On CSC China 14 team's 1st official "free" weekend, the team eagerly arose early to hop in a cab; destination Tianjin train station for a bullet train journey to Beijing .
The travel time between Tianjin and Beijing is approximately 30 minutes and the ride was extremely comfortable and pleasing. Upon arrival into Beijing, we took two separate subway rides in order to reach our destination. It is simply amazing to see how many people they can fit in one subway car; when you think there can't possibly be room for any more passengers, they still manage to pack them in like sardines (save some room for oxygen please).
We visited Tiananmen Square which is a huge open space surrounded on all sides by imposing official buildings. The square is frequently used for big celebrations and for government leaders to address the people. We also visited the Forbidden City, vast in size, rich in history and truly amazing).
After spending the majority of the day seeing all the wonderful tourist sites, we sat down to a nice dinner where the main dish was Peking Duck (very moist, tender and flavorful). I hate to admit was a little sad to see that they cooked the duck with head still intact (okay the animal lover in me is beginning to show and felt just a tad guilty for eating).
Moving on ... after dinner, the team spent approximately 1 hour exploring one of Beijing's shopping districts (very modern and similar in some ways to Manhattan).
The Beijing shopping district has an open air food market where various sorts of local specialties are prepared for visitors to sample and enjoy.
Speaking of food, some of the local delicacies consisted of snakes, scorpions or silk worms on a stick. Several of my teammates were brave and sampled the silk worms. On our last weekend in China we will venture back to Beijing because there is so much to experience so perhaps while there will get some courage to try the silk worms (although the jury is still out on that one).
On Sunday we visited some of Tianjin's local Chinese open air markets. If you have ever had an opportunity to visit Canal Street in New York, the shopping experience is similar only difference being the goods sold are geared more towards local Chinese crafts / goods.
As I write this update it is Tuesday evening in Tianjin. We have had two official work days thus far this week and have met with our clients in order for them to provide more feedback and address additional concerns.
We are now tasked to compile our first high level set of recommendations. Next week we will meet one last time with our assigned clients to determine if they have any more input prior to the sub-team creating our final presentation materials....the overall scope is wide and varied.
Although the experience has been a little intimidating at times, it has been very interesting to serve in a consulting capacity. I have learned so much from my teammates, translators and clients; am eager to learn, develop and grow in so many ways and apply those learning experiences to my overall job responsibilities in the United States.
Have a great day everyone - see you soon and will send another update early next week.
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
The Tianjin Journey Begins
The Tianjin Journey Begins
I departed Atlanta Hartsfield Jackson airport in the pre-dawn hours of Friday, August 5. As the flight attendants announced "please fasten your seat belts we have been cleared for takeoff" the anxiety began to set in. I asked myself how am I ever going to handle this 15 hour flight (can I get off the plane now)? Surprisingly, in spite of the turbulence, fear of flying and close to 15 hours in the air, found that all my fears were unfounded. I had a 5 hour layover in Seoul, South Korea; the airport is absolutely beautiful. Upon arrival into Tianjin was greeted by my gracious and friendly interpreter, Vicky. Having not slept the entire journey, upon my arrival at the hotel napped and slept a good 6 hours. The DOT hosts took the CSC China 14 team out to dinner that evening where we experienced many delightful Chinese dishes. In China the food is plentiful and is served on a carousel where everyone has the opportunity to sample each dish (seafood is plentiful and very flavorful). It is amazing how many varieties of food are served in one meal; it seems the food is never ending.
The 1st official work day, the team traveled to a watch company for a 1/2 day kick-off session. Upon arrival the CSC team was greeted by the senior management team as well as an IBM China representative from External Community Programs. The team had an opportunity to present the purpose of the IBM's Corporate Service Corps, and shared our areas of expertise with the executives. We went on a tour of a watch company which was very interesting. The executives also hosted a luncheon for our entire team where we were able to experience more of the local cuisine. After lunch, we broke out into sub-teams (my team is comprised of 3 IBMers) and we are working with two clients (a watch company and a chemical company). The executives of the watch company addressed issues they are experiencing in various parts of their business. My sub team is tasked to offer suggested solutions to the issues they are encountering.
Yesterday my sub-team met with the chemical company (this company makes dyes and detergents). We were taken on a guided tour of the plant and able to experience 1st hand how chemicals are manufactured from conception to birth. After our tour, we sat down with the General Manager and various senior leaders who addressed their issues / concerns, most of which are geared toward supply chain management and corporate culture. The team came back to hotel yesterday afternoon and prepared a presentation on how to address the client's concerns. This afternoon we are going to return to the chemical company and present our initial suggestions. The remainder of the week we will be working on preparing presentations to offer suggestions for all the issues each client has addressed (the watch company has issues in a wide-variety of areas including Human Resources, Marketing, I/T, Finance and Sustaining Growth).
On August 22 I will have the opportunity to meet with small business owners to determine what areas they would like for me to present to the Woman's Incubator project. The IBM women on the CSC are to deliver our presentations on August 26. Most will be geared toward effective communications, work / life balance and self confidence. (More detail to follow once known).
The traffic in China makes Atlanta traffic look like a picnic. Many people opt to commute via bicycle as opposed to driving. A 15 minute drive can take as long as 1-1/2 hours and the people drive insane (yikes).
So far it has been hot and humid here (with temperatures in the high 80's with very high humidity). Okay so Judy is going to have bad hair days the entire time in China (I'm okay with that).
This weekend, the team is planning to take a trip to Beijing on the high-speed bullet train.
Everyone is absolutely wonderful to work with (warm, genuine and friendly).
That's all for now...hope everyone is well and I miss my friends and colleagues in the US. More updates will follow in the days to come.
I departed Atlanta Hartsfield Jackson airport in the pre-dawn hours of Friday, August 5. As the flight attendants announced "please fasten your seat belts we have been cleared for takeoff" the anxiety began to set in. I asked myself how am I ever going to handle this 15 hour flight (can I get off the plane now)? Surprisingly, in spite of the turbulence, fear of flying and close to 15 hours in the air, found that all my fears were unfounded. I had a 5 hour layover in Seoul, South Korea; the airport is absolutely beautiful. Upon arrival into Tianjin was greeted by my gracious and friendly interpreter, Vicky. Having not slept the entire journey, upon my arrival at the hotel napped and slept a good 6 hours. The DOT hosts took the CSC China 14 team out to dinner that evening where we experienced many delightful Chinese dishes. In China the food is plentiful and is served on a carousel where everyone has the opportunity to sample each dish (seafood is plentiful and very flavorful). It is amazing how many varieties of food are served in one meal; it seems the food is never ending.
The 1st official work day, the team traveled to a watch company for a 1/2 day kick-off session. Upon arrival the CSC team was greeted by the senior management team as well as an IBM China representative from External Community Programs. The team had an opportunity to present the purpose of the IBM's Corporate Service Corps, and shared our areas of expertise with the executives. We went on a tour of a watch company which was very interesting. The executives also hosted a luncheon for our entire team where we were able to experience more of the local cuisine. After lunch, we broke out into sub-teams (my team is comprised of 3 IBMers) and we are working with two clients (a watch company and a chemical company). The executives of the watch company addressed issues they are experiencing in various parts of their business. My sub team is tasked to offer suggested solutions to the issues they are encountering.
Yesterday my sub-team met with the chemical company (this company makes dyes and detergents). We were taken on a guided tour of the plant and able to experience 1st hand how chemicals are manufactured from conception to birth. After our tour, we sat down with the General Manager and various senior leaders who addressed their issues / concerns, most of which are geared toward supply chain management and corporate culture. The team came back to hotel yesterday afternoon and prepared a presentation on how to address the client's concerns. This afternoon we are going to return to the chemical company and present our initial suggestions. The remainder of the week we will be working on preparing presentations to offer suggestions for all the issues each client has addressed (the watch company has issues in a wide-variety of areas including Human Resources, Marketing, I/T, Finance and Sustaining Growth).
On August 22 I will have the opportunity to meet with small business owners to determine what areas they would like for me to present to the Woman's Incubator project. The IBM women on the CSC are to deliver our presentations on August 26. Most will be geared toward effective communications, work / life balance and self confidence. (More detail to follow once known).
The traffic in China makes Atlanta traffic look like a picnic. Many people opt to commute via bicycle as opposed to driving. A 15 minute drive can take as long as 1-1/2 hours and the people drive insane (yikes).
So far it has been hot and humid here (with temperatures in the high 80's with very high humidity). Okay so Judy is going to have bad hair days the entire time in China (I'm okay with that).
This weekend, the team is planning to take a trip to Beijing on the high-speed bullet train.
Everyone is absolutely wonderful to work with (warm, genuine and friendly).
That's all for now...hope everyone is well and I miss my friends and colleagues in the US. More updates will follow in the days to come.
China 14 CSC Last Update
This past Sunday, the China 14 CSC team took the bullet train from Tianjin to Beijing. Upon arrival into Beijing we had an opportunity to spend one half day at the fabulous Summer Palace and was truly an amazing experience.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Summer_Palace
The Summer Palace is the largest and best preserved imperial garden in China. Its Chinese name, YiHeYuan, translates as "Garden of Nurtured Harmony" or "Garden for Maintaining Health and Harmony." The Summer Palace is surrounded by a large lake. While there the team took a 1 hour boat ride where we were able to relax and view the beautiful scenery. On this excursion the team spent approximately 4 hours walking about at a leisurely pace so that we had an opportunity to see everything there was to see. Am happy to report that on this visit was able to accomplish climbing all the way to the top.
On Monday, my sub-team delivered our final recommendations to our clients; they were very pleased with the outcome and grateful for all the guidance we provided them over the last few weeks. After our presentations, the general manager of the chemical company took his executive staff and our sub-team to a magnificent seafood restaurant where we dined in a private room and enjoyed a wonderful dinner.
Tuesday, we went to visit the IBM Tianjin office and had a one hour meeting with the branch manager. Their office is very small where approximately 36-40 IBMers work in total. We had an opportunity to share the mission and goals of the Corporate Service Corps.
Yesterday, we delivered our final recommendations to the watch company. They too, were pleased with all the help the team provided them. Last evening, the CSC team went out to celebrate our accomplishments and had dinner at a German brew house followed by 2 hours of Karaoke.
This afternoon our team had a 1 hour meeting with the DOT executive team to wrap up and discuss lessons learned so that they can be passed on to future CSC participants. This evening we plan to take our interpreters out to a Korean barbecue dinner as a thank you for all the hard work and assistance they provided us this past month.
Tomorrow is a "free" day to do whatever we would like and Saturday morning will be headed back to Atlanta (am really anxious to see Jasmine and Nikki, my 4-legged kids).
This assignment frequently pushed me way outside of my comfort zone but that is what this program is all about - to see how well you adapt and react to situations that you might not be comfortable or familiar with.
In closing, this has been such a wonderful experience and feel that I have become more culturally aware on so many levels. I have also established friendships with my CSC teammates and know that I will stay in close contact with my interpreters as well as some of the wonderful women from the incubator group. (I have actually adopted one lady as my extended mom). The people in China have been warm, friendly and very genuine and hope that one day you have an opportunity to visit this great country.
I look forward to speaking with / seeing everyone next week.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Summer_Palace
The Summer Palace is the largest and best preserved imperial garden in China. Its Chinese name, YiHeYuan, translates as "Garden of Nurtured Harmony" or "Garden for Maintaining Health and Harmony." The Summer Palace is surrounded by a large lake. While there the team took a 1 hour boat ride where we were able to relax and view the beautiful scenery. On this excursion the team spent approximately 4 hours walking about at a leisurely pace so that we had an opportunity to see everything there was to see. Am happy to report that on this visit was able to accomplish climbing all the way to the top.
On Monday, my sub-team delivered our final recommendations to our clients; they were very pleased with the outcome and grateful for all the guidance we provided them over the last few weeks. After our presentations, the general manager of the chemical company took his executive staff and our sub-team to a magnificent seafood restaurant where we dined in a private room and enjoyed a wonderful dinner.
Tuesday, we went to visit the IBM Tianjin office and had a one hour meeting with the branch manager. Their office is very small where approximately 36-40 IBMers work in total. We had an opportunity to share the mission and goals of the Corporate Service Corps.
Yesterday, we delivered our final recommendations to the watch company. They too, were pleased with all the help the team provided them. Last evening, the CSC team went out to celebrate our accomplishments and had dinner at a German brew house followed by 2 hours of Karaoke.
This afternoon our team had a 1 hour meeting with the DOT executive team to wrap up and discuss lessons learned so that they can be passed on to future CSC participants. This evening we plan to take our interpreters out to a Korean barbecue dinner as a thank you for all the hard work and assistance they provided us this past month.
Tomorrow is a "free" day to do whatever we would like and Saturday morning will be headed back to Atlanta (am really anxious to see Jasmine and Nikki, my 4-legged kids).
This assignment frequently pushed me way outside of my comfort zone but that is what this program is all about - to see how well you adapt and react to situations that you might not be comfortable or familiar with.
In closing, this has been such a wonderful experience and feel that I have become more culturally aware on so many levels. I have also established friendships with my CSC teammates and know that I will stay in close contact with my interpreters as well as some of the wonderful women from the incubator group. (I have actually adopted one lady as my extended mom). The people in China have been warm, friendly and very genuine and hope that one day you have an opportunity to visit this great country.
I look forward to speaking with / seeing everyone next week.
Sunday, July 31, 2011
CSC Getting Ready for Tianjin
As a teenager in the mid-60's I had a strong desire to join the Peace Corps and help those individuals that required aid in 3rd world countries. For various reasons was never able to fulfill that goal. The world has changed quite a bit since that time and here we are in 2011. It is hard to believe that in a few more days am going to embark on a journey of a lifetime with a talented group of individuals from Brazil, Germany, Hungary, India and the United States. We will be deployed in Tianjin, China for four weeks. In the preceding months we have become very comfortable with one another and feel like we have known each other for a long time. Each member of the team has experience in various disciplines / organizations. Rizwan, our team facilitor and a former CSC member, has been instrumental in briefing our CSC China team on the expectations of our upcoming assignment. Rizwan shared insight on his team's CSC experience as well as provided us with the necessary foundation so that we can also be successful. While on assignment we will be assisting several clients with various issues that include developing a successful talent strategy, team work, cross-collaboration, global market development, business model innovation as well as a host of other areas. Additionally, the women on our team will spend one half day with a woman's incubator project helping them manage their work / life balance as well as providing them with the necessary tools to use as stepping stones to become successful in the marketplace. I feel honored to have been selected to serve on this magnificant project and look forward to further developing so many skills and learning so much from the people in China.
The team will have several student interpreters assigned to them as they will be instrumental in translating our framework and recommendations to our assigned clients. Am anxious to start this adventure and look forward to sharing more about our travel, Chinese culture, interesting cuisine and "The Tianjin Experience."
Speak with everyone soon.
The team will have several student interpreters assigned to them as they will be instrumental in translating our framework and recommendations to our assigned clients. Am anxious to start this adventure and look forward to sharing more about our travel, Chinese culture, interesting cuisine and "The Tianjin Experience."
Speak with everyone soon.
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