The Birth of MEJDI

MEJDI – the Middle East Justice and Development Initiatives – is a mouthful. This petite for-profit startup purports to lead bi-ethnic peace building tours to Israel and Palestine, import good from Palestinian and Israeli manufacturers (provided the also employ Palestinians) and provide financial consultation on potential investment opportunities in the region. Well, a child should have aspirations. And MEJDI is indeed a child on the world stage – an infant in fact, with but four months of official existence to boast of and its first tour scheduled this coming April.

Perhaps that’s why I so enjoy working with the company, what is so vivifying as the birth of a dream? And if it’s a still birth? Well, sad though that thought be I’ve an absolutely noble friend who himself was preceded by a still born brother – and as life struggles on so surely does the creative process. And what is it that makes MEJDI of note? Surely hundred on companies are born daily with most faltering upon their first steps. What excites me about MEJDI is that its founders have sought to align their personal ideals (the realization of a harmonious Middle East) with their needs (a venture profitable enough to put food in their children’s mouths).

It’s curious – shocking perhaps – that a company with ideals should be novel. After all, companies are treated as human under the law and moral, family-loving humans are their primary ingredient. Unfortunately, it seems that ninety-nine times out of a hundred some inept bungler manages to confuse the recipe such that – pop – in go a thousands honest Joes and Janes – whiz – out comes one amoral lump of factory. Suffice to say, I’m pleased to be working to promote a couple guys make a life doing good work. Ah! Perhaps it’s the “couple” that changes the equations. Even the most magnificent chef is bound to have problems mixing a decent recipe out of thirty thousands employees, twenty business units and fifteen subsidiaries. Somewhere along the way he’s gonna have to simplify and, woops! ethics slide into the waste bin.

Ah, but really I’m just entertaining myself. I have no doubt that many larger companies are led by men and women with strong moral priorities who see their communities as more that mere “stakeholders” and our beautiful land as more than extractable resources. And certainly there are many individuals that abuse their communities and pollute their backyards out of ignorance or desperation. My point, if I ever had one, would probably have been simply to say that it’s enjoyable to work with good people who are trying to earn a buck while helping their community.

If Blogging’s is like Pulling Teeth…

And indeed it is! But why should that be so? I enjoy writing, and adore ranting. And what is a blog than a written rant? The problem, I suspect, is that this particular rant is to be heard by nobody, nor is it structured in such a way as to build into something greater than the sum of X thoughts. With no audience or purpose, it has assumed a certain diaryishness. And I am not a diary writer.

Two solutions present themselves. First, that we may discard the independent blog (i.e. digging a hole in the ground and burying a letter) in favor a group blog. By doing so an audience would immediately appear, which would provide greater motivation (one wishes to impress, no?) and a bit of healthy competition. A group blog would also allow for greater interaction between ideas, and for the unraveling of petite ideas into grander discussions through the process of debate and commentary.

Alternatively, I might take it upon myself to put these moments spent blogging to greater use. By expanding on those ideas most on my mind I might eventually develop sufficient content to be of use – if that content is properly directed. Yet it is hard to image in a solitary blog as an ideal outlet for my mind, if only because I have a hundred other priorities competing for time. And, because these priorities are more immediately relevant to my present relations and future aspirations, their demands ring more clearly.

Ah, case in point! My patience for this blog has already expired, time to devote myself to tomorrow’s demands.

GW Community Consulting wins is first clients!

Ok, so we offer pro bono consultation… ahh but winning that first client is still a wonderful feeling! In fact we’re celebrating not only our first client, but also our fourth client in two weeks. As Eric Groff says, client interest is our proof of concept, now it’s time to perform.

Client survey:

• George Mason University Institute of Conflict Analysis and Resolution – PhD candidates, masters students and faculty are interested in starting a boutique consulting firm specializing in conflict resolution. Our task is to conduct a market/industry analysis and help them to develop a business plan by April.
• George Mason University Faculty – Three faculty members are assisting businesses based in Israel and Palestine that strive to bridge the ethnic divide. We are looking forward to meeting with them next week to learn the details of the project and how we will fit in.
• GWU Alumnus/Afghani Handicrafts Manufacturer – An Afghani woman manufactures handicrafts and wishes to export to the U.S. She is being aided by a GWU alumnus who offered to serve as a program advisor. Sweet rewards of networking.
• Mount Rainier Business Association  (MRBA) – The MRBA represents 100 businesses in the town of Mount Rainier, where I currently reside. The business community is delighted at the opportunity to tap our talent, and we in return welcome the chance to support them through the recession.

And that is where we stand at present. We’ve made great strides during the past month and now are anxiously awaiting the next program meeting, at which work teams will be assigned.

Community Consulting

In mid August 2009, hardly more than a month ago, the Community Consulting program was born. At the time I was researching GW student organizations with the intention of becoming involved in one or two of the more active clubs. To my consternation, I found that few clubs required, or even provided for, active involvement in the community. Rather, they were geared towards social networking, booking speakers, and holding informational events. Now, these are all laudable activities but they don’t demand much of the individual members, aside from those who hold leadership positions. I envisioned an organization that was both intellectually demanding and personally empowering – thus was born GW Community Consulting (GWCC).

The basic premise behind GWCC is that MBA candidates will benefit most from their education if they immediately put it into practice. The question then arose, upon whom to practice? I found the answer in D.C.’s small business community. Through a partnership with the D.C. Department of Small and Local Business Development (DSLBD), I identified local entrepreneurs who are interested in partnering with the GWCC. Through the relationship students gain practical experience, while local entrepreneurs gain access to free consultation. Thus the program satisfies a key tenant of social entrepreneurship, the improvement of both the individual and the community.

In the GWCC, each student forms part of a three member consulting team, which works exclusively with one client entrepreneur. Team are fully autonomous and are solely responsible for meeting their client’s objectives. However, support is provided, upon request, from students and faculty advisors. A crucial aspect of the partnership is that each team selects which entrepreneur it will partner with, based on a detailed application regarding the client’s industry, size, mission etc. This allows teams to target projects through which they will develop the skills and expertise most important to their future goals.

In early September I pitched the GWCC to the Consulting Club (which rather inconveniently has the same acronyms), and club leadership accepted my proposal to house the program under the auspices of the club. Now that it has an institutional home, the next great step for the GWCC is the launch of its first series of projects in mid October. Shortly thereafter, I dearly hope to post a blog recounting the successful formation of relationships between entrepreneurs and GWCC consulting teams.

Exploring Responsibility in Management

People are laudably conscientious when dealing with family, friends, and community members. Yet there is an unfortunate consensus that corporate managers leave their morality at the door when reporting to work. The bottom line, it is believed, trumps common decency.

As with all generalizations, this one is refuted daily by the actions of responsible managers across the world. Yet the persistence of the stereotype begs the question – “Do a significant percentage of managers display considerably weaker morality at work than in their community?” I intend to spend the next three years exploring  the variables that tilt the answer one way or the other. This blog will record the progress of my inquiry. Later, it will serve as an artificial memory, guiding me as I assume increased responsibility and confront conflicts between my business, personal, and communal interests.

Internal conflict is natural – This will be my guiding principle. Inconsistency is native to complex systems, and a modern life is an increasingly complex system. Thus, my goal is not to completely reconcile my business interests with the interests of every other aspect of my life. Rather, it will be to maximize the good I do myself, my community, and my business, by embracing the correct facet of my morality according to the particular circumstance at hand.  My overarching goal is to learn how to balance irreconcilable yet equally vital interests – I seek to become wise.

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