always been on that path. Perhaps I strayed other places on the way, into the woods and territory which I didn't want to talk about. At least that is how I have felt. Leadership, to me, is a set of values and a set direction and the commitment, courage and ability to follow that path. Hence, it is always a path.

For many reasons, the period in Rotterdam has not always been that to me.

It's interesting, because I think that if I evaluate my own professional performance it has been good. I have been in the executive leadership body of the world's largest student run organization, with a stated impact of providing a platform for young people to explore and develop their leadership potential. But what happens when I am no longer exploring and developing mine? Or more accurately - when I do not feel that I am doing that?

Well, then it becomes difficult to talk about it - to write about - to share about it. Instead I have focused on execution. Execution of my job, my role, my tasks. Doing stuff - to ensure that the organization is healthy and running well. I am proud of that. I stand by that.

But that is not enough.

I cannot explain exactly what happened to me, in this sense, but it affected a number of arenas, as things always do. My long term relationship ended, my family became more distant again, and my ability to be the best leader I can be diminished. I have spent a lot of time and efforts understanding myself in this period. How can I suddenly become something I do not want to be? What triggers this? What can I do about it.

Why am I writing again now - so openly and clearly?

I am clear in my mind, my heart, my head. I am back on the path. In my second year on AIESEC International, I have again rediscovered the true me. That doesn't mean not making mistakes - but it means having the right direction and values.

Yesterday we reviewed the first quarter of AIESEC International, from July through September. I feel, and I think the team feels, extremely proud of the first quarter. I believe our direction is the right one for this organization. I believe our strategies are the right ones. And I believe we have succeeded so far. Of course there are things we need to adjust and improve. There are some aspects that are working better than others.

But it's empowering - to be part of such a team, so many leaders who carry this organization on their shoulders. It gives me energy - it gives me pride.

Today, a Saturday, I woke up at 08.15, with a clear mind and enthusiasm. This despite working long hours for many months, not least this last week. I have energy and I am happy. For anyone who knows me in the morning, this must come as a shock - so I guess you can imagine.

I am back on my path to leadership. And I hope to be able to write about.

Thank you for your patience.