Impressions of a foot print!

Field visits and that too with colleagues / senior managers are an excellent opportunity to step back and reflect on how a project or a programme is performing, the scope for expansion, challenges that comes with it and the opportunities to do better and bigger. Many a times, I use these field visits to develop clarity and understanding (of what we do and why we do them), and more I do, realize how less I know. I also use these opportunities to connect and understand the ‘dots”, across villages, countries and continents. And there seems to be a pattern: whether they are about community actions, leadership styles, motivation and resilience, or even the myriad and complex analysis of poverty, disaster, roles and responsibilities of aid agency, government and civil society.

In a recent field visit, I got a splendid opportunity to reflect and understand some of these points. At the end of the field visit, took a moment to talk and have a dialogue not only to understand some of these “dots” but whether there is a pattern to this: our reflections and analysis, what makes something work and the source of motivation.

The programme activities are an excellent mix, providing long term development solutions and addressing immediate emergency needs. It brings back the “age old concept”, and the importance of developing solutions which are context specific and community driven. The different development activities for example, constructing water storage tanks, called “birkhas” or slaughter house to maintain hygiene of meat products are apt given the context and the region. On the other hand our emergency nutrition work is “global” in nature and something that we do in many countries. So what it takes to make an “activity” truly global?

The importance of integrating development activities came up for discussion. And in the same breath, the challenge to integrate activities and programmes was also raised. Given the fact that emergency in the region is chronic in nature and slow in ‘arrival” and “setting”, how does one bring greater synergy between an emergency response and long term development solutions?  May be the answer lies in having greater sense of urgency, coherence in our work and thinking and accepting that “business cannot be usual”. The need to align management style and approaches to respond to this is something to reflect upon.

We touched upon on another interesting issue of innovation and scalability. How do we take these micro / project level lessons and implement them on a wider scale: beyond the kebele’s, region and country? Its an interesting discussion as, for example, a project staff or even a country level manager would like to see projects deliver as per the commitment, has the impact and lessons are documented and shared. However, from a global perspective, we would like to see whether the lessons learned (read innovations) can be taken, for example, from a project site and implemented elsewhere. Evidence is key to this and so is clarity in terms of what we want to take forward.

The discussion moved from programming to leadership and I knew this wasn’t going to be an easy one but I also knew the responses would benefit many who are performing different managerial roles. Delivering strategy, consistent follow up, context / situation specific styles and having an excellent team is central to what we do to deliver on our targets and commitments. The ability to identify and prioritise risks and making the right decision is equally central. Personal resilience and self awareness is what holds all these together. Didn’t I know this? It reaffirmed what it takes to be a manager and a leader!

Read Full Post »

Khopchai da to Amasaganalo

Two words but have the same meaning. And there are so many of them across countries and continents. They are expressed at various times and on different occassions. From working with communities in rural India, to head offices in Delhi, to SE Asia and now in Africa, this has been a long and memorable journey. Sitting on a nine hours flight and traveling from one corner of Africa to the other, I started jotting down how our work helps us to understand who we are and the relationship with our immediate environment. On one hand, I have been very fortunate to have worked and interacted with such people who made that difference and on the other, the analytical mind starts talking about what makes them so different. I presume each one of us exhibit such behaviours and characteristics and only gets captured when one interacts with them. I am far away from such a yardstick but doesnot stop me to acknowledge and even learn a few tips from every discussion, every interaction I have had with them.

It was early January this year and a doctor from one of our project area has been visiting and requesting us to construct a health clinic, something that we do, given funding availability. He visited us again and again. There were considerations, for example, how we can construct one health clinic and the complexities that go with it. He visited some of our clinics and saw the change that it had brought to hundreds of communities and this motivated him to have one for the area where he is posted. What touched me was his perseverance and finally we gave in!

Years ago when I had started working, in one of the village meetings where we had planned to discuss (and then distribute) savings and credit programme, lost few thousand cash. There was lot of discussion around how did this happen but fast came the reply, “you share half and I will pay half”. Technically, I was holding the cash and I should have paid the full amount. It was a classic case of taking responsibility! Nothing better than learning by doing!!

In this career and life span there are hundreds and thousands of such experience and wish I could jot down every experience that I have encountered. This expression wouldn’t be complete if I don’t share couple of more such experiences, which possibly has touched me the most. We all experience failure and defeat. And for many of us, surely me, it takes a while to accept. Many of us become vulnerable during such period and only few could “stand up” after a fall!  I met this incredible person during one of my journeys and more I listened, I could barely close my wide opened mouth. It was stunning and one message came out so loudly from that conversation: believing in one self, the courage to stand up and the conviction, “I will rebuild myself”. I asked who was with you during this period, and what I received was a smile. I understood! The expression that there was no expectation (to have someone around) also taught me few lessons although immediately acknowledged that blessed are those who have people to stand by. On one hand, leadership roles can be lonely but on the other, it can generate huge enthusiasm and support. 

We all know this, don’t we? So…..!! I presume what I captured are some of the life time experiences of people around me, the learning that goes with this and the chord that gets touched during such journeys!  

Let me end this with a recent experience. I was traveling to one of the most secluded project districts in Ethiopia. I met this young volunteer who is a teacher. The group of 40-60 pastoral students quite likes him and while talking to this teacher I realized what a passion he has: in this far flung place with little or no facilities, and no guarantee of regular salary, and he has been offering his services for past few years. I couldn’t ask him where he wants to go after this and what he wants to do, but could only say, “Amasaganalo…Thank You! I presume this is what makes the difference, the innate ability to connect between dreams and masses.

What has been your experience during your respective journeys? What do we need to do to connect our dreams with our environment? Is this so simple or is this something that one has to experience, learn and build up? Where does it all begin? So much to explore and isn’t this the best place!!

Read Full Post »