Training the Mentors

Since Monday, VVPA has led intense training sessions for the mentors in the program.  We have about 22 mentors who come from various professional backgrounds.  There are lawyers, consultants, directors of organizations that work with small and medium enterprises, economists, and marketing folks. 


The first day was an overview of mentoring - what it is and what purpose it serves.  The mentors also discovered their working styles according to the DISC test (DISC = Dominance, Influential, Steadiness, and Compliance).  The test demonstrates what work ethic they prefer, and how they might clash or mesh with their mentee.  All mentors had to take the test to be eligible for the program but have not received the results of the test yet. 


It was interesting to hear them discuss the different personality types.  As a quick summary: 

D=demanding, forceful, good with solving problems, can be egocentric  

I=convincing, social, can be manipulative, emotional, enthusiastic, warm

S= like harmony and security, calm, don't like changes, unemotional

C=like structure, rules, do quality work the first time, careful, exacting 

The majority of the women related to either D or I and everyone spoke very negatively of the Cs comparing them to "cold" Germans or accountants.  Not to worry, my German and accountant friends - I know y'all are legit. 

Evidence of my participation 

These reactions definitely reflect the Latino culture, which is very open, boisterous, and not necessarily a fan of rigid policies or rules.  It's no surprise then that they preferred the social butterfly, domineering types over the more reserved, stickler-for-the-rules types.  The truth is though, a lot of the women actually scored high as a C.  It's useful to understand the difference between how we perceive ourselves and how the world perceives us.  Fact: I scored very high on S and second highest on C (WHAT??! me=exacting??)  I was told that I must work on developing my "D" qualities, which I think is true. 


Another interesting topic we went over was how to get to know your mentee.  I liked how much the facilitator, Lourdes Navarro, emphasized getting to know the mentee before learning about her business.  It's a very different point-of-view than the U.S., as, almost always, the second question we ask someone new is, "what do you do for a living?".  I don't think asking about someone's job is necessarily bad; assuming the person chose the job because it's something they like, it can reveal interests, passions, and life goals, which can be very personal. 

It shows once again where Latin American values lie, which is very clearly with the individual.  Information like, family, hobbies, faith, and where people come from is sought out much more than work details.  In my personal experience, I've never been asked what I do for living upon first meeting someone.  If I am asked that, it's after they've heard all about my personal life.  It's always, "Married? Kids? Do you like Panama? How does your family feel about you living here? Do you like to dance/go out?" etc.  The juicy stuff. ;-)


The training sessions have been dynamic and thought-provoking so far.  More to come tomorrow! To see more pictures, click here.

The RUSSIANS!

So the Russians were on Isla Contadora this past weekend. 

View from the Shah's crib

Apparently, Isla Contadora has hosted Survivor multiple times.  Survivor has not elevated Isla Contadora to a hot-spot tourist location, but it has benefited the local economy.

It is, however, a hot-spot for some high-profile individuals like the Vice President of Panama, the exiled Shah of Iran, and the Representative of Christian Dior.

Unfortunately, we only interacted with the eliminated folks, and even more unfortunately, they could not speak English.  There were about 4 women and one guy among the bunch - all of them were beautiful and looked ready to cause drama.  Too bad they were kicked off the island so soon. 

The Russian Survivors (the small specks in the sand)

Oh yeah, I ran into some models too. 

Meal of the Week - 1st Week of August

The meal of the week was definitely in Isla Contadora, Panama. 


Isla Contadora is the island where the Spaniards would count (hence the name contadora) pearls that were Europe bound. 

Nowhere else in the world can you find a more delicious Piña Colada than in Central America.  The pineapples are so sweet and ripe - they just don't compare to the ones flown up to the states.  After adding the delicious Caribbean rum (most likely Abuelo) and the condensed milk, you're sippin' on a drink that tastes like paradise. 


Now that I've got the most important part of the meal out of the way, let's talk entrée.  Shrimp!  Big, beautiful, and fresh shrimp right off the boat.  They're so tasty, they hardly need anything but a little bit a butter (not a la Paula Deen), parsley, et voilà!  Throw some salty, fried-to-perfection yuca on the side, and you've got yourself the meal of the week. 

Pssssst! I have a secret!

I'm on island where they're filming Russian Survivor!! It's quite surreal seeing the 'tribal' heads and crewmen scattered about the isle.

More to come on Sunday!

Hope everyone is having a great weekend!

Certification schmertification?

My supervisor, Annie Vial, recently went to a conference in El Salvador that was sponsored by the GIZ (formerly known as GTZ), INTEGRARSE, and SUMARSE.  Integrarse and Sumarse are both foundations that work with Corporate Social Responsibility issues, and GIZ is Germany’s foreign aid agency. 

The conference was called, "Transferencias de la Metologia de Mentoring," and it covered topics such as 

1) How to implement a mentoring Program

2) How to guide mentors and mentees

3) Types of Mentoring Programs 

4) Recommendations on how to be an effective Mentor

The goal of the conference was to train program managers to conduct mentoring programs for women leaders in small and medium enterprises.  This conference is only one of many workshops to come that seeks to make mentoring programs more robust in Latin America. 

The women who participated came from El Salvador, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala, and Panama and all received a Diploma upon its completion.  They had two key action items to complete upon receiving the Diploma. 

A. Receive RSE certification 

RSE stands for responsabilidad social empresarial or corporate social responsibility (CSR). I asked Annie why it was necessary to receive the RSE certification, and she said it was a guarantee of program quality.  In order to get the RSE, Annie will have to design an agreement with SUMARSE, a renowned CSR foundation in Panama.  As part of the agreement, VVPA's projects will fall under SUMARSE's programs, and both organizations will work together in future projects. 

Overall, I think it's a great idea.  As everyone is saying here in Panama, CSR "es muy de modo" or "it's very in," which is as true here as it is in the U.S.A..  Having the RSE certification and the partnership with SUMARSE will attract future partners to VVPA and place VVPA in the arena they need to be in -- creating viable economic opportunities for women in Panama. 

The certification reminds me of a project my roommate carried out this past semester.  She researched the meaning of CSR and how different organizations utilized this ‘brand’, focusing on Net Impact, a student organization I'm involved in at GWU.  My roommate interviewed three of Net Impact's Board Members (including myself) and the results were eye-opening.  Each of us had a different response for how Net Impact defines CSR…that's bad, right?  Maybe not.  

According to her paper, adopting a flexible, less defined CSR definition is helpful because it allows organizations to pursue a wide-range of activities.  Everything from constructing green roofs, to holding a conference on alternative energy solutions, to managing a mentoring program for women entrepreneurs can be considered CSR if you adopt a broad definition.  

However, using too broad of a definition can lead to some fuzzy situations.  For example, should something like using recycling bins qualify businesses for a RSE certification?  No.  Under an expansive definition though, recycling bins might qualify a firm for an RSE certification.  Don’t we want more from the RSE brand?  If a RSE certification is to have real value, it must have a meaningful and clear definition.  

Furthermore, once you have the RSE certificate, how are you accountable to it?  How will GIZ and SUMARSE follow-up with VVPA and the other participants to assure they are adhering to the RSE brand? 

B. Train 10 Mentors

Annie informed me that each conference participant must return home and train at least ten mentors by August 15^th, and launch her Mentoring Program by August 30^th.  VVPA already has double those numbers, and will have started its program by August 8^th.  These requirements are a good start. I’m anxious for SUMARSE’s website to start working again, so I can read up on its differing policies related to RSE programs.

Corporate social responsibility is an important and relevant issue today.  It would be a shame, then, if lax certification processes damaged its reputation as a powerful tool for development. 

Hazing Panamanian Style

Hashers are a group who gather once a week to run an impromptu, but still marked, course.  Oh, and they drink together in an undisclosed location afterwards.  

Hashers

Jackie Hyland, the Director of Education for Global Brigades Panama, invited me to check it out.   A designated person marks the running path with chalk to make sure everyone stays the course.  On the path, there are Xs or arrows.  Arrows point you in the direction you need to go, but Xs are bit trickier.  They're placed at intersections and indicate that the group must figure out which way to go.  Usually, the faster folks run ahead to find the next arrow, i.e. not me.

Not actual view from the hill 

We ran up a famous hill in Panama that has a fantastic view of the city.  Throughout the run, people are grunting "on on!" and "vamos abuelas" or "let's go grandmas!"  Despite the macho goading, there was actually a real sense of camaraderie among the bunch.  


When we were running up the 1600 ft hill, one of the veteran runners hung back to encourage me to keep going.  He'd walk with me, but when the time was right, he'd say, "Vamos! Corremos!" or "Come on! Time to run!"  Thanks in large part to him, I was one of the few people in the group who made it all the way to the top!


Upon completing the run, we were greeted with coolers of beer and juice.  People of all nationalities (gringos, Italians, and Panamanians of course) hung out for while, until it was time to haze the newbies. 


They made all the 'virgins' circle up with a full beer in hand.  Then they began to sing a song, whose words I couldn't decipher (there were a lot of grunty-old dudes singing in the crowd), and when they gave the signal, we had to chug our beers.  


If you finish too early, they pour beer on you.  If you stop chugging before your can is empty, they pour beer on you.  Basically, you can't escape it.  By the end, I was soaked with beer and sweat.  Mmm -- the sweet smell of victory!!

Taxi Driver of the Week - August Edition

I know it's only Monday, but I'm pretty sure this guy is going to beat out all the rest. 


Within the first minute of getting in the taxi, I thought 'and today will be my last.'  OK -- that was a bit dramatic, but he was driving like a prison escapee on speed. 


Then I realized that he was 'salsa driving.'  That is, every turn, acceleration, and lane change he made (which he made many) was exactly like a paso in salsa!  He even held the steering wheel as if it were the waist and hand of his dance partner.  He'd so vigorously snap his fingers and tap his feet to the rapid salsa tunes thumping from his radio that I couldn't help shaking my hips and tapping my feet by the end of the trip.