CID Update 09/2011

Welcome to our Newsletter.

CID Recommends Internship Programs

Internships can play a very important part of an undergraduate’s life and a critical element in choosing a career path. For years, CID has been providing summer internship programs for young eager minds who are interested in pursuing a career in consulting. The program is mutually beneficial for the company and the intern alike. This is because it enables companies to provide interns with the opportunity to experience a work environment first hand, while benefiting from their young, bright minds. CID believes in the importance of internship programs, it strongly recommends that other companies incorporate them in their business strategies.

This year’s intern, Sayed Hassaballah, a Chemical Engineering graduate from the University of Michigan, confirms that internships are a career must.

He says: “I think internships are a critical part of choosing a career since they enable you to not only test the waters in the field of interest, but also allow you to discover your passion.” He continues: “Over the past year or so, I have developed a passion for the field of consulting and after careful analysis of all the available firms in Egypt I decided to join CID consulting as an intern. Having an internship here not only exposed me to new challenges but also helped me further my knowledge on the consulting field in general, specifically in Egypt. Moreover, working with qualified consultants in a friendly atmosphere made the experience more valuable.”

Helping Find the Right candidate for the Right Job

After a period of intensive research and interviewing, CID has produced a comprehensive study on “Employment Needs” for its clients Polaris International Industrial Parks and GIZ who are aiming to create an onsite employment center to cater to the needs of the 20+ companies operating within the industrial park.

The study also identified models of employment centers in Egypt and the region as well as discussed the gap between employers’ and unemployed youths’ job expectations, in addition to recommendations for the employment center.

Public School Learning Finds a Way “Up”

Part of its continuous interest and passion in contributing to the development of the education sector in Egypt, The CID team has recently completed its work on the Girls' Improved Learning Outcomes (GILO) project, working with a consortium led by RTI and multiple stakeholders to support the implementation of Egypt's strategy of School Based Reform. The project was primarily focused on ensuring that girls get equitable access to primary and preparatory education as well as helping Egypt improve the learning outcomes in public schools.

Throughout this project, the CID team worked with different schools to achieve school based reform through quality education while carrying out regular self-assessment of schools to ensure their consistent improvement. The team’s role also included identifying and conducting training sessions for thousands of teachers, supervisors and administrators within targeted communities on effective teaching methodologies. Training sessions included topics on efficient classroom management, coaching strategies, and the use of technology in teaching. Training was also conducted for principals, deputies, and administrators in Qena and Minya governorates to provide them with knowledge on the fundamentals of school leadership and administration.

The team participated in a ground breaking assessment of reading competencies among early grade readers, Arabized and adapted the tool which was used to measure these competencies and developed the first ever early grade literacy program and teachers’ guide under the leadership of international RTI experts and in collaboration with the Ministry of Education.

EDBE Annual Report "Take Two"

The Export Development Bank of Egypt (EDBE) recently issued its Annual Report for which it assigned CID to manage and produce for a second consecutive year. The report was developed with the objective of documenting the outstanding financial performance and major achievements of the bank during 2009-2010 as well as communicating the internal development undertaken by the bank and newly launched services.

CID’s role was twofold during this assignment. The team has managed the content development to complement the bank’s goals and business strategy while working on the design concept to make sure it is aligned with EDBE’s new positioning, branding and corporate guidelines.

Tips & Trends

Handling Conflict at the Office without Aggression

Misunderstandings and communication problems remain one of the most common sources of workplace strife, and interpersonal difficulties are magnified when conflicting work styles coexist in one setting. Generational differences, personal management styles, educational background, and cultural diversity are all potential sources of office misunderstandings.

While conflict is inevitable, it need not ruin your workday or cause unbearable stress. Try these conflict resolution tips to make your work environment a less stressful, more productive place:

Be specific in formulating your complaints. "I'm never invited to meetings" is not as effective as “I believe I would have been able to contribute some ideas at last Thursday's marketing meeting.”
Resist the temptation to involve yourself in conflicts that do not directly involve you or your responsibilities. Even if someone has clearly been wronged, allow him or her to resolve the situation as he/she chooses.
Try to depersonalize conflicts. Instead of a "me versus you" mentality, visualize an "us versus the problem" scenario. This is not only a more professional attitude, but it will also improve productivity and is in the best interests of the company.
Be open and listen to another's point of view and reflect back to the person as to what you think you heard. Before explaining your own position, try to paraphrase and condense what the other is saying into one or two sentences. Start with, “So you're saying that...” and see how much you really understand about your rival's position. You may find that you're on the same wavelength but having problems communicating your ideas.
Don't always involve your superiors in conflict resolution. You'll quickly make the impression that you are unable to resolve the smallest difficulties.
Take home point: It's not all about you - You may think it's a personal attack, but maybe your co-worker is just having a bad day. Take time to think before you speak in response to an insensitive remark. It may be that saying nothing is the best response.