We’ve just passed the halfway mark for CSC! While it’s crazy that our month will be coming to a close sooner than I’m ready to admit, on the other hand, I’m finally feeling like I have (or CAN have) a sense of normalcy and a routine. The first two weeks were all about getting to know our teammates, Casa (although we haven’t spent much time here!), other towns in Morocco, and our clients/projects. Over the past two weeks, I’ve often referred to the CSC experience as “IBM Summer Camp”; with our daily group dinners, excursions, activities, laughs and stories, we have been living, working, and playing together for the last 16 days. Many of us are already connecting and forming relationships that I hope will last well past May 25. It has been an amazing opportunity to get to know IBMers from all over the world who have different backgrounds and experiences. We have shared funny stories, encouraged each other to break out of our comfort zones, and brainstormed on client solutions until 2am. We’ve already had experiences that I will never forget and that have changed me and my perspective on things.
With all of this connecting though– both with our clients and with each other – there hasn’t been much time for finding a routine (both personally and at work) or having “down time” to ourselves. It’s taken us about 2 weeks to really find a rhythm for our deliverables and for our client. After the call with IBM last week where we gave an update on our project and our progress, Celia and the others were pleased with the progress we were making and the solution we were planning to provide. For the first time, I truly felt like we were on the right track, making significant progress, and in a good spot. This week, it will be important to keep that momentum going. We only really have 6 or 7 work days left to complete our deliverables before the final presentation. We have a good relationship with our client and a good “synergy” on our team, so I’m confident that we will be able to get everything done.
On a personal note, exercising, blogging, sleeping, even taking time after work to see more of Casa than its restaurants…all of these things, for me at least, have been hard to fit into our busy schedule. However, now that we’re 2 weeks in, I feel that the foundation has been laid to begin making a life here. I finally went grocery shopping for the first time last week, so I can start to make breakfast and dinner in my room, if necessary. I would like to start running after work again; if I time it correctly, I may even be able to run to a destination in Casa I want to see, and then walk home. I’m finally feeling comfortable and confident enough to start saying I am living here in Casa, not just visiting or working. It might end up just being a small change in perception rather than a lifestyle change, but I’m excited to start this week out a bit differently.
Week 3, let's go!
#ibmcsc #morocco5
Sunday, May 11, 2014
Friday, May 9, 2014
Project Update #2: Teamwork & Interviews
I think last week was truly a turning point for both our
team and our project. Every day, we came a bit closer to becoming fully
operational and finding a working rhythm both as a team and with our clients.
With the deliverables and requirements defined last week, we
entered the week with a good understanding of what our clients expected. We
began Monday in Rabat, meeting with the Director again to discuss our way ahead.
Like last week, the meetings were conducted primarily in French. As we outlined
our understanding of our deliverables, the Director made it very clear that
governance was a clear priority, even among the three deliverables that were
agreed upon. With that lens, we were set to begin our interviews on Wednesday.
We spent the rest of the day creating a detailed project plan, where we listed
all tasks, deliverables, dates, and assignments. We felt much more comfortable
executing the project on time after those terms were set.
On Tuesday, we were able to begin working at our new office
in Casablanca, the regional bureau for tourism. Thankfully, we are now able to
use this office space every day, which will cut down on the logistics and
travel time to Rabat. We used Tuesday to prepare for the interviews and the
information we would receive. We were set to interview several people who were
responsible for various links of SMIT’s sustainable “value chain”: the process
through which a tourist product has to pass, from conception to operation.
After these interviews, we hoped to have a good understanding of the process
and the data they were collecting to begin crafting the framework.
Also on Tuesday, we had a conversation about how our team
was operating; we discussed what was working well and what we could improve in
order to work more effectively together. We also had an opportunity to share
our personal challenges and goals for this experience. I truly believe that our
team has been lucky in that we are all extremely passionate about the work we’re
doing and the opportunity we have working with SMIT. We also support each other’s development and
goals. The biggest challenge for us was
the language barrier between us and the clients; without consistent
translations from French, it was hard for all of us to feel like we could
contribute to the conversation and ask follow-up questions. We decided that if
we couldn't get an official translator, we would try to keep the conversations
(and interviews) with the client in English if they felt comfortable with that;
if not, those of us who spoke French would stop the conversation periodically
and translate everything real time, so that we could pause and allow enough time
for all of us to ask questions.
It was an extremely enlightening conversation, and I think
that’s why our interviews on Wednesday went as well as they did. Our team was
working extremely well, and the interviews we conducted yielded a ton of new
information that demonstrated, even more clearly, where we could add value to
SMIT. We even had the opportunity to use an IBM tool, Blue Works Live, to
assist us with synthesizing the information we collected and identifying the
gaps. We were able to begin defining the tourist product lifecycle, identifying
the gaps, and seeing where the sustainability indicators could go. I am excited
about the progress we made last week and the opportunity to show it to the
client on Monday.
Overall, we’ve waded through a lot of information (3
interviews and 50+ documents), and we have a good plan ahead. With only 7 or 8
more days before our final presentation, we are about to go through a final
push for our deliverables. 2 weeks down, 2 to go!
Monday, May 5, 2014
Project Update #1: Introduction to la SMIT
Last Monday, we had the first opportunity to meet our clients and begin talking about the statements of work. To recap, I am working with Dany (Canda), Ana Paula (Brazil), and Sayoko (Japan) for the Société Marocaine d’Ingénierie Touristique (la SMIT), a semi-public agency tied to the Moroccan Ministry of Tourism. According to our Statement of Work (SOW), our team would work with la SMIT to develop performance measures and refine their master plan for implementing sustainable tourism in Morocco.
Unlike the other teams, our client is based in Rabat, about 90 minutes (door-to-door) from Casablanca. While the commute can be long, it is an incredible chance to see the seat of Moroccan government.
Aside from the language barrier, the clients we met were extremely engaging and friendly to our team. They were excited about the opportunity to have IBMers provide guidance on their strategies and their methodologies. Most of the people we met had engineering backgrounds, and they had a wealth of experience in both the private and public sector. I am excited to work with them all over the next few weeks.
Defining the Scope
Honestly, this phase of the project was more challenging than our team was expecting. After sitting with our client several times, we discovered that our statement of work was only a fraction of what they required and expected from our team. We went through several iterations of gathering requirements, conducting research on sustainability and tourism, refining the requirements, and reviewing them with the client. After at least 4 meetings over the course of 9 days, we finally detailed the deliverables we will be providing at the end of the assignment:
Thankfully, I have experience in implementing Performance Measures, KM and governance strategies (thanks, Workforce Transformation Solutions!), so we should be able to leverage the methodology and materials when executing the project. Fatima zohra will be working with us every step of the way, and she has already proven to be a wonderful resource when understanding the SMIT organization, culture, and processes. Even though we have a large task ahead of us, I am excited about the work that we will be doing and we are looking forward to seeing its impact on SMIT!
Adapting to the culture
A large part of doing business in Morocco is establishing relationships with your clients well beyond the relationships I would build in the US. Most meetings started after ten minutes (or more) of talking about our weekends, our travels, and our backgrounds. To this American, it was a bit of an adjustment! At home, I am used to putting on a “Business Brittany” persona that limits the amount of personal details I share with my clients and seeks to be as efficient as possible in meetings. Here, however, that persona would not get very far. The people with whom we were working really wanted to get to know us more personally. If, in the first 10-15 minutes of a meeting, we started to steer the conversation back to work, our clients would answer the question and immediately follow up with another personal question!
This cultural difference sparked my first CSC Personal Challenge: “Learn when and how to feel comfortable connecting with work colleagues on a personal level.” While I’m here, I will take advantage of the opportunity to get to know Fatima zohra and the others personally. They will be the best insight I have into Moroccan culture, and I look forward to connecting and sharing experiences with them in the coming weeks.
Another project update coming next week! Stay tuned…
#ibmcsc #morocco5
Unlike the other teams, our client is based in Rabat, about 90 minutes (door-to-door) from Casablanca. While the commute can be long, it is an incredible chance to see the seat of Moroccan government.
 |
| The sign outside of la SMIT office! Notice it's in French, Arabic, English & Berber. |
Meeting the client
We first met with our primary point of contact at la SMIT, Fatima zohra, as well as the head of the Development Department and the head of Sustainable Development. Surprisingly to us, the clients (with the exception of Fatima zohra) spoke almost no English! Dany was able to present our pre-project plan (which was based on the SOW) in French so that the client felt more comfortable with our team and what we were proposing. I was able to translate and ask follow-up questions to refine the requirements for the project. As we continued to meet with them throughout the week, our meetings were conducted in French nearly 90% of the time. While we knew that French was the language of business in Morocco, I think most of us in CSC assumed that we would at least be able to conduct meetings in English or have a translator handy. While I was thankful for my own fluency in French, I could tell it was frustrating for our teammates who didn’t speak the language. We were going to have to figure out the best way to conduct meetings so that our whole team was involved in the coming weeks.Aside from the language barrier, the clients we met were extremely engaging and friendly to our team. They were excited about the opportunity to have IBMers provide guidance on their strategies and their methodologies. Most of the people we met had engineering backgrounds, and they had a wealth of experience in both the private and public sector. I am excited to work with them all over the next few weeks.
Defining the Scope
Honestly, this phase of the project was more challenging than our team was expecting. After sitting with our client several times, we discovered that our statement of work was only a fraction of what they required and expected from our team. We went through several iterations of gathering requirements, conducting research on sustainability and tourism, refining the requirements, and reviewing them with the client. After at least 4 meetings over the course of 9 days, we finally detailed the deliverables we will be providing at the end of the assignment:
- A Performance Measures Framework for implementing sustainability indicators for tourism products.
- A Governance Model for implementing sustainability in tourism products.
- Recommendations on their Schema for Sustainability, related to their Vision 2020 Master Plan
Thankfully, I have experience in implementing Performance Measures, KM and governance strategies (thanks, Workforce Transformation Solutions!), so we should be able to leverage the methodology and materials when executing the project. Fatima zohra will be working with us every step of the way, and she has already proven to be a wonderful resource when understanding the SMIT organization, culture, and processes. Even though we have a large task ahead of us, I am excited about the work that we will be doing and we are looking forward to seeing its impact on SMIT!
Adapting to the culture
A large part of doing business in Morocco is establishing relationships with your clients well beyond the relationships I would build in the US. Most meetings started after ten minutes (or more) of talking about our weekends, our travels, and our backgrounds. To this American, it was a bit of an adjustment! At home, I am used to putting on a “Business Brittany” persona that limits the amount of personal details I share with my clients and seeks to be as efficient as possible in meetings. Here, however, that persona would not get very far. The people with whom we were working really wanted to get to know us more personally. If, in the first 10-15 minutes of a meeting, we started to steer the conversation back to work, our clients would answer the question and immediately follow up with another personal question!
This cultural difference sparked my first CSC Personal Challenge: “Learn when and how to feel comfortable connecting with work colleagues on a personal level.” While I’m here, I will take advantage of the opportunity to get to know Fatima zohra and the others personally. They will be the best insight I have into Moroccan culture, and I look forward to connecting and sharing experiences with them in the coming weeks.
Another project update coming next week! Stay tuned…
 |
Fatima zohra and me sitting in a cafe |
 |
| Fatima zohra and Sayoko |
Sunday, April 27, 2014
Yalla, yalla!
Yalla, yalla!
If there were ever two words to describe the last 48 hours, it would be "Yalla, yalla" - "Hurry up, come on!!" in Arabic. We have done so much that it's hard to believe we only arrived 2 days ago!
Introductions to the Team
All 15 of us were eager to see everything, walk everywhere, and do everything as soon as we arrived. It was a pleasure finally meeting the other 14 people with whom we had chatted and worked via conference call for the past 3 months. Finally, we were able to put faces and personalities to the names we encountered. I was completely impressed and humbled by the other IBMers here; each person has such a unique story and skillset, and they have brought such a passion and enthusiasm to our trip that I am truly honored to be part of such a talented team. I am so excited to continue getting to know everyone and get started with our work!
A walking introduction to the real Casa
Yesterday, we met Imane and Nabil, two people who have been facilitating and supporting our travel logistics and our upcoming assignments. After an introduction to our team and the assignments, Imane led us on an informal excursion to the heart of Casablanca. We left the beaten tourist path and saw a lot of the city on foot; Imane was very adamant that we should experience all of Casa, not just the touristy areas.
We walked past the high-end district where you saw stores like Zara and Hermes, while just a few blocks later, you saw the Casa which was older, vibrant with colors but with buildings in need of repair. Most buildings were white, but there were pops of color and beautiful art deco architecture in every corner. In my opinion, the details of the architecture and the colors are what differentiate the beauty of Casa from other cities.
We walked past convenience stores, stores that sold electronics, and even the Grand Medina, though we did not enter until Sunday. The storefronts were written in French and Arabic, unless it was an American brand.
The palm trees lined the broad avenues, where there were cars (some older, some newer) zipping along the street honking at each other. Even on the weekend, the streets were full of people running errands or hurriedly going to work
People were walking along in groups of two and four, of all different ages, skin complexions, and dress. We saw women dressed in full gowns and headscarves walking to the bus, men in jeans and button-down shirts drinking mint tea in cafe terraces, and children playing in the parks and the stoops in the narrow alleys near their houses. One of the things I loved most was seeing the colors of the women in gowns. Even those who covered their faces had such colorful gowns and patterns that it seemed to be a way of expressing their personalities.
For those of us on the SMIT project, we especially appreciated this insight into every facet of life in Casablanca; I hope that we can use our experiences to really make a difference in how tourists and the world see Casablanca.
A taste of Moroccan food
The food is absolutely incredible here! There is such a variety in the flavors, meats, and dishes that I think it will take me an entire month to try everything....and I do plan to try everything! The first night, we had a tajine with lamb, one of the specialties of the country. A tajine is a clay pot that looks like this:
The meat is cooked in the pots with spices and vegetables, and the result is amazing. I am already trying to figure out how to bring one of these home so I can try it myself!
All of the other dishes we've had (couscous, mint tea, Moroccan salads, pigeon, coffee...I could go on) have been a real treat. I've also enjoyed seeing the different colors and spices in the presentation of the dishes.
I was going to continue this post with a recap of the Medina and our tour today, but I really should be getting to bed! It is nearly 2am (obviously, I am a night owl), and we are beginning the first official day of our assignments in 6 hours!
I will be back later this week to share more of my experiences, including the medina and the first couple of days of our work with SMIT, inshallah (Arabic, meaning "God willing"). Until then, thanks for reading!
~Brittany
#ibmcsc #morocco5
If there were ever two words to describe the last 48 hours, it would be "Yalla, yalla" - "Hurry up, come on!!" in Arabic. We have done so much that it's hard to believe we only arrived 2 days ago!
Introductions to the Team
All 15 of us were eager to see everything, walk everywhere, and do everything as soon as we arrived. It was a pleasure finally meeting the other 14 people with whom we had chatted and worked via conference call for the past 3 months. Finally, we were able to put faces and personalities to the names we encountered. I was completely impressed and humbled by the other IBMers here; each person has such a unique story and skillset, and they have brought such a passion and enthusiasm to our trip that I am truly honored to be part of such a talented team. I am so excited to continue getting to know everyone and get started with our work!
 |
| 10 out of 15 of team Morocco 5 |
Yesterday, we met Imane and Nabil, two people who have been facilitating and supporting our travel logistics and our upcoming assignments. After an introduction to our team and the assignments, Imane led us on an informal excursion to the heart of Casablanca. We left the beaten tourist path and saw a lot of the city on foot; Imane was very adamant that we should experience all of Casa, not just the touristy areas.
We walked past the high-end district where you saw stores like Zara and Hermes, while just a few blocks later, you saw the Casa which was older, vibrant with colors but with buildings in need of repair. Most buildings were white, but there were pops of color and beautiful art deco architecture in every corner. In my opinion, the details of the architecture and the colors are what differentiate the beauty of Casa from other cities.
We walked past convenience stores, stores that sold electronics, and even the Grand Medina, though we did not enter until Sunday. The storefronts were written in French and Arabic, unless it was an American brand.
The palm trees lined the broad avenues, where there were cars (some older, some newer) zipping along the street honking at each other. Even on the weekend, the streets were full of people running errands or hurriedly going to work
People were walking along in groups of two and four, of all different ages, skin complexions, and dress. We saw women dressed in full gowns and headscarves walking to the bus, men in jeans and button-down shirts drinking mint tea in cafe terraces, and children playing in the parks and the stoops in the narrow alleys near their houses. One of the things I loved most was seeing the colors of the women in gowns. Even those who covered their faces had such colorful gowns and patterns that it seemed to be a way of expressing their personalities.
For those of us on the SMIT project, we especially appreciated this insight into every facet of life in Casablanca; I hope that we can use our experiences to really make a difference in how tourists and the world see Casablanca.
A taste of Moroccan food
The food is absolutely incredible here! There is such a variety in the flavors, meats, and dishes that I think it will take me an entire month to try everything....and I do plan to try everything! The first night, we had a tajine with lamb, one of the specialties of the country. A tajine is a clay pot that looks like this:
The meat is cooked in the pots with spices and vegetables, and the result is amazing. I am already trying to figure out how to bring one of these home so I can try it myself!
All of the other dishes we've had (couscous, mint tea, Moroccan salads, pigeon, coffee...I could go on) have been a real treat. I've also enjoyed seeing the different colors and spices in the presentation of the dishes.
I was going to continue this post with a recap of the Medina and our tour today, but I really should be getting to bed! It is nearly 2am (obviously, I am a night owl), and we are beginning the first official day of our assignments in 6 hours!
I will be back later this week to share more of my experiences, including the medina and the first couple of days of our work with SMIT, inshallah (Arabic, meaning "God willing"). Until then, thanks for reading!
~Brittany
#ibmcsc #morocco5
Friday, April 25, 2014
Welcome to Casa!
We made it!!
Greetings from Sunny Casablanca, where we just touched down and settled into our hotel rooms. Cathy and I left Washington D.C. at 4:15pm EST, arrived in France at 5:45am local time, left Charles de Gaulle airport at 7:15am, then arrived in Casa around 9:30am. After 15 hours of travel, needless to say, we were exhausted! However, all of that changed the minute we stepped outside of the airport. It was a beautiful, sunny day with a light breeze. Rows of palm trees met us as we walked towards our car. And the sounds of French, Arabic, cars, planes welcomed us to our home for the next 30 days.
Our 20-minute ride from the airport gave us an even bigger introduction into what our interactions would be like. Our driver, Hicham, was extremely friendly, and as soon as he discovered we had never been to Morocco, he was eager to explain everything we needed to know. 90% of our conversation was in French since Hicham was more comfortable speaking French and Arabic, and I was determined to begin speaking the language as soon as possible. Our questions ranged from how many people spoke or learned English (not many, since most students begin learning English around the age of 15) and what were the popular dishes we had to try (if we didn't try couscous or mint tea, it would be as though we were never in Morocco!), to debunking some of the myths and stereotypes we were confronted with about the culture (men and women equally enjoy the outdoor cafes). He even offered to take us on a 2-hour driving tour of the city, but we politely declined since we felt we needed a bit of rest. Perhaps later this month!
I will be back later this weekend to tell you more about our activities, but I wanted to encourage you to also check out our team blog, Mi Casa Su Casa, to find out more about the group's activities and thoughts. I'll also have a few pictures in a slideshow, but here are a few from the trip in the meantime:
#ibmcsc, #morocco5, #travel
Greetings from Sunny Casablanca, where we just touched down and settled into our hotel rooms. Cathy and I left Washington D.C. at 4:15pm EST, arrived in France at 5:45am local time, left Charles de Gaulle airport at 7:15am, then arrived in Casa around 9:30am. After 15 hours of travel, needless to say, we were exhausted! However, all of that changed the minute we stepped outside of the airport. It was a beautiful, sunny day with a light breeze. Rows of palm trees met us as we walked towards our car. And the sounds of French, Arabic, cars, planes welcomed us to our home for the next 30 days.
Our 20-minute ride from the airport gave us an even bigger introduction into what our interactions would be like. Our driver, Hicham, was extremely friendly, and as soon as he discovered we had never been to Morocco, he was eager to explain everything we needed to know. 90% of our conversation was in French since Hicham was more comfortable speaking French and Arabic, and I was determined to begin speaking the language as soon as possible. Our questions ranged from how many people spoke or learned English (not many, since most students begin learning English around the age of 15) and what were the popular dishes we had to try (if we didn't try couscous or mint tea, it would be as though we were never in Morocco!), to debunking some of the myths and stereotypes we were confronted with about the culture (men and women equally enjoy the outdoor cafes). He even offered to take us on a 2-hour driving tour of the city, but we politely declined since we felt we needed a bit of rest. Perhaps later this month!
I will be back later this weekend to tell you more about our activities, but I wanted to encourage you to also check out our team blog, Mi Casa Su Casa, to find out more about the group's activities and thoughts. I'll also have a few pictures in a slideshow, but here are a few from the trip in the meantime:
 |
| Leaving Paris Charles de Gaule for Casablanca. |
 |
| I have to admit, I was surprised to see so much farmland just before landing in Casa. |
 |
| On our way to Casablanca! Signs in Arabic and French. |
 |
| Coke is everywhere. |
 |
| Beautiful church near the hotel. I hope we get to go inside! |
Monday, April 21, 2014
The Start of a Beautiful Adventure
Last June, I was sitting at my client site on a Thursday evening, just a few hours before it was time to go home. It was an ordinary day. The sun was shining, my team was working productively, and our client was happy. Suddenly, I received an email that would change the course of the next 12 months: I was accepted into IBM's Corporate Service Corps. I gasped so loudly that my team immediately rushed over to see if I was ok!
The CSC program has been a dream of mine since starting at IBM nearly 5 years ago. I have always had a passion for travel, service, and interacting with new cultures. I knew this program would give me the opportunity to indulge all three of my passions while developing leadership skills and giving back to the company that has been an extremely big part of my life since graduating from college.
After receiving the acceptance letter from CSC, I waited nearly 8 months before learning where and when I would be traveling: Casablanca, Morocco from April 24-May 25! We will be the fifth team visiting Morocco, and the first to stay in Casablanca. There are 15 IBMers from all over the world (US, Canada, Puerto Rico, Brazil, Croatia, France, Switzerland, Japan, and India) traveling to Morocco.
While in Morocco, I will be working on a project for SMIT, a subset of the Moroccan Tourism Agency, to help them create sustainable ecotourism in Casablanca as part of their Vision 2020. Specifically, we will prepare a business case for which initiative they should support and select performance measures to gauge their future success. I will be working with 3 other IBMers: Dany (from Canada), Sayoko (from Japan), and Ana Paula (from Brazil). I can't wait to get started!
Finally, in honor of what I'm sure will be an incredible month of learning and exploring, I wanted to end with a few of my favorite travel quotes. I feel that they perfectly encompass the experiences I hope to have while abroad:
The next time we chat, I will be in sunny Casablanca! Please feel free to leave comments and questions for me here, and I'll be happy to answer them when I can.
I can't wait to share all of my experiences with you!
~Brittany
#ibmcsc #morocco5
The CSC program has been a dream of mine since starting at IBM nearly 5 years ago. I have always had a passion for travel, service, and interacting with new cultures. I knew this program would give me the opportunity to indulge all three of my passions while developing leadership skills and giving back to the company that has been an extremely big part of my life since graduating from college.
After receiving the acceptance letter from CSC, I waited nearly 8 months before learning where and when I would be traveling: Casablanca, Morocco from April 24-May 25! We will be the fifth team visiting Morocco, and the first to stay in Casablanca. There are 15 IBMers from all over the world (US, Canada, Puerto Rico, Brazil, Croatia, France, Switzerland, Japan, and India) traveling to Morocco.
While in Morocco, I will be working on a project for SMIT, a subset of the Moroccan Tourism Agency, to help them create sustainable ecotourism in Casablanca as part of their Vision 2020. Specifically, we will prepare a business case for which initiative they should support and select performance measures to gauge their future success. I will be working with 3 other IBMers: Dany (from Canada), Sayoko (from Japan), and Ana Paula (from Brazil). I can't wait to get started!
Finally, in honor of what I'm sure will be an incredible month of learning and exploring, I wanted to end with a few of my favorite travel quotes. I feel that they perfectly encompass the experiences I hope to have while abroad:
- "The World is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page." ~St. Augustine
- "I met a lot of people in Europe [and Africa]. I even encountered myself." ~James Baldwin
- "I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel's sake. The great affair is to move." ~Robert Louis Stevenson
The next time we chat, I will be in sunny Casablanca! Please feel free to leave comments and questions for me here, and I'll be happy to answer them when I can.
I can't wait to share all of my experiences with you!
~Brittany
#ibmcsc #morocco5
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