A group of volunteers from across the US flew the friendly skies with the Women of Hope Project, Inc. to aid an underserved community in Wallecedene, South Africa.   At the end of a heartfelt experience and purposeful outreach, volunteers voiced introspective thoughts:

 “The people are wonderful, most humble and hopeful in spite of…”

“When you are working towards a meaningful purpose, it doesn’t feel like work.”

“This is why we do this.  It makes an immediate impact on all involved.” 

Community Members lined up for hours in advance and waited patiently to be served.  Roughly, 400 women and families left with care packages that included toiletries, clothing and food supplies.    In addition to providing care packages, a medical team was on board to screen for high blood pressure, HIV and tuberculosis.  Social Workers provided expertise in domestic violence counseling and other social concerns.   To make the waiting period as comfortable and fun as possible, we led many songs and learned new songs from the community including a stellar impromptu mini concert provided by a group of nearby school kids.  The eyes of the children told a story that touched us from the inside out.  

These volunteer experiences warm you and draw you closer to what’s really important in  life and why connections with people matter.  It melts away all of the petty concerns we have on a day to day basis.  When you find yourself in a rut, try being of service to others and you will be reinvigorated to walk through your challenges with confidence.

A big thanks to the Founder of this organization, Rev. Jessica Ingram as well as friends that aided in our package preparations in advance of this trip and my new group of friends met on this journey. 

While hard to describe, there is no greater feeling.  Being of service to others warms the heart from the inside out.  Stop reading now and get out and volunteer!!!

You must admit that most of us are open to inspiration from any source. Inspirational breakthroughs are especially warranted when leading teams though challenging work or complex environments. Even with an attitude of openness towards trying new strategies, I never dreamed parenting a teenager would help me so much in my role at work. There is a deep reservoir of similarities. Here are just a few examples. You will be able to relate even if you don’t have kids because when you look in the mirror, you’ll be reminded of the kid you once were.

Transferable Knowledge:

 1) Change: A shift in behavior is not as easy as the owner visualizes in his or her mind. “Just don’t leave your dirty socks on the bathroom floor.” No matter how clearly the owner of the change sees value, there will not be a sustainable shift until the person sees value what’s in it for them. There has to be an upswing somewhere or a cost for not changing to get buy in.

 2) Training: Just because you gave training one time does not mean it will be done to precision immediately after the training has been done. “Son, this is the trash can, this is the bag that goes in it . Once the trash reaches this level, it should be emptied.” That sounds pretty clear, doesn’t it? Verbalizing training is one thing, PowerPoints are good, too, but getting someone to ownership is a whole different story. It may take several iterations of training and hand holding before the behavior sticks.

 3) Attention Span and Distractions: To get the mind share of a kid is really tough these days. On any day, the number of distractions is overwhelming. With ear phones on, texting in the right hand and updating a Facebook status on his netbook while completing homework, my son will declare if you are lucky. “oh, you said something?” This is true at work too. In the middle of meeting, keystrokes are pecking in the background and you’ll get. “can you repeat the question?” People are overwhelmed with content and overloaded and distracted with technology. You rarely have 100% of a person’s mind share. .

 4) The Right Information and Solution but Wrong Timing: Sometimes you can give your kid quality information like, “you know planning ahead on your homework assignments will prevent you from staying up all night.” In that moment, the information may not have an impact. Don’t assume because it wasn’t received the first time that it is impossible to be heard at a moment when the timing is better. If the information is the right information and adds value, stay focused and eventually it will coincide with the right timing.

 5) “No” is debatable sometimes:  Kids are never discouraged by “ no.” I love their resilience. No is never the end of the story for my son. It’s the beginning of new dialogue. Experiencing this with him has increased my persistence at work. Kids simply do not focus on the no; they focus on working on a solution that moves the conversation from “no.”  They keep working it creatively from different angles. Although sometimes no ends in a definite no, it is never personal and there is no fear about bringing the topic up again in the future.

 I’m sure there are many other similarities and some under construction, too. Share any similarities you have experienced between parenting and your day job. Watching my son grow up mirrors in so many ways how my projects grow up at work.

Procrastination most often is one of the show stoppers between us moving forward on those things we should be completing or staying stuck in the “same ole same.”   

Procrastination is common for many of us and according to Pier Steel, a human resources professor at the Univ. of Calgary’s Haskayne School of Business, 95% of us procrastinate  with 15% to 20% being chronic offenders.*  His study also shares that people who procrastinate underperform in every area of their lives from health to finance. What this screams out loud is that because we are all prone to it, we should really beef up our ability to manage through procrastination.

Knowing the end result or negative impact of procrastination helps in our ability to manage this challenge.  Procrastination can result in: missed opportunities, increased stress, poor performance, and wasted time that will delay your progress towards your goals.  It is often rooted in distractions, fear of failure and lack of self confidence.   Sadly, each time you put off tasks, you are strengthening your habits around procrastination. 

Try doing the following in managing procrastination:

1)   Be clear on what it is you are giving up by procrastinating. In many cases, it is your dream job, advanced education and growth opportunities and/or reducing your quality of life.

2)   Eliminate your distractions.  What’s pulling you away from the prioritized tasks?  This may include shifting some of the hours spent on facebook or TV to hours spent on key tasks that are on the path towards your life goals.

3)   Address the “thinking” behind your procrastination at the root.  We are what we think. Are your thoughts getting in the way of your success?

4)   Make a complete list of all of the things you have been procrastinating on.  Commit to completing 1-2 items per week or an appropriate schedule that you can accomplish and stick to like glue to keep things moving.  Set up small celebrations and/or rewards that will keep you encouraged to continue moving forward.

5)   Enlist a coach or friend. Share your list with them and ask them to aid you in staying accountable to your list.

Don’t let procrastination get in the way of your destination.  We become our habits and procrastination is not something we want to become because “procrastinators underperform in every area of their lives.”

2009 Arab and American Fellows

This poem was inspired by my 3 week fellowship and two way exchange between Arab and Americans as a part of the 2009 Arab and American Fellowship sponsored by DOW, Young Arab Leaders and Business for Diplomatic Action. It was read as a part of my opening and participation in a panel, “Breaking Cultural Stereotypes.” Fellow panelists included John Zogby, Nesrine Halima, Shk Sultan Al Qassemi and Moderator, Jeff Weintraub.

This poem was inspired by our visit to Oriental Weavers in Cairo, Egypt. In this visit, the company shared the manufacturing process of bringing together 14 unique strands of thread in various colors chosen to create the rug master pieces we see in places like the Marriott, Home Depot, Target and other retail locations. I was also inspired this week by our local site host, Nada El Gammal. She has the energy of 20 expressos and the knowledge of ancient historians. Nada, Thank you for the insightful agenda that you put together for our team. You gave so much of yourself this week and we sincerely thank you!!!! We hope you get some much deserved rest post our journey back home. 

At Oriental Weavers standing next to a rug of Cairo's President

There is so much to do!

My heart is saying this out loud
As I pack my bags, ending our Cairo trip
There are children to be educated
And gaining skills that will have them better equipped.

There is world peace on the line.
We don’t have time to sit still.
Let’s share the core of what we experienced here.
No wars or weapons or violence in the streets.
We see beautiful human beings working so their families can eat.

What a great spectrum we’ve seen of the haves and the have nots
It’s now up to us to do our part.
The best of us will be those that give.
Rather than stay silent in our comfortable spots.

Our team is woven like an Oriental Weavers rug
Young Middle East ambassadors of truth, you’d might say.
Each one respresenting their unique strand.
Bringing a different perspective causing you to think a different way.

No need to stand alone.
There is so much to do.
We saw first hand the value of bringing many threads into one.
We have the talent of the million dollar loom.
With a call to action in our hands
Waiting for us to answer in alignment, “yes, we stand.”

We stand for sustained improvement, aligned objectives and results.
We stand to make a difference.
We didn’t travel all this way to take notes and complain.
We stand to collaborate on key issues that will bring about change.
Change that brings us together for the greater good.
Because woven together , we create an unbreakable foundation.
Strands out of alignment result in gaps to our nation.

There is so much to do.
And the doing starts with me and you!

Barbara McAllister
10/16/2009
EOP (end of poem)

Barbara McAllister takes Creative Liberties below as a Ghost Writer for the Egyptians met on the ground in various settings during our journey.  This is my interpretation that resulted after having 10 to 15 conversations with local Egyptians. This represented a cross section of people from hotel employees, vendors, real estate developers to entrepreneurs including employees met at the embassy.
****************************************
Dear President Obama,

We are extremely excited about your Presidency and thank you for coming to Cairo so early in your administration. This speaks volumes to us and we hope you felt our warmth during your recent visit. In fact, please come again because your visit alone brought about some serious preparation and clean up in our city that was long overdue. We did this especially for you. We are very proud of our country and we wanted to make sure everything was super clean and intact for your very important trip.

The previous 8 years with the prior administration resulted in some mistrust, disgruntled spirits and many unknown fears. These were some tough times for us. However, we are a strong people with unending faith that can weather turmoil. As a result of our resilience, we are willing to turn the page. With your election, our spirits have been uplifted and the optimism is transmitting like a radiant sun.

We also wanted to share that there is a healthy bit of skepticism in our country and we want you to be alert and aware of this angst so that it can be effectively managed. Our country is clear that you inherited some heavy duty issues and your domestic challenges are nothing to take lightly.

Just know that we have expectations here in Cairo and we believe that 18 months is an adequate period of time for you and your administration to show some tangible results. We are reasonable and we know that you cannot finish everything in 18 months but can you please pick 1 key challenge that is mutually beneficial and show some substantive progress. This will alleviate what I believe you call in your country “haters.” This will show the doubters in our country that you are serious about all of those items you outlined in your Cairo speech.

We should also tell you that every NGO, school, private company, real estate developer, young entrepreneurs, students and teachers have all printed personal copies of your speech and we hold them in our wallets next to our driver’s license. This is our hope, key to our future and we review it daily. We want to see the transformation from the paper to reality. We want to make sure all of our efforts are orchestrated well so that we are not mismanaging resources but working in alignment. Our country’s growth is counting on all of these words and thank you for this vision.

We sincerely respect the work you have in front of you and if we can help in anyway, let us know. Remember, we need some progress and it has to be tangible and if possible, in the timeframe provided above.

Thank you again for your leadership. May God preserve you and may His peace be with you always.

Reach

If I could extend my reach to you in this moment
I’d have you in Cairo with me today.
You’d be horseback riding through the pyramids
Or learning why hijabs are worn a certain way.

If I could reach extend my hand to you
I’d offer you solid faith.
That kind of faith that powered the pyramid laborers
Without a detailed engineering plan.
The faith that drove mothers towards freedom
To rear their children in a peaceful land.

Reach.
My reach would transform this world including peace in the Middle East.
It would provide access and quality healthcare, education and jobs too.
Because at the core of our beings, whether east or west, brown, white or black
We all want success for our families.
Do we need to explain that?

Reach.
Reach of understanding and compassion towards others
Is the aim of what I’d like to impart.
Before criticizing or judging others,
Pause, reach deeper and have a conversation with your heart.

For as much as we are different, there is so much that is the same.
Peace and success in this world is up to each of us to grab and claim.

Written by Barbara H. McAllister 10/11/09 (inspired by multinational company visits while in Cairo, Egypt)

We had another great day yesterday and were able to visit several key attractions in Egypt that will last in our memories for a lifetime. In a day, we were able to visit the Egyptian Museum, The Citadel, The Pyramids and we concluded our day with a yummy dinner with the Citadel as our back drop. Oh what a beautiful day we had together and we are learning and being exposed to so much of the history and culture of Cairo.

We started the day by touring the Egyptian museum and marveling at all of the astonishing King Tut artifacts. The detail in every item whether the coffins, jewelry, beetles or monuments highlighted the quality of work administered during this era. As we marveled at the work, we realized that the creators of these immaculate designs are the forefathers of all of the engineering disciplines. We took notes for most of our visit as the tour guide shared tons of key factoids and interesting trivia facts. In one of our question and answer sessions, a fellow engineer and I were having a side conversation about how amazing it was to see this level of architectural design and civil engineering details that were designed with perfection and with a lasting effect without formal training? The tour guide didn’t hesitate in his response to our question and left us with words that compel us to think beyond ourselves. He shared, “ The people of this era had faith. This faith provided the inspiration behind every design and it eliminated their fears about not being able to create and develop these great pieces of work. Their faith kept them active and moving every day and provided what they needed even without the formal engineering training.”

What a poignant word and so very timely. It is this same faith that has me traveling in the middle east to participate in a two way exchange between Arabs and Americans. It is this faith that both regions have to stay focused on to bring about improvements in the access and quality of education and healthcare. It is this same faith that keeps Dr. Alon Ben-Meir , Najla Al Awadhi, Young Arab Leaders and Business Diplomatic Action moving towards their visions. With this faith, we can move forward and individually contribute our gifts one action at a time. Where there is faith, fear moves aside.

Today we are meeting with international companies in this region. I’ll share more tomorrow. Have a nice day.

Emerill, a famous US Chef, Restaurateur, and Television Personality , came to mind today as I listened to the Deputy CEO of Dubai Media Incorporated(DMI). His phrase of Bam! , meaning taking the flavor up a notch or adding an extra zest that exceeds the norm and usual expectations of the palate. Similarly, this is the flavor brought to the American fellows today by CEO Najla Al Awadhi . She spoke with so much candor, wisdom and unique flavor that was miles beyond excellent. She definitely took it up a few notches as Emerill would say.

What were the notches in my mind?

1)Global awareness with key data and trends at her fingertips. My new sister friend is deep in research, knows her data and speaks to it with clarity. A few facts that stuck with me: Emirates (Dubai natives) represent s ~16% of people living in Dubai, 22% of Parliament is women and this is the 4th highest globally and while the country of Dubai is only 37 years old and is located in a complicated region, it has been able to move closer towards its vision and is a model for women in the Middle Eastern region.

2)She walks the talk. She is highly committed to education and believes strongly that we have to start with our youth, provide internships and uplevel skills. “Great attitudes are key,” she shared . Not only is she in parliament but is also leading DMI and in her spare time, partners diligently with Youth Arab Leaders. Go girl is all I can say. I just wish I could say that in Arabic!

3)My favorite item she shared . “Think for yourself!” The fact that this statement resonated with me will not surprise any of you that know me well. This has been a key life’s motto. Critical thinking in my view although rarely discussed in this fashion, may be the #1 skill set after attitude. We now live in an era and in particular our US news(media) is not as objective and our freedom of press on some days look more like freedom of mess. I will not blame themedia but rather believe that each of us has a responsibility to gather our own data and arrive at our own conclusions without the sensationalism. Don’t count on objective news. You have to to that critical thinking for yourself and never stop searching for the truth.

4)Finally, today was a win for women and sisterhood. I’m so proud of my UAE Sister! You make women all over the world proud. Keep carrying the torch, breaking down sterotypes and role modeling excellence. You inspire us all.

So, let’s all take it up a notch. Bam! Have a nice day. Tomorrow we fly to Cairo Egypt and I’ll be checking in with you later.