Yokohama, Japan 2015
Some feedback from those taking part:
James Kisia, Director of the International Centre for Humanitarian Affairs; and Caroline Kisia, Director of Action Africa Help International, both in Kenya, attended in 2015.
My name is James Kisia, I am the Executive Director of the International Centre for Humanitarian Affairs, associated with the Kenya Red Cross. I am a medical doctor with post graduate public health training. I am also a graduate of International Masters in Practicing Management (www.impm.org), a general management program from which I have benefitted immensely as I have moved beyond clinical work into wider organizational and social roles. I continue to use the reflective practices that are key to the IMPM in my daily management and leadership. I have stayed in touch with many of my classmates and some of my professors from whose counsel and coaching I appreciate. My wife, Dr. Caroline Kisia, is in a similar line of work: she is Executive Director, Action Africa Help International (AAHI) and a graduate of the International Masters in Health Leadership (www.IMHL.org) (a sister program to the IMPM). So we are both people with a strong commitment to continuing development, and last year (2015) we attended a one-week management and leadership roundtable hosted by Yokahama National University and facilitated by Professors Jonathan Gosling, Daniel Heller and Ian Sutherland. The course was one of the best that I have attended on leadership. It made it possible for me to understand and apply some of the most important ‘intangible assets’ like trust, listening, coaching and visioning. One exercise that was most useful to me was on attentive listening. I realized that listening is one of the most important qualities of a leader and yet no one ever taught me how to listen actively and empathetically within the frame of the person that is talking to me. The course took me through techniques for listening and supporting people who work for me and with me. I would recommend the course for any senior manager, including those who have taken IMPM or an MBA because it will challenge you and stretch you beyond your expectation. It did for Caroline and I.
Ramon Romerogallego, Veterinary Field Manager, Food Standards Agency and Executive MBA Student, University of Exeter Business School.
The Yokohama RoundTables event was amazing, and life changing in so many levels. It was a highly insightful exercise with like-minded managers from all over the world, where everybody brought something to the table. The collective experience, knowledge and skills were immeasurable and the facilitation by Professor Jonathan Gosling, Ian Sutherland and Daniel Heller led to a perfect environment for self-reflection and mutual coaching. The ripple effect is still ongoing and I am convinced it will not stop. It was a privilege to work with Professor Jonathan Gosling, Ian Sutherland and Daniel Heller. Similarly, it was an honour to listen about rebalancing society from Professor Henry Mintzberg.
His Excellency Bernard Srajner, Ambassador to the EU, PMBA Bled, Slovenia.
I really enjoyed Round Table in Yokohama. I spent five years working in Japan at the beginning of 2000, the RoundTables was for me a great reunion with the Japanese culture and tradition. Moreover I was also very impressed with the fact that we had practical experience in all aspects, including the business field, which is essential for us, to behave and succeed in the global world.
James Njenga, Senior Lecturer and Head of Department, University of the Western Cape and EMBA Stellenbosch South Africa.
There were a number of valuable lessons that I learned after undertaking the RoundTables: Management is a practice that requires managers to continually explore and evaluate the personal dilemmas in choice making and managers are always confronted with information imperfections, uncertainty and social impacts of their actions.The RoundTables embed skilful reflections that allow for remembering and reflexivity. This meant that the approach to the roundtables was one that allowed more time for seemingly ‘redundant thoughts and irrelevant questions’. The use of Friendly consulting allowed for new insights into problems that I face and required questions to be asked differently.
Mano Kisten, Regional Financial Manager, First National Bank South Africa and EMBA Stellenbosch South Africa.
I want to express my thankfulness for an awesome week in Japan. It was well planned and co-ordinated. Thank you for all your efforts. It was definitely a life changing experience for me. Managing Around the World RoundTables in Yokohama has given my life a truly different perspective. Thanks to the international audience and receptive environment I was provided with an unique chance to get a global view on problem solving, had a possibility to receive a different perspective on my life and work challenges as well as an opportunity to exchange the ideas with people with a wide variety of cultural backgrounds, experiences and points of view. I have learned a lot about fantastic Japanese culture, its specific approach to successful management and leadership which has significantly enriched not only my management skills, but also (and more importantly) my personal relationship to other people and the family.