The last couple of weeks I have traveled a bit, and I will tell you some of that story.
Around 2 weeks I had the privilege to be invited for a weekend to Germany, for a conference for Local Committee VP Finance. The functional purpose of the conference was to prepare for the closing of the books at the end of the calendar year, and it was really exciting to discover this youth organization at local level doing its utmost to demonstrate integrity while running our global programmes. In addition the weekend gave me the chance again to interact with what I consider the heart and soul of AIESEC - our Local Committees.
It was also a chance to talk about the connection of the why - and the clarity of purpose. I believe that in a support role in any organization, such as Finance, HR or Communications, it becomes even more important to be very clear in one's mind about the organization's bottom line - even clearer than in core roles. This is because support functions can so easily lose themselves in their own jargon, own world and own rules - and forgetting what brings home the bacon for the organization.
Last week I traveled to France for the second time in 2 months. I have literally seen nothing of Paris the 8 days or so that I have been there, but I have seen a lot of AIESEC France. It is a special investment project this year to support and grow AIESEC France - to bring clarity of purpose and excitement around the core of AIESEC to their leadership - and to help them find that magical spot where they can grow - and grow fast.
I spent 2,5 days with the MC - mostly talking about sales and delivery. Together with the MC we created a customer promise for corporate stakeholders interacting with AIESEC France based upon the customer experience we wish for them to have. It turned out to be a base consisting of, (1) available, (2) customer oriented, (3) flexible in delivery, (4) professional and (5) reliable, with 2 cherries on the top to make it an extraordinary experience: (A) Purpose driven business and (B) Exciting and interesting interaction spaces.
I think this was a huge move, actually. It is so simple, but so powerful. Imagine if that is your customer interaction with AIESEC in France? It would make me happy. The next step is for them to translate the principles into concrete actions for each and every product - to make sure each interaction actually looks like that.
In the weekend, I had the chance of getting to know LCPs of AIESEC in France. Ever since I was MCP of AIESEC Norway, I have not had the chance to impact LCPs so directly, and I must say I enjoyed it. What remains important in any organization is that we remain clear on the bottom line. Then strategy and tactics can follow.
We spoke with LCPs about AIESEC's impact model - indirect impact on people through leadership programmes - as opposed to other organization's direct impact.
Ww spoke about why we measure the number and the quality of those experiences - because in the end that's what measures the indirect impact that we can have.
We spoke about the connection between those measurements and our mid-term strategic ambition - AIESEC 2015 - and how each of the measures connects with quantity and quality of experiences provided to young people and to the roots of success AIESEC identified.
We spoke about the role of a "local branch manager" - an LCP: (1) product implementation (2) managing people to achieve that (3) organizational alignment on the bottom line.
And we spoke about how to find that value - to break organizational programmes into products for the customer. To be clear that a product must provide:
Around 2 weeks I had the privilege to be invited for a weekend to Germany, for a conference for Local Committee VP Finance. The functional purpose of the conference was to prepare for the closing of the books at the end of the calendar year, and it was really exciting to discover this youth organization at local level doing its utmost to demonstrate integrity while running our global programmes. In addition the weekend gave me the chance again to interact with what I consider the heart and soul of AIESEC - our Local Committees.
It was also a chance to talk about the connection of the why - and the clarity of purpose. I believe that in a support role in any organization, such as Finance, HR or Communications, it becomes even more important to be very clear in one's mind about the organization's bottom line - even clearer than in core roles. This is because support functions can so easily lose themselves in their own jargon, own world and own rules - and forgetting what brings home the bacon for the organization.
Last week I traveled to France for the second time in 2 months. I have literally seen nothing of Paris the 8 days or so that I have been there, but I have seen a lot of AIESEC France. It is a special investment project this year to support and grow AIESEC France - to bring clarity of purpose and excitement around the core of AIESEC to their leadership - and to help them find that magical spot where they can grow - and grow fast.
I spent 2,5 days with the MC - mostly talking about sales and delivery. Together with the MC we created a customer promise for corporate stakeholders interacting with AIESEC France based upon the customer experience we wish for them to have. It turned out to be a base consisting of, (1) available, (2) customer oriented, (3) flexible in delivery, (4) professional and (5) reliable, with 2 cherries on the top to make it an extraordinary experience: (A) Purpose driven business and (B) Exciting and interesting interaction spaces.
I think this was a huge move, actually. It is so simple, but so powerful. Imagine if that is your customer interaction with AIESEC in France? It would make me happy. The next step is for them to translate the principles into concrete actions for each and every product - to make sure each interaction actually looks like that.
In the weekend, I had the chance of getting to know LCPs of AIESEC in France. Ever since I was MCP of AIESEC Norway, I have not had the chance to impact LCPs so directly, and I must say I enjoyed it. What remains important in any organization is that we remain clear on the bottom line. Then strategy and tactics can follow.
We spoke with LCPs about AIESEC's impact model - indirect impact on people through leadership programmes - as opposed to other organization's direct impact.
Ww spoke about why we measure the number and the quality of those experiences - because in the end that's what measures the indirect impact that we can have.
We spoke about the connection between those measurements and our mid-term strategic ambition - AIESEC 2015 - and how each of the measures connects with quantity and quality of experiences provided to young people and to the roots of success AIESEC identified.
We spoke about the role of a "local branch manager" - an LCP: (1) product implementation (2) managing people to achieve that (3) organizational alignment on the bottom line.
And we spoke about how to find that value - to break organizational programmes into products for the customer. To be clear that a product must provide:
- Organizational value to AIESEC - which is individual leadership development through practical experience
- Customer value for that organization or that EP or any supporter of that - according to their bottom lines
- Desire on the part of a member of AIESEC to actually deliver that - because of the impact it has or the learning one has - or both.
My learning...
This might all sound awfully technical and internal. But actually it is directly connected to my learning. Because I don't think there is anything here that is particularly about AIESEC. I think these are universally true values - for any organization - any tribe that wishes to achieve impact or simply to make money.
- Know you core: Clarity of the Why
- Connect the why to your measures to the roots of your success
- Implement the product
- Align
- And to it all - again and again and again and again
What brings organizational success?
This, I believe...
