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?

Structure, people and focus

I am sorry. Let me rephrase that: Focus, People and Structure.

Focus: Exchange. More Exchange and better Exchange. Passion and fun of Exchange.

[yes, by doing this we develop loads of other exciting things, and by creating structured leadership experiences around the exchange we foster that as well. But there is no management without operations.]

People: If you want to be in AIESEC - do AIESEC.

[That means working your ass off every single day to make Exchange happen. Every single action should be related to this. If you think AIESEC is too much work, if you think that doing this is not too much fun or two rewarding, if you think that exams and other stuff is more important - or simply AIESEC is not for you - hey - that's fair enough. But please, leave this organization. Now. There are no excuses for why you, who are in AIESEC, cannot prioritize AIESEC. That is a choice that all those outside AIESEC make. How much work is alot of work? Every morning when you come to school, you should come to the AIESEC office and work. And during the day, between your studies you should work. And after your day, you should work. How much? If you cannot dedicate 2-3 hours per day for AIESEC (that means 15-20 hours a week) then, hey, I guess it's not for you.]

Structure: Design it around the operational actions of Exchange - not the strategic areas of "an organization"

[Talent Management, Communications, Finance are support teams to let the organization do Exchange. If necessary, reduce these teams to only a VP and let the teams that are recruiting. Get rid of ICX teams and turn them into DT Incoming raising teams (Incoming Exchange Non-Corporate: ICX NC). Make CR teams match and service their own TNs]

Now is the time. Not soon, not tomorrow, not "after we have seen abit". And definitely not "next quarter". All organizations and companies dream of next quarter as some sort of holy land of salvation, profitability and calm. Forget about it. Now is the only time that matters.

If not?

Last one out of the office, please turn off the lights.

What is leadership?

If you were ever looking for a 23 minute fun, exciting and engaging leadership training - look no further.

This TED talk ranks among the best I have seen:

Next Step in AIESEC

So, as many other VPs on different levels in AIESEC right now, and as many other VPs before us I am having a look at job upstairs.

You know. The VP without the V. The P. I am considering applying for MCP 2010/11 of AIESEC Norway

I have less than 1,5 months to decide on the following questions, among others.

1. How badly do I want it?

2. Is it the right development opportunity for me, now?

3. Do I have the capacity, energy and competency to lead this country?

4. Am I the right person at the right time for AIESEC Norway?

5. Are my strategies the right ones to achieve the right impact?

I need some decision making criterias, for Heaven's sake. Some criterias. Have any inputs? Email me - I'd be happy to listen.

The right people

Learning is a process that never ends, but sometimes you get your learning in huuuuuuuuge chunks.

The right people at the right place in an organization is an obvious platitude, which any half-awake individual will tell you. However, I believe that in a voluntary organization like AIESEC this becomes even clearer than in a regular company.

A volunteer organization only "pays" it's members through the experiences these members have. This experience is directly related to the work they do. Hence if you don't have the right person for the right work, there will be no "pay" for that person, which means the organization will not perform and the experience will not be relevant for the members. Quite obvious.

What does this mean? Selection, selection, selection.

There is no place where the selection process is more important than here. In other places you can, at least in theory, look at aspects such as qualifications as highly relevant even though some other criteria are not perfectly aligned. In AIESEC this is not so. It does not matter how "good" people are, how "qualified" they are, what "experience" they have - if they are not the right person for the work.

This simply means the person needs to be 200% motivated by the work they are doing in the organization, because that is the only thing they get out of it.

What is often happening in NGO's is that selection is considered less important, as the idea that the "voluntary" part makes most "good people" good for the organization. No way. Only the best are good enough, because everyone else will do nothing (by definition) and you will fail.

Selection Criteria made easy?

1. Motivation (Working for the NGO should be one of the top priorities in the life of the person [even important things such as work, school etc.])

2. Motivation over time (They need to want to start at high pace, work alot, and want to do it for some years)

Sound crazy? Through this, surely you are excluding alot of good people who simply see other things as just as important or more important. Right. That's the point. An NGO where the experience is the most important factor, cannot survive this.

This means the positioning among potential members has to be very strong, so that the very, very few people who fall into this bracket actually understand the organization and are attracted by this "craziness". In cases where this positioning is not yet strong enough, such as AIESEC Norway, this means alot. In order to actually achieve this quality the selection process would cut away at least 70-80% of applicants, because with the weak positioning, this attitude will not be reflected in applicants.

More difficult still, 50-70% of the organizations current members are probably also not within this bracket, and hence ongoing deselection of these members is crucial in order for the organization not to rot within.

How to get this right from the start?

The leadership team (even if only 1 person) needs to see the organization like this, and set this standard - from themselves and all the way down. All in the leadership team need to prioritize like this, if not the idea is only a pipe dream.

What learning though, in AIESEC Norway.

When I start my own first company, at the beginning, I will struggle so much to find just 1 or 2 other people who will dedicate to the company as required by me. If you are one of them, and I know you, I will probably call you. If not, you wouldn't want to anyways!

:-)

Process versus Outcome

Does the end justify the means?

Does the outcome matter more than the process?

What do our Measures measure?

What's the difference between being flexible and not standing up for what you believe in?

How to sleep at night when your principles are shattered during the day?

Where does passion go when the people inside hide?

Who wins as a team even when they lose?

And who dies as an individual even when they win?

How effective is worrying?

How worrying is that effectiveness is at the top of every list?

Right is Right. Wrong is Wrong. My principles form an integral part of me, including all my strengths. Without them I lose my strength. I will not let them be smashed anymore.

Speaking to my LC VPs

Today we had a National Corporate Relations meeting with the Vice Presidents at Local level. It made me think of my own Local Executive Board Experience which seems like a decade ago, but in fact was last year.

The way my current Vice Presidents are really asking the right questions, seeing the right challenges and understanding the reality of the organization impresses me. Of course I like to tell myself that I have some bearing on that, but I am not so sure. I remember my own way of thinking only a year ago, when I was considering applying for the national board and in reality there were so many things I did not understand.

Instead the VPs I speak to now really have so much more understanding, experience and overall focus than I myself had. I am impressed and it makes me think of the wonders that are AIESEC.

In my opinion at least a couple of them should consider applying for the National Board next year. Of course, there are many things that impact an individuals decision when it comes to these things. And anyway, it should come from the persons passion and want to take the learning further. I guess we will see.

PS: Today I felt winter was coming in Oslo. I don't like winter, usually, but it contributes to making summer better