End of chapter one
If my time in Sri Lanka was a book, I feel like coming to an end of chapter one. Acknowledgements and introduction were handled already back in Finland and during the first ten days here. Chapter one has been basically about getting into the routine, having an overview of the job, tying basic relationships, getting over first culture shocks, buying two umbrellas, defining purpose for the whole period of 18 months (I don't call it an internship; it's damn hard work) and fixing mechanisms to keep myself motivated in a role that doesn't entail much leading other people."Could you be more specific?" - Janne Asmala
Although the topic of the internship - leadership and team development - is exactly my cup of tea, I was feeling a bit frustrated in the beginning. This was because I had done leadership in practice and theory so many years, and now I felt like stepping down to "new employee level" again. Then I confronted the brutal fact that if I want to be a successful leader in the private sector, my non-profit experience is just a good starting point. I need to start developing myself from the scratch and create the possibilities for development if my organization doesn't offer them. As you might know, I'm working in a company of three people (including me) so there's nothing much to lead... yet! As some of you also might know I'm not that much into working for someone else anymore, now that the entrepreneurial flame as lit inside me. So, due to these two facts I decided to work so hard - both in terms of my own development up to my potential and financially from the company's perspective - that in one year's time I will have my own team. Now that is something that keeps me motivated, a personal short-term vision of having my own team! I still don't know what the team will do or who it will consist of (although they will be AIESEC interns), but the vision drives me forward... It's just a stretch goal! At the same time it will be yet again my small contribution to the organization I love so much - AIESEC.
But it ain't going to be easy: Employing three more people in a company of three current employees means doubling the personnel costs. To make it possible, the results I bring in together with Ruky (my boss) need to be extraordinary. Yet again, with our drive and with our cutting edge products that's achievable. What I love the most about this company is that we are all the time aiming to be the number one provider of leadership development products in the Sri Lankan market. Currently I'm working on a couple of clients with whom we use Ruky's BLUE model for them to excel in strategic leadership. Meanwhile, we are developing yet another product that will sell like hell! That's pretty much all I can reveal as of now, but it sure is exciting! (Or what do you think as I'm writing this at the office 6:30 PM Friday evening?)
If you have any questions about this or other events that took place in chapter one, please comment and ask! I'd prefer dialogue in this blog, instead of just me writing every now and then. Finally, I want to thank my former team mates who have commented on my postings. I miss you guys, I really do!
posted by Tomi Astikainen @ Friday, August 18, 2006
2 Comments:
Seems like I've been immortalized in a quote. :-)
It also seems like you've really landed an interesting job there! You set yourself an ambitious goal. Do keep us posted on your progress!
-Janne
Is this intentional that your chapter 1 is published twice? :-P Then they are chapters 1...
Random jibberish. :)
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