Personal Development Week at EBC

Nadia Putri - Ross School of Business

When EBC's General Manager asked me to organize training for recently-promoted supervisors during the rest of my time in Desa Ban, I was perplexed. What should I talk about and share with them in 10 days straight?!

The objective of her request was to get the employees used to the idea of strategic thinking, effective discussions, etc. Most of them came from the lowest level of employment at EBC. Some started the job not knowing how to use computers and now have to process data in Excel. They were hired for manual labor, paid by the kilograms or daily. Thus, it is a challenge to switch from an output-oriented work mindset to a more strategic work mindset. We hope to embed in their minds that they have bigger responsibility now, which is to coordinate, collaborate, and work across departments.

Considering all of these and after brainstorming with the head of people operations at EBC, I designed a one-week program called "Personal Development Week" for ~15 supervisor-level employees, including factory supervisors to headmaster of EBC's preschool. With "action-based learning" in mind, I created training-workshop program. Training is when I presented some tools related to the topic, whereas workshop is a stage for them to put these tools into practice.

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Training & Workshop 1: Public Speaking & Feedback Giving

In the first training set, I shared some tools on how to present your thoughts/ideas in a structured manner and deliver constructive criticism that provides learning insights for the recipients. During workshop the next day, I asked them to present a work problem that they're facing in front of their peers for 3 minutes. Their peers, in turn, provided feedback on their performance.

Whenever I bumped into them in the hallway, they would come up to me saying they're "very nervous about tomorrow's speech". I took every opportunity to remind them that this is just to increase their confidence, get them used to speak in front of a big group, and gain feedback from the audience. It's not to criticize or show their flaws, but to keep practicing!

Rinna Kustiana explained problem she's facing in her department

At the end of the workshop, one of them asked "when's the next time we do this again?"

Training & Workshop 2: Problem Solving & Effective Team Discussion

In the following training set, I partnered with one employee from people operations to present the material. He presented how to do critical problem solving and how to navigate teams with different POVs. We picked two best presenters from public speaking workshop, split the audience into 2 random groups, and assigned them with one of the best presenters' problems. During the workshop, we let them work in their respective team to brainstorm, discuss, and come up with recommendations to solve the problem.

Team 2 during problem solving workshop at factory's gazebo, surrounded by lush scenery

We gave them 1 hour to meet, yet we went a bit over because the discussion was so fun and insightful!

Training & Workshop 3: Presenting with Visual Tools

Finally, the last set of the training should put a bow on this one-week program. I shared some tips and tools to structure and design slide deck using PowerPoint. On the final training day, they will work in teams to create their slide deck, present their findings to the other team, and critique each other's recommendations! This final day serves as an opportunity to showcase everything they have learned this week.

Team 1 creating their slide deck to present their recommendations for AnaKardia preschool

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I was nervous about how this one-week program will turn out. It's never done before at EBC, especially since the employees have to take some time off work to attend a class every single day. But, this pilot training received very positive feedback! Post-training survey says that they wished they had more time during the training/workshop, and would like to join more similar training in the future

I was not expecting a major shift in the training participants only after attending a one-week training. I wanted them to experience and most importantly: enjoy the learning process, and luckily this mission was accomplished. I hope this training will continue and can be opened to a wider audience at the factory.

As the old saying goes, Rome was not built in a day. But I'm glad I took part in laying the foundation of something great in Desa Ban, East Bali.

Training participants and I at the end of our last workshop

Planning the future of Plan International Brazil

Rebecca G-K  -  University of Michigan Ross School of Business and Medical School

Last week, I had the wonderful opportunity to join the Plan International Brazil leadership team on a strategy planning retreat. The retreat took place in a city 75km from São Paulo at a former orphanage that was run by one of Plan's partner organizations. The organization has now turned the campus into lodging and meeting space for retreats and conferences. It provided the perfect, peaceful setting to focus on long days of planning the future of Plan Brazil.

Retreat grounds with city of Poá in the background

The goal of the retreat was to determine how to align the on-the-ground activities with the new strategy of Plan’s programs. The organization recently decided to focus its work on promoting girls’ rights and equality for girls. Plan has over 20 years of experience advocating for children’s rights in Brazil, but started programs specific to gender equality just in 2012. With leaders from every program unit in various states and managers from the national office, we discussed the details of how to achieve Plan Brazil’s new vision of “a fair and just Brazil for all girls.”

"Girls and boys have the same rights" - from a collection of Plan stickers

Walking through the new strategy piece by piece

One of the challenges we discussed in attaining Brazil’s vision is resistance or push back from community members and community organizations regarding the focus on gender. Plan works in rural cities where gender roles tend to be rigid and many girls stop studying in middle or high school to help with housework at home. One of the core goals of Plan is to change social norms around gender roles, increasing the number of young women who obtain secondary and higher education. Plan includes fathers and mothers in activities to help girls challenge gender roles at home, in addition to reaching out to community leaders and policymakers. It was encouraging to see a report come out during the retreat from the World Bank titled “The High Cost of Not Educating Girls.” The data show that girls who complete secondary education can expect to earn twice as much as those with no education; studies like this can help get community leaders on board with Plan’s mission.

Working hard on setting realistic goals for the next 5 years

Selfie break

Work groups finalizing KPIs for the next strategic cycle

The CEO arranged for a morning of team-building activities with an outside consultant. One of the highlights was an exercise in which the group was divided into three groups and tasked with putting together an “evening news program” to present. Each group presented the perspective of either Plan staff, Plan leadership, or Plan clients in a 5-minute skit. During the debrief, the facilitator explained that parody and humor is a powerful tool in helping an organization reflect on its strengths and weaknesses. He noted that important issues surfaced in our hyberbolic skits that likely would not have been brought up in a more serious discussion. I thought this was an entertaining and useful activity to bring to future teams and organizations. It was also my debut acting in Portuguese; I was awarded “Best Actress"--  I think to compensate for the entire staff laughing at my Portuguese!

One delightful thing about Brazil: there is cake and coffee at most meetings!

Plotting our evening news broadcast

After 3 long days that were both exhausting and energizing, we came back to São Paulo with new ideas, friendships, and a clear vision for working towards a fair and just Brazil for all girls.

Beautiful sunset lighting up Poá in the distance

A Day in the Life

Chris Owen - Ross School of Business and School for Environment and Sustainability

No morning alarm needed here in Madurai. Prayers are projected from a nearby temple via loudspeaker at four-thirty every morning. A street sweeper with bells on his broom acts as my 5am snooze button. And of course, the cacophony of beeps and bells, horns and honks by motos, bikes, and buses begins at six—a definitive dream crusher. Night owls have no hope here.

After a morning meeting or two via BlueJeans on side projects that are progressing stateside, I depart for the gym where I’m welcomed by Justin Bieber. “Let Me Love You” and “Despacito” are my fitness instructor’s favorite songs. He's had them on repeat for the past month and I secretly approve. After emerging from the sweatbox, breakfast is up one floor at “Temple City Family Restaurant.” Idly, dosa, vada, chutney, and Pongal complete the palate—South Indian food that’s both flavorful and fun to eat with your hands. I’m free entertainment for the wait staff who enjoy watching my unorthodox “shovel ‘n thrust technique.” I also have the dubious distinction of being the first person they've ever seen who's attempted to eat a soup with his fingers.

Off to work at 9am. I carpool with my neighbor, The Marvelous Mr. Selva. Despite the short distance, the commute always proves adventurous or, more accurately, treacherous. If a cat has 9 lives, everyone here has 900. My office is a glass palace—the home residence of the Chairman, a guru and gifted visionary. From nine to six I work on my core project and one of the Chairman’s top priorities—creating a coaching program for entrepreneurs in emerging economies. At 5:55 pm, as the sun slowly dips, the security guard kindly slips into my office to turn on my lights. At 6 pm, I kindly turn them off, pack my things, and depart for home.

I choose to walk home in order to stretch my legs and because nothing beats the thrill of a nightly near-death experience. Might is right on the roads in Madurai where pedestrians rank just above bugs on the commuter hierarchy scale. For dinner, I stuff as many mangoes in my face as humanly possible while squishing mosquitos so I don’t have to sleep with them. A little reading before bed, then repeat Monday through Saturday. Sundays are for letter writing (my favorite 19th century hobby), church (in Tamil), Bollywood flicks (“3 Idiots” is a must-see modern classic), and daydreaming of Culver’s Beef Butterburgers (something I must never admit aloud).

Parting Shot: The best part of my internship is the balance between autonomy and support from my project partner.

Pictures Below: 1. The glass palace. 2. South Indian breakfast. 3. My mustache (which I promptly shaved off despite it being the predominant style in India)

About the Author: Chris Owen is a rising second-year dual-degree student with the Ross School of Business and the School for Environment and Sustainability at the University of Michigan. He is passionate about social entrepreneurship, sustainability, and people strategy. He joins the 2018 WDI Global Impact Fellows program after serving for three years in Ecuador with the U.S. Peace Corps, first as a business consultant in the natural resource conservation program and then as a Regional Volunteer Leader.

East Bali Cashews: Empowering East Balinese women and farmers one cashew at a time

Nadia Putri - University of Michigan Ross School of Business

In 2012, Aaron Fishman travelled to rural East Bali as a healthcare volunteer and was amazed by the beauty of this region. But, he soon discovered that behind the beauty, East Bali is an impoverished region of farmers. 98% of people who live in Desa Ban (Ban Village), Karangasem Region, East Bali are cashew farmers. Farmers sold raw cashews to traders who shipped them overseas for processing. Aaron saw an opportunity to create a sustainable economic solution for these farmers and their families through agriculture and food processing. That’s how East Bali Cashews (EBC) was born in Desa Ban. Now, EBC employs more than 400 people with the majority being women from local area.

Factory employee carries a bucket of cashews to the splitting machine

The company has touched many lives of people in Desa Ban, as beautifully expressed by Ibu Lasmi, “I’m only a high school graduate, yet, the company believes in me and my potential. Never would I have imagined moving up from a daily worker to managing more than 50 workers myself.”

 

Nadia Putri - Ross School of Business

In addition, not only focusing on its social impact, EBC also puts high importance on its product quality. Boasting a wide variety of unique ingredients from East Bali, the company is aiming to deliver tropical indulgence from Desa Ban to consumers worldwide.

This summer, I’m honored to be chosen as one of WDI Global Impact Fellows to work at EBC as a business development intern. As a rapidly growing social enterprise, one person at this company wears many hats and so do I. My role in the company is divided into two: while I’m at Desa Ban factory, I’ll be working on quality improvement projects and also summarizing the company’s impact on women employees. In comparison, while I’m at Bali/Jakarta office, I’ll be looking into US market entry strategy. I'm very excited to be back in home country, working at a company that delivers real social impact to the community.

My first couple of weeks at EBC factory has been quite eventful. While in Desa Ban, I’m staying at EBC’s campsite (called East Bali Immersion) where I get to sleep in a tipi. As a city girl myself, it’s an amazing feeling to wake up to rooster crows, sleep to cricket’s sound, and shower under the open sky.

My bed and belongings inside East Bali Immersion's tipi

At the factory, everyone is very welcoming and open to share their stories. It’s especially humbling to see such high curiosity and willingness to learn from the factory employees. This serves as my daily reminder that situation you grew up or lived in does not define who you could be. More stories to come!