The Greater IBM Connection - on the blog side

WHEN WOMEN GATHER

We did it! Last Friday at 9:30 a.m. Eastern Time, Greater IBM women came together from around the world for our first Women's Leadership Gathering. It was an online dialogue event hosted by my company's Global Dialogue Center CONFERENCE CENTER. The theme for our first conversation was Leadership Lessons: Missteps, Miracles, and Milestones. Shara Sokol, Greater IBMer (1999-2004) from New York and president of s2 Creative Communications, joined me as co-host. We were also very blessed to have Nancy Margulies, who worked with us in the initial pilot (see "related article" below) and is well-know as "the godmother of graphic recording". She did live illustration to bring our dialogue to life. It wasn't just the two-hour conversation experience we shared together, there was a magic in the preparation in the days leading up to the event that counted too.

As women from around the world, including Canada, France, Germany, Hungary, Spain, and from every region of the United States, made their way to the gathering, some were stepping up to put their fingerprints on our dialogue in meaningful ways long before the actual day. It started with three Greater IBM trailblazing women, who volunteered to serve as "conversation starters." Each of them found a unique way to share their thought-provoking messages.

Linda Griffin from Virginia started the dialogue by telling us, "I spent 30 wonderful years in my career with IBM. I loved my job!" She followed with her story of how she turned her experience into a leadership coaching career in 2006, as founder of ClearWind LLC. Her warm and generous sharing provided  "pearls of wisdom" for all of us to take home.

Orsoyla Selley, Greater IBMer from Hungary, wasn't able to be with us for the event. However, she gave me the honor of carrying a message from her to the meeting. This demonstrated how even when we can come to an event, we can still make a contribution by sharing ourselves.

Jane Scandurra, Greater IBMer from New York, and contributing author to the Greater IBM BLOG, wrote to say she wouldn't be able to attend as she was heading out on vacation --- but this didn't stop her from "being there" with us. You see, Jane Scandurra is owner of Go Pictures and Films, LLC with a new documentary film just launched, called "SINGLE". A few days before our Women's Leadership Gathering, a video arrived in my email from Jane. As I watched her clever message --- I was so touched at her efforts to support our first gathering. In the great tradition of IBMers, she "leaped over a few buildings" to deliver her brand of excellence as she talked with us via video at the event.

WHAT DID OTHER WOMEN HAVE TO SAY ?
Here is a small sampling of the words Greater IBM women chose to share about the experience before leaving the event...

-- "So refreshing to meet in a place where everyone had your best interest in mind."
-- "Gave me lots of food for thought when I really needed it!"
-- "Appreciate the experience so much. It was wonderful!"
-- "Invaluable. Please continue. Taking home some great pieces of wisdom."
-- "A suprise due to the original and fun format!!
I will promote this forum!!!
-- "Appreciate IBM offering us an opportunity to network with
IBM and IBM alumni women; we share a common link."

In one of my cherished books, I re-read this passage the week before our first Greater IBM Women's Leadership Gathering: "...miracles always will happen if you believe them to be possible." This was truly a small miracle for which I am so grateful to have been apart.

We recorded the event to share with other Greater IBM women. It will be available shortly for replay with visuals, video and audio too! Watch for an announcement on Greater IBM on Xing; I will post on our forum. Most of all, there will be more! This was just a first in a series. Our next event Greater IBM Women's Leadership Gathering will be announced shortly. It will have wonderful theme that emerged from ideas during our dialogue at the first event. You won't want to miss it!

Have joined the Great IBM Connection?
...our a business and social network for current and former IBMers

Debbe

Debbe Kennedy
Contributing Author
Greater IBM Connection
Founder, President & CEO
Global Dialogue Center and
Leadership Solutions Companies
www.globaldialoguecenter.com
author, Putting Our Differences to Work (Berrett-Koehler June 2008)
IBMer 1970 - 1991 L.A.; Anchorage; Seattle; San Francisco

RELATED ARTICLE:
"Women's Jam --- just a beginning of online synergy"
Greater IBM Connections eMagazine
http://www.ibm.com/ibm/greateribm/connections/connections_article24.shtml

Hello out there

Hello there. I'm Shara Sokol. It's great to be here on the Greater IBM Connection Blog. Fast introduction: I am a former IBMer. I worked for the company from September 1999 to January 2005 doing events (worked the IBM Surf Shack at the Sydney 2000 Olympics in Australia!), internal and executive communications, and w3 editorial.

Since 2005, I've been sole proprietor of my own marketing communications firm, s2 creative communications. Although born in Huntsville, Alabama (dad was on a short term assignment for NASA), I am a native New Yorker. I was raised in Queens (Bayside, New York), lived on Manhattan's Upper West Side as an adult, and currently live with my husband on the beautiful Hudson River in scenic Tarrytown, New York, about a half hour north of the city.

I'm really happy because it feels like spring is almost here. There is no place like New York, in or out of the city, in the spring. When I lived in Manhattan, there were many places that I would go to mark certain occasions. My favorite place to walk in the spring was (and is) the Bethesda Terrace in Central Park, where "The Angel of the Waters" bronze fountain (pictured here) stands.

It's a grand piece of public art that has some interesting history attached to it. The fountain was unveiled by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux in 1873. In the dedication brochure, the fountain's sculptor, Emma Stebbens, likened the healing powers of the angel to that of the "clean and pure Croton water, cascading down the fountain," that brought health to the people of New York City.

I'm guessing, but I'll bet Stebbins was not only a talented artist, but a very smart woman, and a leader in her own right. As it was, she happened to be the sister of the President of the Board of the Commissioners of Central Park at the time. She also happened to be the first woman to receive a sculptural commission in New York City.

Needless to say, she knew how to "work" her connections. Being a entrpreneur these days, I can attest to the importance of making connections to keep my business successful. I'm working to help others do the same, and so is the Greater IBM Connection. I'll be co-hosting a special conference, the Greater IBM Women's Leadership Gathering, with GIBMer Debbe Kennedy this Friday, April 11 at 9:30 am, EDT.

We'll be sharing our collective stories and ideas about what it means to be a woman leader - the accomplishments, the missteps and the lessons learned. IBM women past and present are quite an impressive group. Please come and join us. Until next time ...

Make the Connection: Greater IBM and "It's a Wonderful Life"

It’s that time of year again... Over the next two weeks, you can turn on your television at any time of the day or night and likely catch some station showing the holiday classic “It’s a Wonderful Life” -- which by the way, is not only one of my favorite films, but is also widely considered to be one of the best films ever made. Now you can even watch it online (for free), courtesy of Google.

Despite it's popularity, some of you outside of the US may not be familiar with "It's a Wonderful Life." So for you and those 3 or 4 people here that have never seen or heard of it, the net takeaway is that everyone you meet can have an impact on your life.  I'm sure everyone would agree with that, but this film really drives the point home in a big way.

In short, the star of the movie, George Bailey (played by the great Jimmy Stewart), falls on hard times. On Christmas Eve, in his greatest moment of despair, he wishes he was never born.  Enter Clarence, George’s guardian angel who grants his wish and erases his existence in an instant.  In a series of flashbacks, we then see all the people whose lives have been touched by George and the difference he has made to the community in which he lives.

OK, so it’s a great movie but what does it have to do with the Greater IBM you ask?

Everything. Because it’s quite remarkable for me to think about all the IBMers who have made some difference in my life – and vice versa – simply by connecting and sharing our thoughts and ideas in some way.

So during this holiday season, try this: Apply the message of “It’s a Wonderful Life” and think for a few moments... 

• What would life be like if you were never an IBM’er? 

• What if you never met all those people you worked with? If you didn’t give or receive that little piece of guidance, work on that project, hire that person, have that one particular meeting? What would have changed in your life – personally and professionally? And how might someone else’s life be different if you were never an IBM’er?

Some of you wouldn’t have met your spouse / significant other! Hmm, I suppose there might be a few that would’ve actually preferred that. J 

But seriously… Once you “get it,” you start to become more aware of the long lasting value of all the personal connections and relationships you made – and can continue to make as part of a Greater IBM.  Interesting thinking, isn’t it?

On that point, I’m very fortunate to live in NY where there is a huge concentration of IBMers so it was truly energizing to attend the Greater IBM event in NYC last month. The place was buzzing with so many smart, interesting, and friendly people. I got the sense that everyone came to be part of something bigger than just another great IBM party. I left that evening wanting to build on the “wonderful” interaction that occurred that evening, knowing lots of folks were making an impact on each other.

So, here’s a question for all you Greater IBM’ers in the NYC, Westchester and Fairfield County areas:

• Would you be interested in a NY/CT Greater IBM group -- leveraging collaborative online tools and having a local calendar of more in-person business and social (pay as you go) gatherings?

Tell me what you think. Post a reply here, or email me directly. If there's enough interest, I'll be happy to propose it to the Greater IBM management team.

Happy Holidays!  Remember, it’s a wonderful life!

Jane Scandurra

IBM'er from 1995 - 2006

P.S. Click here if you’d like a more humorous summary of “It’s a Wonderful Life.” It's a 30 second synopsis as told through animated bunnies (I don’t get the bunny thing, but it is cute).

Looking Back; Looking Forward

It was about this time last year that I joined the Greater IBM Connection. My first adventure was going to a holiday party at the  Greater IBM virtual world at Second Life. We were invited to dress-up and show-up!

Much like a real party, there was that burning question, "what do you wear to an IBM holiday party anyway? LOL First I had to create Debbe Dae, my avatar. It was great fun to see her come to life, taller and more graceful than in real life. It was something like 5:30 a.m. when I logged-in for the party, teleporting my way to the celebration. I remember having the sense that  I was "flying off" to some new land --- definitely a "second life experience" from the start.

The party was quite amazing. There were IBMers everywhere. It really gave me an introduction to what's possible for all of us in this virtual domain ... I met new friends from all over the world; even discovered that when Debbe Dae hit the dance floor, she could let her uptight hair down and dance! (I'm sorry I didn't get a picture of it!). The holiday costumes and exhibits were way beyond what I had imagined at the time. As I look back, it was probably the most exciting IBM party I can remember LOL. Here are a two "snapshots" I took at the event to show my disbelieving friends where I'd been. I'm the one in the red and black:

Getting up the courage to dance :-)

On the ice rink with the "Skating Christmas Princess"

It came to me that we've begun to create history here at the Greater IBM Connection and there is much more to do and nearly unlimited possibilities. New events are emerging all the time with many planned for the coming year. We have a new IBM Innovation Center, a Conference Center and even a place to stop for a latte at Second Life. We have new Greater IBM Connections eMagazine and IBMers all over the world from every region are landing here. It's one of those important moments when opportunity arrives and questions you. Greater IBM is here. Thousands and thousands have joined the community and now, what will we do with it in 2008?

Looking back; looking forward questions for YOU...

• Do you have a memorable moment or experience at Greater IBM Connection from this year to share with all of us?
• Have you joined Great IBM yet? We hope you do. Click here to learn more
• What's your vision? If we could really make this Greater IBM Connection the best social networking community in the world, what would make it the best for you?

I look forward to hearing from you---and happy holidays to everyone across the world!

Debbe Kennedy
Contributing Author
Greater IBM Connection
Founder, President & CEO


Global Dialogue Center and Leadership Solutions Companies
IBMer 1970 - 1991 L.A.; Anchorage; Seattle; San Francisco

See the Greater IBM Connections Premiere Issue
A eMagazine for and about Greater IBMers

The Greater IBM Connection Kick Off in New York

Earlier this week I had the opportunity to attend the Greater IBM Connection kick off in New York. I was glad I attended.  As a former Communications intern in Somers, New York, I was eager to reconnect with some of my former colleagues. 

The event was well attended and featured entertainment by magicians and brief remarks from Dr. Paul M. Horn, who retired over the summer from leading IBM Research, Greater IBM Ambassador Ethan McCarty and others.  Horn joked that he was the only manager in IBM history to sport a ponytail and he vowed to keep it in retirement as he turned around to show the applauding audience.

The event was a great opportunity to network with both IBM alumni and current IBMers, although there were more alumni than active employees present.  Oh yea, there also was an open bar.  I was glad I attended and got to reconnect with IBMers both past and present.  I can't wait to see what programs await the Greater IBM Connection in 2008 and beyond.

-Ezra Rich

 

the greaterIBM connection

One of the many innovations Sam Palmisano has spearheaded at  IBM is the idea of reaching out to "alumni". The first initiative was a few years ago when he hosted a reception for a group of former executives of the company. A few were retired but most were in senior positions in other companies. That was just the beginning and now the idea of reaching out has been expanded -- big time. The number of past and present IBMers is probably close to a million people. Establishing communications with such a huge base can be nothing but a good thing for the company.

 

When I left engineering school and joined IBM in 1967, it was common to look for a job at a company and expect to stay there your entire career. Nobody thinks that way anymore. If you tell someone you were with a company for decades, they might ask "what's the matter, couldn't you find any other jobs?". Another change is that in the old days if someone left the company they were considered a traitor and barred from coming back. Today, there are many executives that left the company at some point, got some experience at one or more other companies, and then brought that experience back into IBM. Some have come and gone multiple times. The turnover has strengthened the company.

 

And now we have social networks. In the early stages there was a perception that social networking meant eleven year-old girls on MySpace. Now businesses are realizing that it is more likely forty or fifty year-old business people on Facebook and Xing and LinkedIn and Plaxo Pulse. The Internet has enabled everyone  to be connected to everyone. Whether it is reading blogs, posting to wikis, updating status on Facebook, or making new connections through viral invitations, it is clear that a big company like IBM has a lot to gain by "connecting" past, present, and  future  IBMers to each other and with the company. IBM calls it "the greaterIBM connection". On Monday evening the company hosted a greaterIBM reception at the Metrazur at Grand Central Station in New York. More than four hundred attended. It was good to reconnect with some colleagues I had not seen for quite a few years.

 

Will social networking payoff in business terms? Nobody knows for sure but in my opinion it is certain -- as soon as we see the New York Times run a front page story that social networking is a fad,  in trouble or peaking out we will have confirmation  that success is a sure thing. A short term inhibitor is that there are so many different social networks. As web standards evolve I am confident that we will have a world where people will create one profile and then be able to decide which part of their profile is accessible in which networks.

 

IBM sees the potential and is investing the time and resources to build a large and active network. The possibilities are endless -- collaboration on projects,   networking to hire or get hired, crafting deals, referrals to and from IBM and its business partners. As a bonus,  social  networking is fun and  good for morale. I look forward to continuing to be a  part of the greaterIBM connection as  it evolves. Upon e-tirement in 2001 after nearly four decades at IBM, I  don't really feel like I left anyway! The stories that I have been writing since 1998 over at the patrickWeb blog fall into a  number of categories. One section is devoted to "IBM Happenings". I am sure I will also be writing  and linking at the greaterIBM connection along with  others. Cross linking will increase the overall  "connectedness". That's what the web is all about. I am really proud  that IBM is taking networking and the blogosphere so seriously.

 

        the greaterIBM connection
Greater IBM Wiki

The Greater IBM Connection kick off in New York

Well, this might seem like tooting our own horn, but we had a pretty darn good party on Monday night in New York city.  We'll be posting some photos on line soon too, but in the meant time, check out John Patrick's post about the IBM alumni event. 

If I can be blunt, I'd like to get more alumni posting to this blog so it's not me talking about "my" program -- instead, it would be way cooler to have you (IBM alumni) talking about your program (and my team and I can just help things along.)

If you'd like to become a blogger here, let me or Debbe Kennedy know and we'll show you how.  First time blogger?  Don't sweat it -- it's no harder than sending an email.

-Ethan McCarty, IBM alumni relations program manager

Intern Meet-Up at the MOMA

On Sunday, the Greater IBM Connection’s intern event I announced in my last blog entry, took place at the New York Museum of Modern Art. Even though I had invited over 100 current and former IBM interns living in the greater NYC area, but only nine showed up, we had an enjoyable international afternoon at the Museum. It was great to spend time with people who either like me were currently interning at IBM, or others who’d had an internship at IBM some time ago and are now employed at other companies. We saw different exhibitions before having some drinks at the Museum’s bar “The Modern”, and I would like to share some impressions of the MOMA with you.

In the MOMA’s Lobby before we got started:

The picture on the left shows Elyssa and Rachel, former IBM interns, in the background, with Jessy and Maik sitting in front of them. These last are co-op students from Germany who intern at IBM Somers and Armonk at the moment. On the right are Christian and me. Christian is a current intern of the IBM Software Group in Somers, NY.

In the Painting and Sculpture Gallery

In the Design Gallery:

Once an IBMer, always a Greater IBMer - Rachel and Daniel (both former interns) couldn’t stop playing with the computers at the entrance of the Design Gallery. :-) The picture on the right-hand side shows a smaller group of mostly male interns looking at a car, which was also part of an exhibition: Daniel, Maik, Christian and Rachel.

 

It was a great afternoon of culture and fun, and I am sure everyone enjoyed the Meet-Up  as much as I did. Thanks again for coming!

- Mona Lisa

Hello again from NYC

Though I haven’t posted a new entry in a couple of weeks, it definitely doesn’t mean that living and working in NYC has become boring. Not at all. There have been three major highlights that I’d like to share with you:

I co-hosted the German Welcome Call for new German-speaking members of the Greater IBM Connection together with Sandor Barany, Greater IBM moderator from Vienna, where we organized a Web and phone conference and introduced the participants to the different functionalities of Xing and showed them what the Greater IBM Connection offers them and how they can benefit most from our community. The attendees from Austria, Switzerland and Germany participated actively and gave us very positive feedback at the end of the call, I am already looking forward to the next one this month.

The next – completely different – highlight was a weekend at my friend’s place in Poughkeepsie, which is also in the state of New York, but where you feel like you have travelled to another country! After having spent several weeks in this lively, crowded and never-sleeping city, it was amazing to see that just 1.5 hours north of here, you can find such a beautiful and peaceful landscape near to the Hudson River. For the non-Americans amongst you, I have also added a picture of the fair we visited there – unbelievable: all you can see is food, food and again: food! :-)

Thirdly, I’d like to share a few great impressions of the city with you. I took these pictures from the top of the Empire State Building, where you have got an amazing view of all NYC with its many parks, bridges, skyscrapers etc. The city is especially impressive at night.

Finally, I can announce the first event I’m organizing all by myself. On Sunday, September 30^th, the Greater IBM Connection will host current and former IBM interns living in the greater New York Cityarea for an intern Meet-up at the New York City Museum of Modern Art (MOMA). As several (former) interns have already responded back to me and told me that they would participate, I am really excited about this afternoon at the Museum and the get-together at a bar afterwards will be a great opportunity to get to know each other and exchange ideas and experiences. Please make sure to check out the podcast we will post in the Greater IBM Connection Web site about this event.

Kind regards from New York,

Mona Lisa

New York, New York - Sightseeing, the first THINK Forum and American peculiarities

As I promised, here is my second blog entry from NYC. A lot has happened since my arrival, even though that was not even 3 weeks ago! So here are my personal highlights of the first few weeks:

First of all – I have already found myself a nice new place to live in. As the first apartment I lived in was very remote and the neighbourhood not too appealing, I managed to visit several places all over New York City (some different ones in Brooklyn and also one in Union City, New Jersey, from where you’ve got an amazing view onto the Manhattan skyline) and decided to move into a lovely place in downtown Brooklyn which I share with two incredibly nice American roommates.

Secondly, I didn’t have to wait very long for my first real highlight inside IBM. Last Friday, the Greater IBM Connection organized its very first so called THINKForum – which itself already was a very interesting event, because Ted Childs (www.tedchilds.com), a greater IBMer who is renown as the top diversity expert on planet and his successor at IBM, Ron Glover, Vice President Global Workforce Diversity – HR,  discussed the impact of diversity on business success. One exciting thing about the event was the fact, that groups of Greater IBMers in Bangalore and Vienna were connected to the discussion via web and phone conferences, while they sat together in IBM locations and could ask questions to the guest speakers and participate.

 

 

Ted Childs (left) and Ron Glover

Moreover, the event took place in Armonk, where the Corporate Headquarters of IBM are located. Therefore, Flor and I went to Armonk and I was allowed to visit the headquarters for the first time in my life – which was really impressive! Especially because I expected them to be extremely different: just seconds before we arrived there, I was afraid that the taxi driver got lost (again ;-)) because we suddenly found ourselves in the middle of many, many trees, forests, lakes and nature reservations – AND three different buildings labelled with the three letters I, B and M J By the way, a funny coincident was, that one of my German coop colleagues, Maik Kelpin, works as an intern in Armonk right now and we met there. Well, sometimes the world seems to be just like a village!

After having enjoyed the first weekend mostly in the beautiful parks of the city, Karina Jankowski, who is a German coop student as well and interns at IBM Poughkeepsie at the moment, visited me last weekend and we finally discovered the city as tourists and tried to do as much sightseeing as possible within two days. We walked a lot(!) and visited many of the famous attractions, as you can see from the impressions I’m sharing with you in the pictures below.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On Sunday afternoon we were even able to see the Broadway play “A chorus line” – can you believe that you can get Broadway tickets for $25, if you know WHERE and WHEN to buy them?! ;-)

        By the way, another exciting coincidence is that both of us are going to deal with projects within Second Life during our internships at IBM here in the US, so that we will be able to support each other in the next few months. Talking about work – I don’t think I’ll get bored until November, seems like my list of tasks is growing and growing. So I’m allowed to help organize events for the Greater IBM Connection, design a career centre in Second Life and support the team with their daily business. By the way, I’m thinking about organizing a nice get-together myself with all current or former IBM interns in the New York City area before autumn… any ideas or suggestions?! Let me know!

Alright, as a little conclusion after the first three weeks, I’d like to share some of my most “interesting” observations here in NYC with the non-New Yorkers amongst you:

• a cheese cake in the USA can exist of up to 90% chocolate or even more

• New York is a crazy city to live in, there are so many free concerts and theatres in all the different parks all around the week

• never try to meet a particular person at Times Square at 11pm on a Saturday evening

• it’s definitely true: this city never sleeps

• if you walk around and don’t see more than 3 Starbucks cafés within 10 minutes, you must be outside New York already

• never ask in a supermarket, if they offer a certain product in SMALLER packages than those huge family sizes you usually get, unless you want the staff to know that it is your first week over here
  

Best regards,
Mona Lisa