Post 1: Transitions

Corporate Service Corps (CSC) involves IBMers who can contribute valuable and much-needed skills, talent, and capabilities in emerging market countries and help make an impact in that country, in this case, Morocco.

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CSC provides a triple benefit.  IBM gains leaders with a broader range of skills that can function in a global context. The individual participant gets is a unique set of leadership opportunities and development experiences. And communities get IBM’s best problem solving skills.

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I was fortunate enough to be chosen for this one-in-lifetime opportunity after four attempts and I was awarded my first choice of geographic location - Africa. We aren't told where exactly until we are four months away from our deployment when our group of 15 IBMers from around the world were told where we are going - Morocco.

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Personally, this is a challenge I've looked forward to for years. While I've tried to give back to the community over the years, both in our home in the US but also in Mexico, the opportunity that IBM provides is something that most folks just can't match personally.

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Which brings me to the title of this blog and family. My father is a strong man and he taught me how to treat people, how to persevere through tough times. A couple of years ago my father got sick and he again showed me how to handle adversity and how the golden rule should be lived.

Family is important to me, but I realized that family is more than blood, we're all united by what we share in common, our humanity.

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I've arrived in Morocco, leaving my family at home and looking to create new families - the IBMers here putting others before themselves, the Moroccan's looking to make their immediate world a better place.

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While we just started, I see commons bonds and I'm excited to see where WE go over the next 30 days.

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Note: Due to some technical difficulties, I"ll be catching you up with posts documenting the first week of our Moroccan assignment.