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Projects for the year!

Hi there! 

Did you miss me?

This semester, my outlook on life has really shifted since the 2nd-year internship this summer. Here and there a few illusions have been destroyed and forgotten, and I now feel freer than ever. And I am dreaming big. Really, BIG. More on that at next summer if these dreams do come true (and they just might! :P).

One of the reasons why I feel somewhat guilty for not having posted anything these past weeks is that I have much more free time than the last 2 years. I am literally looking at 8h weeks in terms of classes. But before you start rambling about how it's scandalous to have so few hours, and that I should've taken advantage of that to post, yada yada yada, you should know that there are many things I am working on at the moment. My time has indeed been put to good use this month.

First of all, I am deep into the paperwork required for me to go to Emory for next semester's exchange. I still have papers to fill out with the bank, which is very time-consuming and requires constant focus. Otherwise, it's pretty much done...for the first phase. Then once Emory confirms that everything is in order, I will have to work things out with the US embassy, which should also be fun! I heard they require a 15-minute interview with all visa applicants, and that actually seems quite interesting.

In other news, as a member of Sife ESSEC, I am currently working towards leading my own humanitarian project. It would consist of doing something to support Njala University in Sierra Leone, once a leading university in the region, which was destroyed by the civil war and needs help to get back on its feet. One of the main ideas I have is setting up a business incubator there, with the guidance of ESSEC Ventures and the financial support of major corporate players in Sierra Leone. In the short term, I am preparing a presentation for next week to try and get people on board.

Njala University

Njala University

Njala University

Recently, I applied to work as a monitor, specifically in inter-cultural negotiations, within ESSEC Irene, a (the?) leading European research center in the domain of negotiations, provider of seminars, conferences, and more, including to top universities such as, yes, the big H. Given my 13 years spent abroad, and my subsequent deep interest in relations between cultures, I believe this would be a very rewarding experience for me.

I am also going to retake the TOEFL asap. Now I know 108/120 is good, and I know it was enough to pass the Emory requirements, but the thing is, I should have gotten ~10 more points. I misunderstood the format, waited for 20 minutes like a jack***, and didn't get the chance to put in my answers for the very first text of the reading comprehension section. As a result, that section was graded 19/30, while the others were graded 30, 29, and 30. Just because I didn't pay attention. That's so like me to do things like that (don't laugh, I hate myself) , but this time, I am going to try and make things right.

In more general terms, although I do have fewer classes than the last two years, the work is much more team- and project-based. Read "long-term and difficult to plan out". I am part of approximately 5 different teams in various subjects and, believe you me, we are far from  roommates. From those who go back to Paris whenever they are free, to those who have other things going on (like me and my projects), to those who get annoyed and jumpy because of the complexity of the whole situation, it has become somewhat stressful. The funny part is, the work we have to do is not actually that hard or demanding. The real challenge is getting organized.

And I didn't even talk about the help I am providing my sister with to get her things set up in Paris. She's attending Sciences Po, and do you know what they study there? Uh-huh, 1st year microeconomics. And guess who did that most recently in the family (with a Sciences Po professor, oh, the irony)? Yours truly.

So yes, I have been for all intents and purposes, internet-dead this month, but as you can see, it's because many different things are happening in my life.

Busy...Busy-ness... Business. 

It actually makes perfect etymological sense. 

So why, oh why, didn't I see any of that coming?

Lessons from this Week/ "Explaining the Complaining"

So I came home yesterday. I thought the day was never going to end. Every minute seemed to bring its small share of pain. I realized a few things , beause, yes, I consider myself the "learning" type. I understood that:

-If someone gives you something to do, it's always your call in the end, but be sure to be balanced overall. If you become a "yes person", or a "no person", it will be used against you.

-Never trust anyone, and I mean anyone. Before you know it, even your best friend will be kicking you on your way out. This lesson I had already learned before though, but it's another story.

-When working in a team, the discussion shouldn't be between Titles, but the actual People behind them. It's just unnerving to have 10 people in a meeting room, watching a three-way conversation for an hour, and taking notes. You might as well stay in school and write down valuable things. This is especially important in situations where titles (and their corresponding job descriptions) are violated daily. It only adds to the irony of it all.

-Two days ago, we were reviewing a draft for a 100,000$ report that is due next week. Believe it or not, in the pompously named "Marketing Strategy" section there was written, and I quote: "Blah Blah Blah". Conclude what you will, but I, for one, was disappointed by the whole of mankind at the very moment the slide appeared. Maybe I'm just a perfectionist, huh?

-Leadership should mean thinking ahead, not smiling and talking "the talk". There shouldn't be any other definition of it. Communication is a tool of leadership, not the actual thing itself. Always keeping your interests in mind is one thing, but when it shows it's not leadership, it's ridiculous.

-Perhaps the most important realization today was that no one really cares about the job. People are interchangeable, and 90% of them don't actually enjoy what they do.

-Why is this last point so important? Because it goes to show that you shouldn't sweat the small stuff (ie your work), and that in this world, there is no need for you to choose a job that you like. In turn, what you're really left with are office politics. Backstabbings. Rumors. Continuous deception. I was ASTONISHED by the amount of effort people put into seeming rather than actually being. If that makes any sense.

- That is why some of you may have seen on Twitter that I was being pushed towards entrepreneurship. Because I am definitely one of these people who care about doing exactly what they want with their lives. And I certainly don't want to cope with any office politics. Jut 2 months of it wore me down. (one month to go) And I was never even a real target.

Yesterday redefined hectic, but only until today, when the bar will really be set high. Imagine two days, from 8h30 to 18h, walking in 47C from building to building to approximate their floor plates' areas by PACING!!. 3o times per day. There. That's why it looks like I'm complaining.

And now to explain why I (seem to) always complain. I have a strong set of values. Integrity is one of them, Passion is one of them, Responsability, Respect, Justice and Equity are also among them. Yesterday, almost all of them got transgressed, one way or another. Usually these values come together, in what is roughly referred to as "Ethics". Social ethics, work ethics, etc. I believe they are essential, that's just the way I am.

And by the way believe it or not, I'm not a "hippie", nor left-wing on the political side. In fact I am more of a "conservative", as Americans would have it. A "liberal", in French terms. Just debunking a few common misconceptions here.

I have come to realize, after 19 years, that I was the only person I knew who actually never cheated once on a test. Well to be honest, I did try once or twice, but turning myself in each time, after class was over. I didn't get the points, but I got respect from my teachers. To me ethics are of utmost importance, because I know first hand that they will earn you respect from your peers. Hopefuly, it will inspire them to be ethical as well.

Now look back on a time you remember saying or thinking "Thibaut sure complains a lot". Consider the situation carefully and look at the values above. Understand now? Good, you've decrypted the Why.

The How is something I need to work on. When I am revolted by something and want to share it with others, and try to make them understand how important an issue poor ethics can be, I should strive not to give the impression that I am complaining. Frankly, I don't personally care if the tests aren't the same for different people in a same class. I don't really mind if poor marketing and organization can be resolved ever so easily and make our school twice as good at it is now. I don't mind when someone in a position of leadership makes the wrong decision, or doesn't take the best.

What really bothers me most is that people seem blind to the simplicity of improving things. I am strongly growth-oriented, it's in my very nature. I cannot understand how people can bear with a non-optimal status quo, and put up with all these things that don't only defy essential values but also common sense, when they are sometimes merely a step away from the best situation possible. That's what really frustrates me. A lot.

Some say I'm a Perfectionist, but I'm really an Idealist (by the way this has been confirmed by multiple tests: I'm an INFP). Maybe it looks the same and none of these two is particularly better than the other.

But the major difference is that, as an Idealist, I NEVER "complain" per se. I only speak up when things can be improved. Think about it. Last time you thought I was complaining, didn't I say stuff like "They could've...", "It would be so much better if...", or other things along this line? Chances are I did repeatedly.

I try to keep it as constructive as possible. Granted sometimes I fail to make my approach very clear. It is a communication issue I'm not exactly fine-tuned on yet. But I'm still young, and as I said, I am a learner.

ESSEC Lipdub!!

I love my school!!!

Lipdub ESSEC 2009

Atlanta here I come!!!

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I just received (this Tuesday) confirmation of my affectation to Emory University in Atlanta for next Spring Semester (January 2010 - June 2010)!!!! :D

A little presentation of Emory:

Emory was founded in 1836 and has been called a "New Ivy" by Kaplan and Newsweek. Its "Goizueta School Of Business" BBA program was ranked the 5th best undergraduate business school in the US by Businessweek, above NYU 's "Stern" (8th), UNC at Chapel Hill's "Kenan-Flagler" (12th), and UC Berkeley's "Haas" (11th). UPenn's Wharton is still number one, followed by McIntire, Mendoza and Cornell. With its $5.5 billion endowment, Emory U is known for being a research-intensive university, especially in medecine (their pre-med program is amazing), as they invest a lot in cancer and AIDS research ($1.6 billion in 2008/09).

Among notable faculty are former president Jimmy Carter, His Holiness the XIV Dalai Lama Tenzin Gyatso, novelist Salman Rushdie ( writer of "The Satanic Verses") and many others.

Alumni include Christopher McCandless (the main subject of "Into The Wild"), Peter Buck (lead guitarist of R.E.M, -dropped out-), and several prominent politicians and businessmen (Andy Slater- CEO of Capitol Records, Duncan L. Niederauer - CEO of the NYSE, etc) as well as writers and scientists.

I feel so lucky to be able to experience a community with such a rich history of excellence. I will definitely try to make the most of these 6 months, Atlanta here I come! :P

The Opening!

Hi all! :-)

I thought I could resist this new blogging trend forever, but in the end I think it's kind of fun to just put my opinions "out there" and see what comes of it. Yes, I am weak. And I enjoy self-mockery quite a bit as I might or might not show in the articles you'll find here.

I almost forgot to introduce myself. The name is Thibaut. You are probably asking yourselves many questions now that you've learned this. So: 

-First answer: it's pronounced "teebo". 

-Second answer: it's French, as I am. 

-Third answer: yes, you can just call me Thibs with whatever accent you wish. :D

Now I won't bother you with my personal life too much as of now, and I probably won't ever. The purpose of this blog is to be a place to post my thoughts, ideas, likes, dislikes, content from youtube or any website for that matter, so that you'll be able in turn to delve into my psyche and somehow get a sense that you know me personally... OOOOOOH THE ORIGINALITY! 

Anyways, I really hope you enjoy my blog, that it'll give you stuff to reflect on, things to do when bored, etc. I want this to be as interesting for you as I hope it will be for me.

See you soon! ;-)

Thibs