It was in 2007 that I came first in contact with the UN Global Compact, as a member of Junior Chamber International (JCI) during a workshop that the Global Compact held at the JCI World Congress in Antalya.

During that workshop, the relevance and value of the local networks for the Global Compact participants was highlighted. A map was shown, with more than 130 countries filled as "active networks". In the middle of the map, there was a tiny blank spot. It appeared that Belgium was one of the last European countries without an active Global Compact local network.

I was compelled to do something about that.

As an active member of JCI and (at that time) Director for internationalism at the board of JCI Vlaanderen, I took the lead in the initiative to make sure that a Belgian network for the Global Compact would be realized. After all, the Junior Chamber International does have a global partnership with the UN Global Compact to help and support the Global Compact where support is needed.

This started with a first gathering of Global Compact participants who have operations in Belgium at a round table meeting mid 2008, kindly hosted by KBC. We had about 35 participants at that occassion. Efforts continued with the formation of the GCNB Task Force and came to a culmination late 2009. On 15 october 2009, we organized our first Outreach Event and official launch of the Global Compact Network Belgium (GCNB), hosted by the Belgian Ministry for Foreign Affairs, under the auspicious of Minister Yves Leterme.

In the meantime, my company, ubeon | business experts had already become a participant back in 2008. The Global Compact provided our business with a framework and a reference point to integrate sustainable principles in our own organization. This is still an ongoing effort and we are now preparing our first Communication on Progress (CoP).

On the 25th of February, eighteen Belgian Participants of the Global Compact chartered the Global Compact Network Belgium as a non-for-profit organization and elected a Steering Committee, to build further upon the work of the GCNB Task Force.

The work continues...

As the newly elected Vice Chairman of the GCNB, I continue my mission to connect people and organizations with a vision towards collaboration, exchange and learning in order for businesses and business leaders to build a better business. 

The Global Compact Network Belgium actively seeks collaboration with other organizations that work in the field in order to help businesses evolve towards better integration of the principles of Corporate Responsibility. We invite all Belgian companies, civil societies and governmental bodies to engage with the Global Compact and our local network.

Through the Belgian network we intend to bring value to the Belgian Global Compact participants through workshops, thematic workgroups, peer reviews, knowledge sharing and business networking.

I would like to thank everyone who contributed to help form the Global Compact Network Belgium, especially the members of the GCNB Task Force!

In a few days I'll talk about the 3P+ Navigator at EBBF. Here's a quick introduction and a link:

Practical Approach to CSR - Coach your team towards CSR using the 3P+ Navigator – a  team-coaching instrument that makes leaders and team members interact and explore what initiatives they can take to integrate Corporate Social Responsibility principles in their projects and organizations.

The ubeon | academy launches state-of-the art training courses
for beginning or experienced consultants, trainers or coaches.

In these roles you meet specific challenges, related to your profession:
How do you acquire good projects? How do you work with / on corporate cultures?
How can you lead your client to the right decissions? 

As an answer, the ubeon | academy offers three programs:

- ExpertLabs : open year-courses for consultants, trainers of coaches
- ExpertExcellence : individual coaching program
- Systemic NLP Pracitioner : certified course

Up until now, only our own business experts could attend these courses.
As of 2010 you can also attend to the ubeon | academy.

This unique training is given by the international top!
The program starts soon!

You can find detailed info on www.ubeon-academy.be, where you can also register.
Or contact us!

As such, one system may consist of several subsystems and be itself a subsystem for a larger system. The human body is a system, made up from limbs and organs, a nervous system, a cardiovascular system etc. When a systems thinker is coaching, he or she will chunk up and down the coachee’s systems.

Chunking down means considering the coachee’s model of the world, value & belief systems, meta programs, representational systems, sub modalities etc.

Chunking up means considering the larger systems or ecologies that encompass the coachee: family, community, society, etc.

When you think in systems, you find the forces that drive you towards certain outcomes. When you learn to move beyond mere logical and analytical thinking, systems thinking forms the launch pad for successful strategic planning, goal setting, etc.

Learn more on Systemic NLP

Since I receive a lot of question on what systems are, and how they work here's a quick introduction in a few blog posts.

Understanding systems and systemic relationships enables us to find (and influence) the driving forces for certain behaviour and phenomenon.

A system is a set of interdependent and mutually influencing parts. A systems thinker typically does not only consider what the different parts are of a problem; he or she will look at how these parts influence one another. The systems thinker is always looking for the causal relationships.

Fig. Two parts of a system that influence each other

A systems thinker will ask for the parts that exert influence on a particular situation, the relationships between these parts and the nature of these relationships.

When you think in systems, you find the forces that drive you towards certain outcomes. When you learn to move beyond mere logical and analytical thinking, systems thinking forms the launch pad for successful strategic planning, goal setting, etc.

Want to know more?

Henry Markram is building a brain in a supercomputer. During his quest, he discoverd some interesting aspects of the human brain. Even though my neurological makeup may be different than yours, the fabric of the synapsis is similar and therefore we can exchange information about reality (or better: our realities).

Apple's marketing doing a marvelous job at turning the rumoureed new Apple tablet into a hype on the web. I'll be ones on the lookout for the Apple iPad (or iSlate) presentation on January 27th. 

But every time I watch Steve Jobs present, I'm not only interested in what he's bringing. I also learn a lot from how Steve conducts his presentations.

As Carmine Gallo's explains in his book: The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs .

Mirror-neurons is a set of neurons that enable us to learn, to adapt, to empathize... It's also the basis for connected consiousness. It is also the basis of modelling in NLP and helps us in understanding goals and intentions. Neuroscientist Vilayanur Ramachandran explains how mirror-neurons work in these two TED video's:

Fun can change people's behavior for the better.

In recent years issues concerning sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) have surfaced and have become major topics for politics and business. The failing of the Copenhagen summit is a clear indicator that there exists awareness, but there is still lack of will and no sense of responsibility on the part of world leaders today.

We, people who are working in the field of people development, have the tools and the techniques to help build awareness and motivation to take action, working directly with people in business, NGO's, government and education.

To facilitate this, we have developed a team-coaching process, combining the strengths of NLP and systemic constellations. To make sure that you can use this toolkit easily and right away, we have made the process very accessible, easy to use and free!

Introducing the 3P+ Navigator

The 3P+ Navigator is a coaching-instrument that makes leaders and team members interact and explore what initiatives they can take to integrate Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) principles in their teams, projects and organizations.

Corporate Social Responsibility in action

Using the 3P+ Navigator, team leaders and their co-workers are able to formulate initiatives  that make sense for their team, project or organization, in about 90 minutes.

You can use it with your clients, your organization, your team

The 3P+ Navigator has been specifically designed to be used by coaches. It helps you to empower entrepreneurs, managers and team leaders to take the initiative. CSR then no longer remains a beautiful thought, but inspires people to take action and generate sustainable outcomes.

Free download

The 3P+ Navigator toolkit consists of 5 pads (Identity, People, Planet, Profet and Observer) and a manual for the facilitator. You can download the toolkit for free or order your 3P+ Navigator toolkit for only 125,- euro. In English and Dutch.

www.3p-plus-navigator.com/download

We welcome your feedback

We know that this process will grow and evolve as more people use it. That's why the 3P+ is open! There is a forum on the 3P+ Navigator website where you can share your ideas, improvements and experiences with others.

www.3P-plus-navigator.com

Share the love

Feel free to spread this message to others within your community, in order to help us all towards a more responsible mindset and a sustainable world!