Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Leadership & Communication Pt. 2

Last week, I shared an eBook called The Difficult Conversation by Aled Davies. As I mentioned earlier, effective communication is important for everyone. There are several different aspects to communicating effectively. Interestingly, up to 90% of communication can be non-verbal, and this is what Aled Davies tackles in his next eBook: Why First Impressions Matter. This book has some useful tips on how to make a good first impression using an interview setting as a reference point. They can be applied to any number of situations however. To view or download the eBook, click here. Some comments from Mr Davies:

"I've tried to include some of my own personal experiences in the eBook and some of the tools, tips, strategies and techniques inside are ones that have helped my clients achieve way more than their outcomes, as you'll read inside.

I haven't written about this stuff before so you'll be one of the first to read it and I'd really appreciate your feedback. So please just send me an email (aled.davies@resolvegb.com) with your feedback, comments and requests."

Monday, August 30, 2010

Ghana lowest ranking African country on 2010 FSI

The recently published Failed States Index* for 2010 reveals that Ghana (ranked 122nd from the top) has the most stable government in Africa. Unfortunately on the other end of the scale, seven out of the top 10 states are African. It seems bad governance and corruption (amongst other things) are leaving the governments of our brothers an sisters in a chronically sorry state of affairs; a mere 15 states - 10 of which are African - have shared the top 10 slots since records first began in 2004. More from Foreign Policy:

"This year's index draws on 90,000 publicly available sources to analyze 177 countries and rate them on 12 metrics of state decay - from refugee flows to economic implosion, human rights violations to security threats. Taken together, a country's performance on this battery of indicators tells us how stable - or unstable - it is.

At the top of the list, Somalia saw yet another year plagued by lawlessness and chaos, with pirates plying the coast while radical Islamist militias tightened their grip on the streets of Mogadishu. Across the Gulf of Aden, long-ignored Yemen leapt into the news when a would-be suicide bomber who had trained there tried to blow up a commercial flight bound for Detroit. Afghanistan and Iraq traded places on the index as both states contemplated the exit of U.S. combat troops, while already isolated Sudan saw its dictator, Omar Hassan al-Bashir, defy an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court and the war-ravaged Democratic Republic of the Congo once again proved itself a country in little more than name."

It is heartbreaking to see our leaders continue hold on to power with such gusto that they forget what true leadership is all about. I decided to focus on Ghana's position on the list early in the article so as not to characterize the whole post on the unfortunate crisis of leadership Africa seems to be battling with. I hope that we're successful in training and encouraging our next generation of leaders to be more responsible.


*This Foreign Policy site is very Flash-heavy and can take a long time to load. For a simpler version of the Index, click here.

Friday, August 27, 2010

Mentors End of Programme Meeting: Minutes

Yesterday various junior and senior mentors met up for the final time under the 09/10 programme. Thanks again to everyone who attended. This meeting was a chance for mentors to share their experiences and to share any thoughts on what needs to be addressed for the next YLMP to be an even greater success. Here are the minutes (thanks to Elinam Adadevoh for writing up them up!):

Selection Process
Though some mentors stated that they had no trouble meeting their mentees, most mentors complained that their mentees did not show up to meetings. Thus, it was agreed that it is important to select mentees who are willing to be mentored.

New process for mentees: Market YLMP to Kinbu students and inform them that there is limited space for mentees. Making the program competitive will require selected mentees to be serious with the program.

Open selection process – we will accept applications from all students who are interested in being mentees. Selection to be a mentee will be based on the student’s performance on a 100 word (or so) paper.

Meeting Times & Places
Mini seminars and mentee-mentor sessions will be held at Kinbu on Friday afternoons.

YLMP will be a club so we can meet on Fridays when all other school clubs meet. This ensures that YLMP will not have to compete with other clubs and/or Friday entertainment.

Programmes
Who Moved my Cheese was too heavy for the mentees. Therefore, one of the 3 books will be used for the next programme:

  • Who Moved my Cheese for Teens
  • The Cross Drums
  • 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens

    Library project: we will continue with the library club and refurbishment.
    Fundraising effort: We will find a way to involve the students in this effort. We will have to seek funds from corporates.
    Newsletter: Copies should be ready in September. The newsletter can be used to market YLMP in other schools.
  • Thursday, August 26, 2010

    We've been reading...

    Can youth change the future of Africa?
    CIPE Blog -- President Obama’s Forum with Young African Leaders gathered together more than 100 young Africans for three days to discuss how young people can positively impact the future of their continent. Representing 43 African nations, participants hailed from all facets of society, including journalists, entrepreneurs and human rights activists. The excitement of these young African leaders was palpable as they shared with each other their continued challenges and examples of success. At the conclusion of the President’s Forum however, the question still remains: Can youth change the future of Africa?

    Dirty water no more
    BBC -- A bottle that uses ultraviolet light to sterilise drinking water has won the UK leg of the James Dyson Award. The Pure bottle is the brainchild of Timothy Whitehead, a design and technology graduate from Loughborough University, who had the idea while traveling in Zambia. It eliminates the need for chlorine and iodine tablets which take 30 minutes to work and can leave an unpleasant taste. Once filtered, the water is sterilised by a wind-up ultraviolet bulb in a process lasting 90 seconds. A prototype was effective in killing 99.9% of bacteria and viruses. "Pure provides a practical solution to a real problem - how to get clean drinking water in the most hostile of conditions. It has the potential to make a real difference to people's lives"...

    Pretoria defends China's Africa policy
    Financial Times -- South Africa’s trade minister on Tuesday embraced China’s surging investment in Africa, saying that Beijing was not pursuing a neocolonial policy and its growing interest in the continent would bring huge benefits. The trade minister is part of a delegation led by South African President Jacob Zuma that includes almost 400 business executives and 11 cabinet members, the biggest group yet to accompany a South African leader abroad. Rob Davies said China’s rapidly expanding African presence “can only be a good thing” because it meant increased competition between developed and developing countries in their pursuit of resources and influence in Africa...

    Hope on a Hillside: Helping Small Farmers Help Themselves
    Gates Foundation -- Somewhere in Rwanda, a rural farmer is dreaming of providing an education for her children. Not just high school, but maybe even a university degree. Such a dream used to seem out of reach. Like boosting the harvests on her hillside plot. Or multiplying her earnings. Or preventing topsoil from washing down the hilly slope when it rained. But now, an ambitious terracing program is working to reshape Rwanda’s landscape, helping farmers limit erosion, improve irrigation, and boost their yields. And, in the process, it will help transform the landscape of rural poverty, empowering smallholder farmers to provide a better life for their loved ones...

    Monday, August 23, 2010

    Tips from a seasoned mentor

    Mentoring can be an extremely rewarding experience both for mentor and mentee. That is of course, if it is done correctly. There are many variables that can determine the success of a mentoring relationship - preparedness is definitely one of them. The first few meetings are hugely important and can set the tone for the tone for the entire relationship. No one knows what to expect when they meet someone for the first time, which can make preparing for this slightly difficult. There is always something you can do, however. Below are a few tips from Rey Carr, a coach credentialing expert and 'mentoring veteran' as it were:

    Make a list
    Preparing for your first meeting: I make a list of things that I would have wanted to know when I was in the position of the person who I will be meeting with. My list might include information about me (as the mentor) about the organization or position, about what it was like to be starting out, about what it was like in a new organization, or about expectations concerning our relationship. I write these details down in note form and then I send them to the person I will be mentoring.

    Take the initiative
    I often take the initiative to make the first call, although I do appreciate it when the other person will call to arrange a meeting. I hold my meeting time as essential. I don't shift it around to accommodate my busy schedule. Only an emergency will alter my date.

    Be clear about purpose and boundaries
    Gift-giving, acting as an advocate for career advancement, loaning money, or becoming involved in dispute resolution are all out-of-bounds for me in my mentoring relationships. I feel comfortable talking about ethical or moral issues, however, and I like to be clear about ground rules. I have had different experiences with having a formal agreement. Sometimes I do not have one and other times we may develop a comprehensive agreement document.

    Create an agenda
    When we meet I ask the other person if it is okay if I identify some items for an agenda. I list two or three and then ask the other person if they have any items they would like to add. Some of my typical items are (1) getting to know each other, (2) logistics, (3) goals and expectations, (4) concerns that might interfere with our meeting together, (5) initial impressions, (6) questions I have about you, and (7) why I think I can be a worthy mentor. Although this might seem trivial, I always make sure that I call the person by the name they prefer to be called. I even have a fun activity that makes this a valuable learning.

    Listen deeply and ask powerful questions
    The two skills that I think are essential for successful mentoring are (1) in-depth listening, that is, suspending judgment, listening for understanding and providing an accepting and supportive atmosphere; and (2) asking powerful questions, that is, questions that are challenging in a friendly way and questions that help the other person talk about what is important to that person. I seldom ask "why" questions. Most of my questions can be described as "open-ended" and usually start with "how" or "what."

    Mentors: Come share your views!

    As you all know, the Young Leaders Mentorship Programme for the 2009/2010 period has officially come to an end. Again, I'd like to say thank you to each of you for being such an integral part of our pilot programme. We're grateful for all your hard work. Now that we've come to the end of the Programme - especially given that this was a pilot programme - we are in the process of evaluating so that the next YLMP can be even more effective.

    As part of this evaluation, Keli and the rest of the team would like to meet with you all to talk about your experiences and about any issues you think need to be addressed in order for the YLMP to continue to be a success. The meeting will take place on Thursday the 26th of August at 12pm in the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Boardroom. We value your input and it would be great to see you all there. Given that the meeting is taking place at Databank, it is compulsory for all mentors (junior and senior) working at Databank to attend. For those of you that don't, we sincerely hope that you will be able to make it.

    Looking forward to seeing you all (or most of you) on Thursday!

    --Update-->
    Just received word from Keli that lunch will be served, so here's an assignment for you - come on an empty stomach :)

    Leadership & Communication

    As a leader, one of the single most important skills you can have is the ability to communicate effectively. As you all know, communication goes beyond simply passing on information or getting a message/idea across. Effective communication involves being able to do that and much more. It combines internal and external factors such as body language, when and how you say what you say, and your general demeanor. It is important for all of us, whether we are leaders or not, to be able to communicate well. Not only will it help develop relationships with friends and acquaintances, but it also serves as a platform for you to sell yourself (in a good way, of course!) When it comes to moving jobs, getting promoted or even general credibility, individuals who can communicate well are usually the ones who tend to get ahead.

    Aled Davies is an executive coach who works with senior managers, directors and partners in a variety of companies in order to maximise their individual effect. This, of course, includes developing their communication skills. He has written an eBook called 'The Difficult Conversation' which may be an interesting read. It should certainly be helpful in helping you deal with the kind of conversations that can be tricky to maneuver (for example, dealing with conflict, breaking bad news, asking for a pay raise etc). To view/download the eBook, click here. It is possible he has another one in the works, so check back if you're interested.

    --Update-->
    Click here for information on Aled Davies' latest eBook, Why First Impressions Count.

    Tuesday, August 17, 2010

    YLMP Awards Day

    On Saturday, we had our first ever YLMP Awards Day (can I get a woot woot?!) It was a day to sit back and reflect, to take stock and analyse, and of course, to appreciate all of you for all the hard work, time and commitment you have put in over the past 10 months. We couldn't have done it without you guys, kudos to you!

    If you're wondering about the award winners, here they are:

    Mentee's Choice Awards
    Most positive: Erik Daak
    Most hardworking: Jeffery Akpadzi
    Natural born leader: Daniel Owusu
    Always on time: Jeffery Akpadzi
    Most likely to write a book: Julien Kofie
    Future President:

    Joseph Odoom
    Victor Lartey
    Richard Boamah
    Jeffery Akpadzi
    Julien Kofie


    Mentor Awards
    Best junior mentors: Anthony Tawiah, Thelma Owusu-Abrokwa & Samson Tingbani
    Best senior mentors: Aba Tetteh, David Agbenyega & Dorothy Ametefe

    Congratulations to all mentees who have been actively fundraising - collectively, you've managed to raise over GH¢200 for the refurbishment of your library!

    Monday, August 16, 2010

    Do YOU want to be a mentor?

    Morning everyone! It's a great day -- the sun is shining, birds are singing, and we are now accepting applications for YLMP mentors 10/11! All the information you'll need is on our Become a Mentor page, so if you're interested, head on over there and get cracking! As you will probably already know, the 09/10 Programme ended on Saturday with our Awards Day -- there'll be an update on that coming soon, so stay tuned!

    Tuesday, August 10, 2010

    We've been reading...

    US billionaires pledge 50% of their wealth to charity
    BBC -- Thirty-eight US billionaires have pledged at least 50% of their wealth to charity through a campaign started by investor Warren Buffett and Microsoft founder Bill Gates. They include New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, CNN founder Ted Turner and entertainment executive Barry Diller. "The Giving Pledge" lists all the families and individuals who have committed to the project. The site says the pledge is a "moral commitment" not a "legal contract". The campaign was started in June to convince US billionaires to give away at least half of their fortunes either during their lifetimes or after their deaths. "We've really just started but already we've had a terrific response," Mr Buffett said in a statement. He added: "The Giving Pledge is about asking wealthy families to have important conversations about their wealth and how it will be used"...

    Sierra Leone's model for improving maternal health & women's rights
    Huffington Post -- Continuing high rates of maternal mortality and persistent gender-based violence must be addressed through a holistic and rights-based approach that strengthens health systems and empowers women. As we approach the ten-year review of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals in September, we have an extraordinary model of leadership to look to in Sierra Leone of how such approaches can be implemented in practice.My last trip to Sierra Leone was in 1999, when I was serving as UN High Commissioner of Human Rights. At that time, the country was still in the midst of terrible conflict. I returned last week to a nation still struggling to rebuild following more than a decade of civil war. But much has changed, and those changes are nothing short of stunning. One area were Sierra Leone has made important advances is in addressing women's health...

    Brain gain: African migrants returning home
    GhanaWeb -- Africa may still be suffering from a chronic brain drain but some of the continent's elite are turning their backs on the West and taking their talents back home according to film-maker Andy Jones. The story is as old as the hills. Man leaves village to seek riches in the big city. In recent years, the village has been the continent of Africa, the city represented by the bright lights of Europe and America. Any number of Africans seek to cross the ocean and make their fortunes, never to be seen again. But when our team travelled around Africa recently to film a new TV documentary series, we found a different story. Many of the Africans I met had worked or been educated in the West and come back. Across nine African countries and a journey of 7,000 miles from Mali to South Africa, from Ghana to Ethiopia, the story was often the same...

    Thursday, August 5, 2010

    Applying for our next Programme

    If you're interested in applying to be a mentor for the next Young Leaders Mentorship Programme starting this October, details will be up on the 16th of August. Make sure to check back if you want to apply. If you've already been a mentor and would like to re-apply, details for doing this will be communicated then too.

    Also if you're a current YLMP mentor, don't forget about our Awards Day on the 14th of August!!! And one more thing -- if you have any sponsorship money for the Library, please bring it on that day as we will be collecting it then! Thanks a lot :)

    Tuesday, August 3, 2010

    Young African Leaders Conference

    Today - in a year when 17 African countries are celebrating their 50th anniversary of independence - President Obama's three day Young African Leaders conference will start. The conference was announced during this years G8 summit, which was extended to include various African leaders. He will be meeting with 115 young African leaders to discuss "their vision for Africa for the next 50 years". It will be very much in the spirit of a sentiment expressed during Obama's visit to Ghana earlier in the year that Africa's future is very much up to Africans themselves. It will be interesting to see what they are able to come up with. More information here and here.

    --Update-->
    If you'd like to see a transcript of the entire meeting (including questions and answers at the end), click here.
    Click here to download the video and here for the mp3.

    FLEX Youth Leadership Conference

    An interesting article I found on GhanaWeb:

    "Mr Albert Ocran, the Chief Executive Officer, Combert Impressions, a print service company, has called on the youth to develop strategic partnership in order to become future leaders.

    "Leadership is not about position or title one holds but how one influences and motivates." Mr Ocran said and noted every leader has power and must be able to manage it (power).

    By strategic partnership, he urged Ghanaian youth to create network among themselves as well as develop mentorship programes that would enable them to learn from each other.

    Mr Ocran said this at a maiden Youth Leadership Conference organised by the Foundation for Leadership Excellence (FLEX) in Accra on Saturday under the theme: "Shaping the Destiny of our Nation."

    FLEX is an organization that helps mentor individuals on career development, social responsibility, entrepreneurial, personal and leadership development.

    In an interview with journalists at the Conference, Mr John Kissi, President of FLEX-Global, UK, said the event was to help network, mentor, and create leadership opportunities for the youth in order to equip them with requisite skills needed in entrepreneurship.

    He said it was also designed to provide new understanding and fundamental principles of leadership development in making the youth proactive in their daily activities.