My frustration, my process.

Well throughout these last weeks I was able to experience some great struggles. I need to share that I, as a international student on a very international school (we have 112 nationalities within 900 students, let's talk about diversity) have been facing some challenges on dealing with such diverse perspective about business management and development. I have a, personal, struggle with the affirmation or creation of an absolute truth.

Dealing with diversity involves bring together all that with comprehension and respect even when we don't understand the reasons behind it.  Don't understanding it does not make it less valuable.

I could see Per going from a very excited leader to a not as excited as before in the course of one week and that, actually, affects me quite well.

I've learned something. While I was coordinating a organization in Brazil I have the chance of leading 400 professionals in 24 states and 50+ locations. I had a team of 18 people, that I reduced to 8, to help on that process. I went through a process of trying to empower my direct staff to be leaders of the process as well (I strongly believe that a leader is a leader by other's choices not because you say so) and it was quite a struggle. Some people misunderstood that "freedom" with lack of coordination, some people didn't enjoy having it and they needed "orders" to develop their work better and some people tried to assume the process as they were considered, only by themselves, leaders. 

My learning from that was that different people need different approaches. So a multi-dimensional approach was necessary there. Was not only about being the traditional manager (the old methodology that works for making money under the resources, any kind of resources, exploitation) or being the "cool" manager. Was about leading individually. The ones who need to understand their places and need strict orders we gave that. The ones who knew how to deal with freedom and develop their works through empowerment, and empowering, had that as well. Changing that approach, and saying good bye for destructive people who think they have all the knowledge in the world, was not only necessary but very efficient. We had a very efficient staff, reducing from 18 to 8 people on the National Coordination. Our response time, on services, was 76% faster than before and our expenses went down in more than 40%.

We coordinate an International Symposium, in Rio, with the most important people in the country (including the president) and people for huge organizations such as WHO, UNICEF, UN, with a 5 people coordination team. Notes from the UN and WHO representative complimenting, specifically, the event organization.

Where I want to get with this is that we have a huge potential together. But we need to improve our dynamics. Not having meeting, for instance, it complicates communication. We need to have a balance. Shutting down meeting reduces the questions, therefore, reduces our development as well. 

We have a 8 weeks program to create information, collect that from people on our network. That's, on my opinion, why we were selected and what we are being paid for. They don't need me to build a document. Universum is what it is based on the information they collect and how they manage that. They don't need a group of students to tell them what to do as if they didn't know. They need us to bring a perspective that they don't have for not being, culturally, from our countries and because they don't have the network we have (they a have a powerful different network though) within bright students/young professionals. 

I might have, with no structure, drop my thoughts on the lines above. But I was writing down as I felt. 

Your comments are welcome, just remember that is MY OPINION, and closely related with what I perceive and how I see things. Be nice and constructive ;)