Leaders for Change

Building Leaders

To help prepare promising leaders for the future, top companies are forcing their employees to take on new (global) risks. By Geoff Colvin, Fortune Magazine

For John Tolva, IBM's Chicago-based director of citizenship and technology, the value of his four-week assignment to Ghana last year really hit him during a game of Scrabble by candlelight.

He and teammates from India, Germany, Brazil, and other countries had agreed on an unorthodox rule: You could use any language you knew. "That's when I understood what a globally integrated enterprise looks like," he says.

He and the others were forced to ask "what connects us," since it obviously wasn't language or culture. The real connection, Tolva says, is "the values that IBM has instilled in us. It's a professional code that isn't written down -- but it's there."

The group of 10 was part of IBM's two-year-old Corporate Service Corps (CSC), which sends teams around the world to work with local organisations on local problems.

Tolva's group was helping create a program for promoting Ghanaian handicrafts globally. The job "stretched me in a way we all absolutely need," says Tolva, 37, who has since been promoted to his current executive-level job. "It gave us a shake in perspective." It also means that "there are now nine other people in the company I would trust with my life."

Developmental assignments like his are among the most important tools that great companies use to build leaders -- and that average companies rarely use at all.

The importance of such assignments and how they're being adapted to pay off in today's global economy are two of the strongest messages emerging from the research behind our new ranking of the world's Top Companies for Leaders.

Avid is Launched

The new Federal Government volunteer sending program – AVID – was launched by Foreign Minister Rudd at Parliament House. AVID (Australian Volunteers for International Development) consists of three major partners, Australian Volunteers International (AVI), the Australian Red Cross and a consortium lead by Austraining International. ABV is a member of the Consortium and as such maintains its thirty years of work through the AusAID contracts.

‘The Consortium will allow us to continue our ground breaking and professional work in skills exchange with developing countries’ said Michael Lynch, CEO of ABV. ‘We have always worked closely with Austraining International and we are excited to look for further opportunities to grow ABV through the relationship,’ he said.

Minister Rudd highlighted ABV’s exemplary work in his speech and pointed out the importance of volunteers to Australia’s overall overseas aid package.

AVID will have an overall branding that makes the Australian volunteer more recognizable, rather than as a member of one of the partners. The same level of assistance overseas will continue but the new program will allow Australians to volunteer for new countries in different regions. The May Federal Budget has also continued to increase the funds for development with a small increase in the AVID allocation.

Doctors for Change.

The ratio of staff to patients in the clinics we support is daunting, with patients vastly outnumbering the caregivers, so the nurses and doctors always appreciate the help. By volunteering you can help with administrative and basic triage tasks so that nurses are more free to assist the doctor. Volunteers with prior healthcare experience or knowledge can assist in treatments, procedures and surgeries, depending on their background and skill level.

What will you be involved in?

These communities need medically-trained volunteers to help in community health centers and hospitals. By volunteering you may perform medical tasks depending on your skills and qualifications. For volunteers to practice as licensed doctors or nurses we must submit an application at least three months before their scheduled program in order for their accreditation to be processed by the Philippine Professional Regulatory Commission.

In addition, volunteers can also conduct workshops to train the people on hygiene, health care, reproductive health care, first-aid, and other health concerns. Volunteers may help set up clinics in public schools and train teachers and students to become effective health officers and clinic custodians. Only volunteers who are in their final year of study or who are professional doctors or nurses can participate in the Health Program.

Health volunteers will be asked to live and immerse themselves in the communities where they will conduct medical missions, especially in the rural placements. This is done to give the volunteers a more holistic appreciation of the people they wish to help, their economic activities, culture, values, issues and struggles. At some point in their programs, they will also be taken to both public and private hospitals for them to see the problems of the health sector in Bohol.

Register your Interest

Register your interest here and we will send you information on the upcoming programs.

Feb	2012	Closed
March	2012	Closed
April	2012	Places Available
May	2012	Places Available

Welcome to Leaders for Change

Building Leaders

AVID is Launched

Doctors for Change

Programs

Building Leaders

Avid is Launched

Doctors for Change.

What will you be involved in?

Register your Interest