Think, prepare, rehearse... Linen, laundry and lotions...

Week three flew by working with the partners.  I continue to be honored and humbled to work with such bright, dedicated people.  If I can offer in return even half what I learn from them, I will feel I have contributed a lot.

The statements of work were shared with the full Corporate Services Corps team and the team has been divided and sub-divided and assigned to one of four projects.  Now the team's preparatory work shifts from learning about Ghanaian culture and cross-culture teamwork to learning about their specific partner and their partner's projects.

Meanwhile, I am working with both partners in-person as well as with the Peace Corps staff in Ghana trying to prepare resources and interviews so the team achieves full productive state as quickly upon arrival as possible.  For example, in two days we collaborated to write and distribute a survey to Peace Corps volunteers countrywide that will help us identify overall trends associated with girls' education and also identify specific villages where we might interview community leaders, school teachers and staff, parents and students.

I would be remiss to not mention the Peace Corps' acceptance of and collaboration with me.  In many ways I feel like I'm working with longtime colleagues and friends, whom I've only recently met.  Perhaps this is a testament to the similarities between the two cultures and affirms the decision to partner.  I think it also reflects the individual staff members, who have received me such that I feel like a peer.  I feel we have hit a productive pace that comes to some organizations only after a long elapse of time, and eludes other organizations completely.

On the professional side, I find myself thinking about a mantra instilled in IBMers minds of late by our current CEO, Ginni Rometty, "Think, prepare, rehearse."  We are asked to think about what needs to be done, prepare to do it and then "rehearse", which in some cases means "practice," or "act."  I try to end each day thinking about what the next steps are and preparing materials so when I arise the next morning, I'm ready to accomplish things for the client. 

That's all well and good and I'll get an A+ for reciting the corporate mantra.  But, there's a reason I prepare the night before versus in the morning. 

I understand that the 90+ degree Fahrenheit weather (32+ degrees Celsius) I have experienced here so far is "cool."  The harmattans currently grace Ghana; that is the dry trade winds blowing from the Sahara towards West Africa bring a pretty steady breeze and abundance of Saharan dust right now.  My body this time of year expects below freezing temperatures and abundant snow...and wind chill factors....that is how I define "cool."  But being as this is the "cooler" time of year here in West Africa, the air-conditioners (if they are available) often sit silent.  Hence, linen has become my ally because it breathes. 

However, the fine coating of dust means every morning I'm washing out yesterday's linen garments.  In addition to my morning laundry, my morning preparations involve a cast of lotions and potions to repel mosquitoes and sand fleas, shield my fair skin from the sun, rehydrate my skin from all the dry dust, countermand the allergies I have associated with dust, and lacquer my hair to my head so the dusty wind does not coiffe my hair with that certain, "I just rolled out of bed." look.

Before coming to Ghana I had read in the book, "No Worries, the Essential Guide to Living in Ghana" that the authors could not emphasize enough the importance of a cotton and linen wardrobe.  I heeded their advice and crafted some cotton and linen skirts and unlined linen jackets for myself before I came.  I am beyond grateful for the advice and that I took it to heart.

I'm also glad my thinking, preparing and rehearsing to come to Ghana conjured up lessons from Girl Scouts...because I also brought my bandana...the one that accompanied me on all scouting trips, and that I just used to wipe off my laptop's screen so I could see through the accumulated patch of dust to write this fine missive.

Think, prepare, rehearse....  Linen, laundry, lotions... and a bandana.

Relationships, relationships, relationships...

I write today whilst enjoying a peanut butter and mango sandwich – my own hillbilly / tropical fusion dish.  It’s Sunday and one of my drivers took me to Mass at a local Catholic Church, a minimum two hour time commitment as opposed to the 45-60 minute standard in the U.S.  This driver is planning my Sunday tour of local Catholic Churches for the next several weeks.  He felt today’s group did not dance and clap nearly enough and believes Ghana can offer me better.

Yesterday a different driver took me to the Volta River Authority where I toured Ghana’s large hydro-electric dam.  He just phoned to thank me for my business.

I am learning the importance of relationships whether with the hotel restaurant wait staff, the housekeeping staff or the drivers who cart me around Ghana.  Everyone is looking out for me and also observing me in ways I never expected.  This light brightly illuminated for me Friday when the hotel driver told me he knows my mood by how I hold my head or my posture when walking.  Though this was our first interaction, I realize he’s been observing me and forming opinions about me since my arrival.

Moving from culture to work, my “Ghana: Week 2” is now in the history books.  With Peace Corps training and swearing-in ceremony behind me, it was a week to focus on the IBM Corporate Services Corps (CSC) “partners”…more relationships.

I probably should offer some background for those unfamiliar with IBM’s CSC and/or its new partnership with the Peace Corps.  IBM employees from around the world apply for and a small percentage of very high performing ones are selected to serve on a CSC team of 10-15 people.  I am an exception in that I was invited to join the team, but that is a pesky detail not worth expanding upon quite yet.  Team members spend a few months preparing for their month in-country: reading, doing homework exercises and holding weekly conference calls.  IBM then sends these teams to a country where they tackle strategic infrastructure projects with in-country “partners.”  These can be non-profits, social enterprises or governmental agencies.

This particular CSC team has two-or-so partners: A social enterprise and a Ministry (and quite possibly a second Ministry…hence the “or-so” element).  In addition to impact analysis of existing programs, the Ghanaian government desires analysis to better understand the most effective ways to encourage girls to pursue STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) education.  This all leads towards an ultimate goal of inspiring more Ghanaian girls to enter the workforce as STEM trained problem-solvers.  This is driven by simple research which indicates, in general, boys and girls / men and women approach problem solving differently and when both problem-solving approaches are used, stronger solutions result.

The social enterprise partner exclusively works on projects to improve societal infrastructure, specifically providing educational technology in rural areas…where there might be little to no electricity in the school, and where poverty is typically high.  His clients are often rural, economically challenged schools which must secure funding via non-profit grants.  The hope is to expand his work so as to bring educational technology to more rural students and also to use technology to increase general accessibility to school as well as help empower girls.

This past week involved understanding the partners’ context and business model.   Many organizations are involved – all with similar interests but with different cultures, efforts and approaches.  Reaching mutually agreed upon Statements of Work required building more relationships, a pre-requisite for sincere partnering.

O.K., now it’s probably worth mentioning why I’m an exception to the CSC application process.  Among other objectives, IBM’s CSC provides leadership development opportunities for team members.  Normally, executives are excluded from CSC teams to ensure team members’ leadership development experiences are not diminished.  Instead, executives usually travel in their own herd under a different, similar program. 

So, why the exception for this team?  The Peace Corps / IBM Corporate Services Corps partnership was established to leverage IBM’s strategy and planning capabilities along with the Peace Corps grassroots implementation capabilities.  The hope is that through partnering, the two groups’ efforts will result in impact greater than the sum of the individual parts.  The partnership involves an IBM CSC member actually joining the Peace Corps as a volunteer.  Instead of the typical one month CSC assignment, I am in Ghana for three months ensuring that the IBM CSC strategy and planning work connects soundly with the Peace Corps’ grassroots programs.  Hence, I am both an IBM employee and a Peace Corps Response volunteer.  And, hence, I am building relationships with Peace Corps Ghana staff as this hybrid IBM CSC/Peace Corps Response volunteer.

I was asked to fill this role partially because of my previous relationship with Peace Corps Rwanda collaborating to run technology camps for girls; I already have experience blending the two cultures.  But the other reason ties to the significant investment IBM makes in sending IBM CSC employees on extended assignments in the Peace Corps.  I can look at the role from the eyes of CSC team members but also from the eyes of IBM executives who have to make their numbers.  How do you shape the assignment so that executives will say, “yes” to having one of their top employees unavailable to the team for three months to a year?  This involves growing relationships with IBM and Peace Corps headquarters staffs.

The IBM/Peace Corps partnership focuses on a few categories of projects, one of which involves girls’ education and empowerment.  In the U.S. this is affiliated with Michelle Obama’s “Let Girls Learn” initiative.  Approximately 62 million girls in the world lack access to school and “Let Girls Learn” provides visibility and resources to assist in removing barriers to girls’ education.  Despite needing to build relationships with what feels like a zillion different people, I am doubtful the honor of building a relationship with Mrs. Obama will be part of this job, but who knows.   

Anyway, back to the CSC and girls’ empowerment.  Family economics and attitudes, religious beliefs, and access to bathrooms are just a few reasons girls can’t attend school.  To learn the specific current barriers to Ghanaian girls’ education, the CSC team needs to learn from a whole lot of groups: girls, parents, community leaders, government officials, etc…  We have many relationships to build before people will trust us enough to share with us and to listen to our ideas.

There are many reasons the IBM/Peace Corps partnership pilot is happening in Ghana, not the least of which is the fact that Ghana’s government has already invested over 25 years’ efforts on empowering girls through education.  However, they desire partners to help them do more.  The Peace Corps and IBM have long-standing partnerships in Ghana with both organizations sending their first volunteer teams to Ghana, the Peace Corps in 1961 and IBM in 2008.  It’s a great place to try something new. 

But relationships are built person-to person, not institution to institution.  Therefore, off I go to prep for Week Three, building relationships with everyone from government officials and business leaders to the person who brings me juice every morning at breakfast…but most likely not with Michelle.  So to all my friends asking me to get her autograph, I again tell you, “probably not gonna happen…”  But if you’d like my driver’s autograph, I have high confidence that can be arranged. 

Comparing cultures...

Greetings from Ghana. I spent my first week undergoing training as a Peace Corps Response Volunteer (PCRV) and have been sworn in as such.  The ceremony involved me taking an oath to defend the U.S. Constitution.  I felt very presidential. 

I also pledged to serve alongside the people of Ghana with an open heart and mind, fostering understanding, facing challenges with patience, humility and determination, and embracing the mission of world peace.  Somewhere around saying the words, "patience, humility and determination," it really hit me that in addition to being an IBMer, I am truly a Peace Corps Volunteer (PCV) - both roles associated with proud traditions and legacies.  And somehow, I need to figure out how to weave those two traditions together whilst helping make infrastructure improvements that will help improve girls' learning experiences...all in three months.  I felt very small...and got choked up...  So much for feeling presidential.

During the same week that I learned the rules and regulations governing the Peace Corps (PC), I re-certified my commitment to IBM's Business Conduct Guidelines (BCG) - IBM's version of rules and regulations.  Respect, integrity, sound ethics, safety and security are expected from both organizations.  So, in some ways, having a hybrid role as both corporate citizen and government employee introduces no culture clash.

However, some differences do come into play.  For example, from now until the end of my PC assignment, I must hit the pause button on any political comments. That means at work and in my private life, no political discussions or even any political expressions on social media such as Facebook...no hitting the "like" button on any politically oriented posts.  Why oh why did I agree to become a PCV in a national election year?  By the way, I never thought of myself as having much political opinion until I was in a position that I could not express it.  It's causing me to be more thoughtful about what I say.

Also, IBM does not provide the gravitas of a swearing-in ceremony.  I did graduate from IBM Sales School but the venue was not nearly as cool as an embassy. With the PC, there is an oath and a pledge and then I am held to it for as long as my service lasts.  With IBM, every year, I re-certify that I will follow our BCG.  It's not that IBM thinks its employees regularly suffer head trauma and forget.  Changes in regulations and technology justify annual re-certification.    

As PCV, a U.S. government person, I must not accept gifts or money from people.  As an IBMer I must neither accept nor offer gifts or money.  I think my hybrid self is the one allowed exception.  I as a PCV can allow myself as an IBMer to buy myself food, pay taxi fares, or buy local crafts. And trust me, it is not the other way around.  PCVs receive stipends akin to the local wage.  In Ghana, that is often more modest than most wages in the U.S.

I am trying to sort out lifestyle differences between PCV and IBMer.  PCVs, as grassroots volunteers, live in the local community on a par with the local community members.  However, I am staying in a hotel approved by IBM rather than typical PCV housing.  Since I will primarily interact with business and governmental leaders, I think I'm still honoring the PC principle of living a lifestyle similar to those with whom I'll work.  But, that is quite different from the average PCV.

Far and away the biggest learning hurdle last week in addition to learning some Twi, the Ashanti language understood by all Ghanaians, was learning to speak in PC acronym-ese.  IBM has no shortage of TLAs and FLAs (three and four letter acronymn) but I believe we have met our match in the U.S. government.  I now can both say and understand sentences such as, "The PCMO is busy so this PCV will take you to the CD."  (The Peace Corps Medical Officer is busy so this Peace Corps Volunteer will take you to the Country Director.) I guess my challenge is to keep the two acronym-ese dialects separate, or I could opt to just speak in plain English.

Well, it's time to sign off and prepare for week 2.



   

Lesson 1: 3 weeks or 3 months....

I created this blog because many people have expressed interest in following my adventures while I'm working in Ghana as the first person in a hybrid IBM / Peace Corps Response role, focusing on the "Let Girls Learn" initiative.  However, I think I'll learn a lot so it's also a way of forcing me to process various personal and professional lessons resulting from this experience.  Hopefully others find some of these lessons useful or at least entertaining. 

I have worked with the Peace Corps before on TechKobwa technology camps for girls in Rwanda.  During that camp I teach a module about internet safety and, in that module, explain why sharing too much personal information can create vulnerabilities.  I've been torturing my brain to determine how to write a blog about my overseas adventures without letting the entire world (or the small fragment of it that happens to read this blog) know that I'm overseas and thus, not home. I'm drawing a blank because it's difficult to write a travel blog without giving away your hand that you're traveling.  So, instead, let me say that if you are a ne'er-do-well reading this blog in search of homes to invade, please be aware that someone is still staying in mine.  Let me also say that I don't know what you'd find of value in my house anyway unless you have a strong interest in 20th century self-assembly, particle board with faux wood veneer furniture.  I just recommend you invest your efforts elsewhere. 

So, with that preamble, let us begin...Lesson 1:  3 weeks or 3 months.  I entitled this article as such because aside from the various paperwork and shots, I've been a bit occupied with packing for the past few weeks.  Prior to this adventure, my longest trip has been for a little over 3 weeks.  When I first began my mental packing list for a 3 month visit, I envisioned stacks of suitcases that could keep me competing garment for garment, case for case, astride the likes of Lady Mary Crawley from Downton Abbey.  However, the reality sunk in rather quickly that I will not have a lady's maid in tow so unless I want to double as a pack mule on this trip, I needed to simplify.

As I sit at t-2 days from departure with my one checked and one carry-on bag packed, I realized that there is a magical break-point at which the duration of your trip is immaterial.  For me, that point seems to be somewhere around 3 weeks because the luggage I have assembled is about what I take on a 3 week journey.  I've had this revelation: the major difference between 3 weeks and 3 months of traveling is simply the number of times you do laundry not the volume of stuff you bring.  You take basically the same volume of stuff and then do laundry more times between your departure and return.

So, my bags are packed and I'm ready to go aside from the pesky detail of my passport with affixed visa stamp not yet being repatriated with me.   I'm looking forward to learning many additional and more profound lessons as I work with the Peace Corps, the rest of my IBM Corporate Services Corps team, our partners, most importantly the Ghanaian people, and most especially Ghanaian girls. It is a distinct honor to be invited to help increase girls' educational opportunities.  Coming from very humble economic circumstances myself, education dramatically changed my stars, my fortune and my life.  It is my turn to do for others what so many did for me.