All Electronic Devices Must Remain Switched OFF

I wanted to share this hilarious experience with you: if you have a mobile GPS system, possibly in your phone or your PDA, try using it on the next plane you fly. Forget about "electronic devices may interfere with on-board equipment" or similar warnings, and enjoy the unobstructed view to the sky with its GPS satellites. As you can see in the picture I used my mobile GPS with Bluetooth. It was only later that I learned the guy in the seat next to me was actually an Airbus engineer warning me about interference. We both stared amazed at the display that read about 600mph or 900kmh. Never been faster in London city traffic!

Unexpected Global Encounters

Gloablization is everywhere... yeah well... actually that's not really surprising since the word 'global' would already imply just that, right? But what I mean is that you can find it in the most unexpected situations: a Spanish cat (according to the owner that's where he was born) sleeping on an American flag in Germany. Global life style at its finest. And isn't it amazing how much tolerance (or indifference) we can learn from pets?

The Fairytale of the European MBA

I just found this in my daily log from September 2005 when I crossed the United States in a car:

While driving along the endless mountain range of the Apalachian Mountains from Tennessee to Kentucky I had time to reflect and try to make sense of the last few months. I had signed up for a 'European MBA' program, notably different and academically rigourous. Earlier today in South Carolina I had the chance to meet a top manager of a very large and very international company who told me how he had finished his MBA 15 years ago in South Africa. Even though we both came from different generations, different continents, and met on the other side of the globe he stated the same reasons for his MBA that I had two years ago: the standardization of business knowledge on a level that cannot be reached 'learning by doing'.

If we need to standardize our business education in a globalizing world, how European can an originally American business course actually be? Should I see a localization of an MBA program as a repositioning effort of the marketing department of the school, or as dangerous? Does it lead to compatibility problems when schools try to differentiate themselves too much? How do we function in the global challenges of the business world that we are supposed to be trained to master so well?

A 'European MBA' is appealing to those who want to make a difference. Who are we kidding? We all must learn to perform in the same world. The MBA is worth more than the next promotion in the local company around the corner. It teaches to see connections, get a new perspective on the world, grow out of the little hole in which I was comfortably hiding before.

I am wearing shoes made in Mexico, a jacket made in China (but bought in Pennsylvania), my laptop was made in Korea, and while I am burning Middle Eastern oil in a German car a Chinese friend sends me an SMS from Great Britain. A truely global life is not for a chosen few who get lucky. It is reality for those who make a choice. The MBA is an excellent way to get started. But it is wasted when localization and regional patriotism lower its importance to the level of national or European academic titles or awards. Instead of proudly being different we should proudly be similar and compatible, and join those in other parts of the world who have gone down that route before us.

"The 20th century is over, if you don't speak more than one language, and have at least two degrees, you will go nowhere today" was the advice that the global manager had given me earlier today. Leaving his office I had had a short conversation with his secretary. She was from Germany. It could not have been more obvious that we need international standards in order to communicate and work effectively across political and cultural borders. Inventing European MBA program is not a counter-balance to an American dominance. In a world in which the US remains the largest business driver and the richest nation it is simply counterproductive.

So what's next? Tomorrow I will be in Canada, meeting with students who do their PhD 5000 miles away at the Bristol Business School in England.

Essential Tools for a Global World

Traveling can be a pain if not prepared properly. I don't know about you but I am the type of person who likes to hop in a car or on a plane and go when I want - or when I have to. I prepare most of my trips quickly using Google Maps and local resources from the internet. I usually also get a phonecard in the country I go to, and obviously currency. It helps a lot to have a local bank account although moving money around can be a pain. Since hotels, motels, and hostels are offering services at all levels planning accommodation is not a real problem.

There is nothing worse than starving on the highway because you forgot to bring your favorite chocolate bar. In addition to some snacks I also bring a little bottle of water. Not only can it save me, sometimes it also saves my car, or my shirt.

Lately mobile technology has diffused into the consumer households accompanied by a significant price drop. But I never imagined how much fun it can be to liberate myself from internet lines and paper maps. GPS rules! I used to carry my laptop around with maps installed, and got those looks that you get when everybody around you reads a book and you are the only one with a computer. Not anymore. I invested in a PDA with Bluetooth and WLan, and achieved almost complete freedom.

The second piece of equipment is my phone which could almost replace the PDA. Most importantly it offers a GPRS connection and Bluetooth so I can go online when I need to with the PDA.

The third fun toy is a GPS receiver. Don't underestimate the value of such a device. I remember one night in southern New Jersey when I left the highway to find out where I was. I drove for miles and didn't even know the direction I was heading. In the end I was 30 miles off course. I have certainly learned to value my onboard, rather on-human electronics. They have become more important than a toothbrush.

Thank God we're Global

Finally: the blogosphere has me. Another global phenomenon has the potential to change my life. How did it all begin? Well, a few years ago I had the pleasure of visiting UC Berkeley for a summer. Nothing dramatic. But it triggered a development which has changed my life. For the first time I met people from around the world. There seemed to be no national preference. Everybody was there, every culture, every religion, every color. It was great. And the most amazing thing was that it worked beautifully. In class as well as in private activities. My life would never be the same because I began to see myself as part of a global community, as an Earthling so to speak.

Years have passed. I decided to study my MBA in England. To make this easy for an international audience: England is part of Great Britain, a little island where people can't seem to decide if they are part of Europe or not. British might find this offensive, and I admit that there are smaller islands, e.g. the Faroe Islands. But if Great Britain is great, how great are Australia or Greenland? Get my point?

I found many interesting things while I was there, for example did you know that people in England drive on the left side? Probably. But did you know that people in England burn their left hand on a daily basis? Well, I did not. Now, countless burns later I must admit I still don't know why they prefer separate faucets for cold and hot water. And I never really found out how to use them correctly, or how British people do it. Yes, Britain has a lot to offer, even beyond their faucets and traffic system. But more on that later.

After surfing global, thinking global, studying global, and socializing global, it is now time to graduate global. The last step on the way is my thesis. Interestingly (and to the dismay of any PhD student) a thesis is called 'dissertation' in Britain, and it leads me to the assumption that a dissertation may be called 'thesis'. This confusion has often led to academic expectations which I cannot satisfy. Suffice it to say, I am working on something that will eventually get me my degree. My work allows me to get in contact with many nice people on a global level, and the topic of my work is - surprise, surprise - global virtual teams. This helped set the tone for my blog.

So please bear with me as I bring you my personal perspective on the global world we live in. This is all on global developments, global technology, global work, and global life.