307.733.1989
Grand Dynamics International, in collaboration with Corporate Motivation, supports ACV Kenya to educate the girls of Kenya. Corporate social responsibility comes in many forms. This is our effort to make a positive impact on an international scale. Grand Dynamics is offering Experiential Training and Development programs for business in Nairobi who contribute to ACV Kenya’s mission to educate girls in Kenya. Check out ACV Kenya for more information.
In 2007 Corporate Motivation was created with the vision to create a platform for businesses to give back to the communities in which we live, work and play, while at the same time improving performance. At that time there is no way I could have predicted the trend that has taken place since then.
There is also no way I could have ended up on the path we are on today without the guidance, direction and current partnership provided by Grand Dynamics. It is becoming clearer everyday that in the realm of corporate performance, the connection between “giving back” to the community and being fully engaged in your work life and commitment to your job is synonymous; especially with the millennium workforce just now coming out of school.( http://www.fastcompany.com/articles/2007/06/retaining-younger-workers.html ) Surveys, and common sense, dictate and show that, with all things being equal related to quality of product and service, the consumer is more likely to select the product and services of a company that participates in socially responsible activities. (Reference McKinsey Quarterly article https://www.mckinseyquarterly.com/What_really_drives_value_in_corporate_responsibility_2895)
The experiences and interactions over the past several years have taught me that pretty simply, people enjoy helping our fellow community members in need! Not only do they enjoy helping, they also feel an emotional kinship to their place of employment that is providing them with the opportunity to help.
When you combine this feeling of doing something good, with actual training and development that makes the employee better at what they do, improves the relationships and communication of their fellow employees, engages the employee with a belief that who they work for is truly committed to providing quality goods and services as well as doing good in the community, the end result is a high performing staff on board for the long haul!
As CSR comes more and more to the forefront, we are thrilled to be in a position to offer a program that not only is a socially responsible program which has the potential to raise substantial funds, but a program that can also provide personal and professional transformations. We are all capable of such incredible achievements! Really achievements that most of us do not believe are possible. However, when given the guidance and support of an organization that is committed to quality, both in product and employee, and partners available such as Grand Dynamics and Corporate Motivation to highlight the needs of both the organization and the charity involved, we are certainly on our way to realizing those achievements!
CSR and performance improvement needs to be more than the current trend. It needs to be our culture. Blending philanthropy with performance improvement is our way of creating the leadership required to change and maintain a culture. The challenge remains to teach our business leaders that both CSR and profits can be obtained.
Jambo, (Hello)
I have been in Kenya for just over a week and have become acutely aware of the diverse beauty and conflict of this complex country. My perceptions have been formed through conversations with local business people, cab drivers, US Ambassadors, tribal leaders, locals, visitors and media writers. I certainly do not pretend to be an expert, but I have been in Nairobi, the city capital of Kenya and have learned a lot already. I welcome any commentary and insight from anyone reading this.
I have also been reading through the local papers most days to get a pulse on things. Yesterday was Jamhuri, “freedom” day – the Kenya Independence day and lots of “exciting” things happened. Among the articles this morning were bombings by Al Shabaab against Kenya security forces near the Northern border and a story of four people being hacked to death with pangas (machetes) at a political meeting in Migori. It just so happens that I am headed to Migori tonight (5 hour back-country style drive) for a business meeting tomorrow.
I have become aware of a few key things worth noting:
Unemployment: Unemployment in Kenya is somewhere near 45%. So half of the people in this country are not working and in fact barely surviving. As you can imagine, this leads to very desperate measures and to many people who will do anything to survive. People never walk the streets after dark here and for good reason.
Tribes: There are about 44 tribes throughout Kenya. Each has its own culture, language and commitment to supporting that particular tribe. Some tribes get along others don’t. Sometimes a business owner will open or run a business in one area, but not provide work for those tribes who live in that area, but to their own tribe, which may lead to resentment and conflict. That is just one example of how the tribal culture may have an interesting complication on things.
Politics: During the last election in 2008, there was massive violence. The current president pretty much voted himself in and the country rioted, fighting back old-school style with machete hacking everywhere seeking some sort of political justice. This video clip from 2008 will give you an idea of what was happening back then: Kenya – hacked to death in front of film crew.
The country is now gearing up for another election next year in 2012. Ask anyone about their perspective on what’s going to happen and you will be in a heated conversation for a long time. Add on top of that the amount of apparent corruption that is going on with the current political arena. Many people don’t like the politicians because they make all the money and live the high life, while the common people suffer.
War with Somalia – Al Shabaab: Essentially an Islamic group of militants of about 15,000 young Somalians who are attempting to overthrow the Somalia government. So the war is between Kenya and the group trying to overthrow Somalia. Al Shabaab emerged out of Al Quaida from what most people remember in Somalia – the battle of Mogodishu characterized in the popular US movie, Black Hawk Down.
First they were getting their cash from Pirating (Somalian Pirates) and when the kabash was put on that they started kidnapping people, including the kidnapping on the Northern Coast of Mobassa. Well that hurt the tourism as nobody likes being kidnapped and mega warnings against travel in Kenya were issued.
Click here to view the article
All this in turn hurts the economy of Kenya. Which makes the economic situation even worse than it already is. So, Kenya then decided to take out Al Shabaab. Thus the war in Somalia.
In return, Al Shabaab doesn’t like that and vows to “take down Nairobi.” So security is at an all time high here in malls and every major public area to avoid some massive attack. And of course, the Al Shabaab is looking for a nice American they can kidnap. And who does the kidnapping? All the young militants, many of who are being recruited in Kenya by Al Shabaab because they have no work and are fed up with the Kenya government. Sweet.
The good news is that it seems as if Kenya is actually making headway. One of the articles had Al Shabaab considering a name change to try and win the support of the Somalian People and the Kenya military is characterizing Al Shabaab as confused and broken. So far only 10 casualities have been reported on the Kenya side and “hundreds” of Baabs have been taken down.
While there are many alarming areas as far as Kenya is concerned I feel excited to be here and in the mix of so much.
That’s all for the moment. I am heading to business meetings in Nairobi! As we say in the climbing community, “It’s kind of like fun, but different.”
Tim Walther
PS: In case you don’t remember, I am over here offering training and development programs to businesses in Kenya and will take half the profits and give it toward a local nonprofit to fund education for you girls in central Kenya. This is a CSR – Corporate Social Responsibility program by Grand Dynamics and Corporate Motivation, and our attempts to contribute positive impact in the world.
On Thursday of last week I had the unique opportunity to meet Mr. Philip Munguti of Jubilee Insurance. The meeting took place in downtown Nairobi.
Mr. Philip Munguti is the Group Training Manager in the Human Resources Department of Jubilee Insurance and responsible for ensuring that the employees at Jubilee are up to speed on the technical side of the insurance business. Moreover, he is also responsible for identifying current additional organizational development and training needs, as well as coordinating the delivery of those training needs for the company. A la Grand Dynamics.
On Thursday of last week I had the unique opportunity to meet Mr. Munguti. This would be a meeting I would not soon forget.
The meeting took place in Nairobi and this was the third time last week I had been downtown, so Joyce and had the entry into the city dialed! Joyce is my ACV Kenya support crew and we had a great time creating new opportunities, going to PR meetings and doing business together.
Mr. Mugunti welcomed us with a warm smile and his presence commanded professionalism and clarity of intent. We explained our Corporate Social Responsibility program, which blends philanthropy and performance improvement and is in collaboration with Corporate Motivation. In this CSR program upwards of 50% of program funding is allocated toward ACV Kenya, and on project of educating 100 girls in the Central Province. The meeting was filled with lots of interactive discussions, stories and examples of Grand Dynamics training in areas such as leadership development, change management and team building.
But the gem came when he told me HIS story.
In brief, Mr. Mugunti has a Polio. The disease has left him using two hand crutches to walk, and has also provided him with an amazing story of inspiration. When he was a child he was so disabled that other children had to pick him up on his back and carry him to school. And they did. This was at a time when children in the village had rarely seen a car, to the point of which when they did see one, they would run up a tree for fear of it attacking them! He had vowed to some day return the favor to the children that carried him miles on their backs so that he could be educated. And clearly Philip Mugunti made the most of that education in Kenya.
He has worked his way to a very prominent position in the business community and clearly excels at his work. And not only that he has a passion for helping his employees and people in general. Mr. Mugunti and Jubilee is a perfect fit for this CSR program Grand Dynamics.
Under the umbrella of Corporate Motivation and in collaboration with ACV Kenya, this program not only offers valuable training, but provides the platform for much needed education for children of Kenya.
I am looking forward to working with Mr. Mugunti and delivering valuable experiential training and development for him and Jubilee in 2012!
I am excited about what this week of business meetings in Nairobi and Migori will bring about!
Tim Walther
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Grand Dynamics International partners with Corporate Motivation to offer corporate leadership and team development in support of the African Center for Volunteers (ACV) and children in need.
The Big Picture
It’s an easy argument to say that our society needs to support mission driven not-for-profit organizations to help those in need. Other than individual consumers and supporters, donations come from the for-profit corporations of the world. It’s true. Great companies today think differently about not only the bottom line but how they engage their employees and contribute positively toward a healthy society. A recent article in the Harvard Business Review drives this point home quite well.
“If companies are to serve a purpose beyond their business portfolios, CEOs must expand their investments to include employee empowerment, emotional engagement, values-based leadership, and related societal contributions.” How great companies think differently.” Harvard Business Review; the Best Companies in the World; November, 2011; Kanter
Ideas in Action
Throughout December 2011, Grand Dynamics International President Tim Walther and Corporate Motivation President Matt Campana will travel to Kenya with additional team members to work with Kenya corporations and local non-profit, ACV Kenya, in an effort to raise funds for the development and education of children throughout Kenya.
(Any Kenya-based business interested in such a program in 2012 may contact ACV Kenya, Corporate Motivation or Grand Dynamics at [email protected] or [email protected] to arrange an initial business meeting during December 5-16, 2011.)
The Framework
The framework for this program falls under the umbrella of Corporate Motivation’s CVR program; also know as the Corporate Volunteer Retreat. The CVR program evolved by asking the question, “How can we utilize the desire for corporations to give back to their community and create massive positive impact world-wide?” Thus, the CVR program was born.
Originally designed to offer a platform for corporations to offer a day for employees to volunteer for non-profit organizations as a type of corporate retreat, the CVR program evolved as Campana recognized two very important needs for both corporations and non-profit organizations.
1. Non-profits need more than volunteers; they need money to fund their missions.
2. Corporations need more than a platform for giving back to the community; they also need a way to improve employee performance and workplace engagement.
Solutions
Proceeds from corporate investment in training and development are provided to non-profits to support their missions. Grand Dynamics International contributes this service as their way of giving back to support the missions of others to make a positive difference.
Why Experiential Training and Development?
Grand Dynamics International utilizes experiential training and development to facilitate improved business performance. This comes in the form of active and engaging seminars, outdoor leadership and team building programs and customized programs that address important business challenges. GDI has been delivering these programs on an international scale for over fourteen years. The core principles of these training programs are designed to promote a healthy workplace, foster improved employee soft-skills in areas such as communication and trust, and ultimately to facilitate increased employee engagement leading which lead to improved business performance. More information and answers to frequently asked questions about experiential training and Grand Dynamics can be found at www.granddynamics.com
RESULTS: CVR in Kenya
Corporate Motivation, Grand Dynamics International and the African Center for Volunteers are offering half-day to multi-day training and development programs for corporations in Kenya. Corporations such as Eveready Batteries and Sony are scheduling the trainings for their employees and solidifying commitment for the CVR events in 2012. Walther and Campana will spend the first two weeks meeting with interested business representatives, and deliver introductory events.
To learn more about this program, schedule appointments or interviews contact:
Tim Walther – President, Grand Dynamics – [email protected]
Jackson Hole, Wyoming
Matt Campana – President, Corporate Motivation – [email protected]
Kent, Ohio
Omondi Ontiento – Executive Director, ACV Kenya – [email protected]
Nairobi, Kenya