IBM Corporate Service Corps: Completed 12-week preparation, Ready for in-country deployment!

On 15^th November 2013, I received the good news that I have been invited to join the IBM Corporate Service Crops’ Brazil 17 Team to Fortaleza. 

The team selected was based on skills, tenure, gender, geographic preference and home country.  Our CSC Brazil 17 team was made up of 15 of us from 11 countries.  We had 2 recent drop outs due to company re-structuring and are now down to 13 of us from 10 countries – China, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Singapore, Slovakia, South Africa, Switzerland, Turkey and USA.

The pre work began on 4^th December 2013 for twelve weeks preceding departure.  We had weekly calls where the team members shared about our profile, guess the participant through our origins montage and prep work. Team members took turns to be moderator, scribe and presenters.  In 13 weeks, we covered topics such as culture, logistics, team code of conduct, vaccines & International SOS, several modules of living and working in Brazil, consulting practices, ethics and compliance, social media and many modules required for a successful deployment.

The team took turns to learn and share with the team on living and working in Brazil, such as a) Greetings, basic language, social customs, gestures and gift giving; b) Family structure, individualism vs collectivism; c) Cultural taboos, intercultural communications; d) Business practices including meeting protocol and business attire, and negotiation style; e) Time orientation, approach to conflict resolution; f) Political environment, power system.

The consulting modules includes becoming a trusted advisor, basic consulting, communication, engagement planning and final report writing, issue-based consulting, consulting with emerging markets.

We had 18 pre-work with on-line learning and associated assignments to complete.  These include Whole Brain Thinking, working with NGOs, travel health & safety, cultural adaptability, Value Thics  legal guidance, role of international development in emerging markets, media and the evolving nature of communication, corporate social responsibility, consulting among others.

We also had Katia Lopes, a Marketing Manager from IBM Latin America share about her CSC experience in Ghana and about Fortaleza. We also had Alcely Barroso and Juliana Gomes share about IBM’s CCCA efforts in Brazil.  Jose Eduardo Dias also shared with us on travel and personal security briefing.

At the end of the assignment, we will complete CSC value assessment to determine if the ideas that we have provided are implemented and whether there are good results.

Now that the twelve weeks of intense preparation has concluded, we are ready for redeployment for the in-country phase.  Brazil Fortaleza, here we come!