Winter Semester Winding Down

Winter Semester Winding Down

The winter term that began in mid-September is drawing to a close, with exams and final presentations defining last week and this. Students in both my classes cap their experiences with group presentations based on final projects designed to encapsulate their accumulated knowledge during the past 16 weeks.

In Internal Communication, student groups of four or five (there are 40+ students in the class) were tasked to prepare a comprehensive internal communication policy document for an organization of their choice. The document had to address policies and procedures for such areas as organizational communication goals, employee use of social media, delegation of communication responsibilities, an explanation of internal communication channels, protocols for external communication activities of employees, fundamental guidance for crisis communication, a framework for communication training for employees, procedures for gauging internal communication effectiveness, plus a few other components. The student groups had to submit a professional quality document and share a 15-minute summary presentation with the class. Half the teams completed their presentations last week, and the remaining presentations occurred Monday, February 1. This has been a considerable challenge for the students, but they attacked it with vitality and keen interest. Hardly any had any previous exposure to public relations; most are pursuing degrees in business. They tell me they had not previously appreciated either the weighty significance of effective employee communication, nor had they considered the value of carefully crafted and published organizational policies to guide and manage internal communication. It is my hope that students in this class, representing roughly a dozen countries in Europe, South America and Asia, will increasingly introduce these concepts into their continued studies and approaching professional careers in their home countries.

An Internal Communication student team presents on its chosen organization, Mercedes Benz Customer Service.

This Internal Communication team developed a policy document for a small UK brewery.

Other organizations for which students developed internal communication policies included Ferrari, Nestlé, our own Poznan University of Economics and several other corporations and nonprofits. I was deeply impressed with the way the presentations and the policy documents reflected gained knowledge. Especially impressive is the fact that the projects and the presentations were in English -- not the primary language for any of these students.

In International Public Relations, I provided students with a scenario: They were representatives of a public relations team retained by a company headquartered in Mumbai, India. The fictitious company manufactures plastic tubing (used for toothpaste, hand cream, suntan lotion, etc.). The company was expanding globally, and the PR team was charged with preparing a report on the communication challenges the Indian company would face when establishing operations in each team's assigned country (Argentina, the Philippines, Vietnam, etc.). So each team needed to assess the cultural and structural differences between India and the team's assigned country as those differences affected communication related to the business venture. For example, teams needed to research and report on interpersonal communication variances, differences in media structures, comparative legal issues pertaining to public relations (copyright, privacy, etc.), even the nature of public relations practice. Their reports also had to suggest approaches the company might take in accommodating differences. The students did a splendid job, and both the reports and the presentations were worthy of the corporate setting. Again, students worked entirely in English.

This group described the challenges the Indian company would face in expanding in Argentina. The students in the group are from Vietnam, France, Romania and Italy.

Here a student group presents a summary of its report on plans to expand in South Africa. The students come from France, Germany, Ukraine and Bulgaria.

It is extremely gratifying to see groups of promising and gifted young men and women able to work together so successfully, solving challenging issues despite the vast differences in their own cultures and experiences.

One side note -- this is the view from the classroom in which I taught this term now ending. One entire wall of the classroom in this magnificent new university building is glass, and the view can be distracting. Across the street on the right side are other university buildings. The rounded building on the left side is the exceptionally beautiful performing arts center for the Academy of Music, one of the most highly regarded in the world. Past the intersection in the center is the Zamek (Polish for castle). It was constructed from 1905-1910 under German Emperor William II. Poland regained its independence following World War I (it had been partitioned since the late 18th century), and the Zamek housed the Mathematics Department of Poznan University. Graduates of that department broke the Enigma Code early during World War II.  During German occupation, Hitler’s architect - Albert Speer - rebuilt the interiors of the castle, creating among other features a replica of the Fuhrer’s Berlin study. These days, the Zamek is a cultural center hosting art exhibits, concerts, film screenings, lectures and the like. I recently visited the Zamek to view an exhibit of Impressionist artists who had painted in Normandy, including Renoir, Delacroix and Monet. In summer, there are concerts on the square in front of the Zamek, and a beautiful garden/park with restaurant is situated behind the Zamek.

Speaking of music...

Robin and I have continued to enjoy the free performances presented at the Academy of Music. There are several events each week featuring the extraordinarily gifted students (and occasionally faculty) of this major conservatory. Last week, we took in a flute and organ concert. Both performers were students, but each would easily qualify for a mid-sized city orchestra. They performed separately and together, with an emphasis on Bach.

It is deeply moving to hear Bach performed on an instrument of this quality by a truly accomplished artist. The young man in the gray jacket is the page turner.

The flute and organ performing together are well suited for Baroque styling.

A word on life in Poznan

You may be curious about our lifestyle here in Poland, so I'll share a bit of our routine. The winter has been typical for Poland, with a few periods of snow and freezing temperatures alternating with gray, drizzly or foggy weather, but it has been comfortable. Without a car, we rely on public transportation, and we walk a great deal more than is our custom in the U.S., so we're exposed to the weather more here. We do enjoy occasional days of sunshine, and we know that spring is approaching, so we don't mind the climate. I've added a photo below taken from our apartment. If you'd like to view more photos of the inside of our furnished apartment and the views we enjoy, visit this Drop Box website: Poznan Apartment

The view from our apartment in Poznan one recent, snowy morning. Ours is one of about 10 apartment buildings in the neighborhood similar in design. Each building has 12-15 apartments of varying size. Ours is 125 square meters, or about 1300 square feet -- large by European standards. Just beyond the light blue apartment building in the center is the Warta River, and beyond that, Poznan city center (not visible on this gray day). 

We're often asked about the food in Poland, and perhaps I'll build a post around that theme in the coming months. I will simply say here that we eat well -- the food is delicious and healthy. Our kitchen is minimally equipped, so we often eat our main meal out. For daily dining, we have found good value at the cafeteria-style restaurants that constitute Poland's version of fast food; I've included three photos below to illustrate. Of course, there are many exceptionally fine restaurants we enjoy occasionally as well. There are also the typical U.S.-based fast-food establishments, which we do not visit -- that's not why we're here.

This is one of the cafeteria-style restaurants we often visit. The food is always fresh, attractively displayed and tasty. Customers simply select the items they want and serve themselves. At the end of the line, the plate is placed on a scale and the cost calculated based on weight. A substantial, healthy meal is generally less than $10 U.S.

There is always an excellent assortment of delicious and creative salads as well as a variety of potatoes, rice and vegetables. Meat dishes usually include pork, chicken and fish, all prepared in a variety of ways. Of course, there are always pierogies -- traditional Polish dumplings filled with chopped meat, cheese, cabbage, etc.

This cafeteria, like most, is in a modern shopping mall along with other outlets in the food court. The common seating area is clean, bright and pleasant.  

I have posted final grades for the winter term now concluded, so I have a few days to prepare my courses for the summer term, which begins February 16. Several writing projects will also keep me busy. Winter seems to be in battle with approaching spring this week, with changeable weather. Yesterday, it took two firm hands on a stout umbrella to walk to my university office through chilly, blustery showers. Today, it's still breezy, but the sun is breaking through the clouds. Tomorrow, there's a possibility of snow showers. Ah well, we're exactly where we want to be!

Thanks for your virtual visit, and do widzenia!

Winter Arrives

Winter Arrives

The weather finally caught up with the calendar here in Poland, and after early winter weeks with relatively mild temperatures (40's Fahrenheit, around 10 Celsius), Christmas brought with it a polar air mass that has settled in for an apparently long stay. When classes resumed Monday, 4 January, my morning commute by tram and on foot was on a 9-degree Fahrenheit morning (-13 Celsius), and we've had only slight warming since then. We've had a few light snowfalls including a 2-inch event overnight last night. The cityscape is beautiful, but because we only walk and take public transportation, the going gets a bit challenging.

The view from our apartment this morning, 6 January 2016

After a short break, I'm back in class with about three weeks remaining in this semester. Grading papers and preparing to wrap up the classes with final presentations and exams is just as demanding as it is in the U.S. I still don't have my teaching schedule for the semester that begins in mid-February, so flexibility is key. An additional challenge is that nearly all my students are Erasmus students -- exchange students from other countries. Often their home universities operate on a conflicting schedule with the university here in Poznan, so I need to make allowances for students who must leave early to begin the spring semester back home. Again, one must be nimble.

We're now nearly four months into our 10-month stay here in Poland and still enjoying the experience immensely. Two of the reasons for that are highlighted in this post: a Christmas Eve gathering and a trip to Riga, Latvia.

International Christmas Eve

We are delighted to interact regularly with so many international students here in Poznan, both through my university here and through Poznan International Church. Knowing that some of these student would not be able to travel home over the Christmas break, we planned a gathering at our apartment for Christmas Eve, inviting those international students who would not be with family. It was a tremendous success and an overwhelming delight.

Robin did a brilliant job decorating the apartment given that we brought no materials with us in that regard. She and a couple international friends superbly planned a delicious and extensive menu, and all participants seemed to enjoy themselves thoroughly. The photos below capture the spirit of the occasion.

Robin explains the rules of the gift exchange - a new experience for all the guests.

Guests watch anxiously as one student unwraps her surprise gift. In this photo, Nigeria, Romania, Bulgaria, Vietnam and Singapore are represented. 

Three guests, representing India, Nigeria and Namibia (a business student and two medical students), enjoy food, beverages and the company.

Riga, Latvia

The day after Christmas, 26 December, Robin and I traveled to Riga, Latvia, several hundred miles north from here, because Poland just wasn't cold enough. Actually, we had been advised that Riga was a beautiful city, and we were not at all disappointed. We took the Intercity Express train from Poznan to Warsaw, then a tram to the airport and a 1-hour flight to Riga. We spent six days in this splendid Baltic capital, including two guided excursions into the countryside. The weather was frigid, and we did most of our exploring on foot, so it was, as my British friends describe it, "bracing." 

The most striking feature of Riga is the splendid architecture, particularly from the Art Nouveau period (roughly 1890-1910). Magnificently preserved and/or restored buildings in this style fill block after block in the extensive old part of the city. A number of outstanding museums add to the city's appeal, and our visit was made more delightful by the open-air Christmas Market in one of the old squares. Add superb food and warm, friendly people, and Riga should be on your list of must-see European cities.

The photos below convey some of the beauty of Riga, but it really should be experienced firsthand. To view our entire array of photos (brace yourself -- there are around 300!), visit this DropBox site: RIGA PHOTOS. 

The day after Christmas found the train to Warsaw nearly empty -- a rare event.

Celebrating our 36th wedding anniversary in Riga.

A guild hall in Riga.

Latvia is extremely proud of its prowess in bobsledding and related winter sports. This is a view of the bottom of the worldclass course in Latvia where their top athletes train and where international competitions are held. 

An athlete prepares to start a run down the course on a luge sled.

An example of the whimsical design of windows that often characterizes the Art Nouveau style.

An Art Nouveau facade.

Cold fog over the Daugava River in Latvia.

Even our hotel was an architectural masterpiece.

Display of a 19th century dental office in Riga's excellent Medical Museum.

Robin and our Latvian guide, Agrita, about to explore Rundale Palace.

The ballroom of Rundale Palace.

Robin reading displays in the Museum of Latvian Occupation. Latvia was occupied by the Russians in 1939, the Nazis in 1941, and the Russians again in 1945, becoming independent again only in 1991.

A typical commerce street in the old district of Riga.

Looking upward through the center of a spiral staircase in one of the Art Nouveau buildings.

The view from our hotel room.

Night shot of one of the magnificent buildings in Riga.

The edge of the Christmas Market in Dome Square, Riga.

I think you get the idea -- Riga is a fantastically beautiful city, certainly among the most splendid cities I've seen. Although the weather was daunting, I understand the streets and attractions are far more crowded in the pleasant summer season, so there was an advantage to our timing. 

That brings you up to date. Thanks, as always, for your visit. I welcome your comments below. Do widzenia!

Hard Hats and Sculpture

Hard Hats and Sculpture

This post focuses on two disparate events in recent days, and could address a good deal more. Given the time, I would post every day to report the many activities and discoveries that define our days here. However, you don’t have the time to read all that, and I’m finding, just as in the U.S., work tends to cut into my day significantly.

Protective Gear Required

It’s not often that teaching public relations requires hard hats, safety vests and work boots, but last Friday was one of those days. Something I never thought I’d have to ask from students is their shoe sizes, but it was necessary in preparation for a visit to the construction site of what will soon be the largest shopping mall in Poland. Dubbed “Poznania,” this behemoth boasts 300,000 m2 (3.2 million square feet) of total surface area and 100,000 m2 (more than 1 million square feet) of leasable area. It will have 220 boutiques, 40 restaurants and 40 medium and large stores, and will be equipped with 4,000 indoor parking spaces.

I have become acquainted with Philippe, the project director for Poznania, through the church we attend here (appropriately called Poznan International Church). Philippe graciously invited me to bring my students for a tour of the site. Because the project involves a French company, Eiffage (Philippe is from France), undertaking this massive project employing almost exclusively Polish construction workers and navigating Polish bureaucracy for permits, approvals, inspections, etc., I thought the idea of a briefing and tour had merit. I was not disappointed.

Philippe begins our visit with a briefing on the scope of the project.

Philippe and his leadership staff began our visit with an explanation of the scope and timeline of the project. The cornerstone was laid in July 2014, and construction is on target for an August 2016 completion – just over two years of construction. Philippe says there are roughly 2,000 employees and contractors working now, and that figure will reach 4,000 as work intensifies in the coming months.

Philippe points out features of the mall.

The interest for my students was double-faceted. For my Internal Communication students, they focused on the efforts by Eiffage to build a sense of community and identity among so many workers with varied backgrounds and responsibilities working on a project of massive scale to a looming deadline. For my International Public Relations students, they took notice of the challenges of building that sense of community across cultures. Philippe described in detail the difficulties in conducting critical meetings when emotions can run high, trying to convey those emotions through interpreters. Philippe said he and his French leadership team had developed a comprehensive organizational plan before departing for Poland, then found they had to make extensive adjustments in the actual circumstances in Poznan. For example, job titles were easily translated from French to Polish, but there was not always shared meaning regarding the parameters of responsibility for those job titles. The discussion between my students and Philippe made for a most interesting interchange.

We then donned our protective gear: hats, vests and boots – all provided by Philippe. On a chilly, damp Friday morning, we trudged through the rough construction site and into the labyrinthine, cavernous interior of the structure. All around us, workers scurried up and down ladders, operated construction vehicles, welded, bolted, drilled and hammered as each activity moved the project slightly closer to completion. It’s hard to see appreciable progress as it’s underway, but Robin and I pass the site frequently as it’s near our apartment, and we have watched as the mall steadily takes shape.

The interior of the mall is taking shape, and we can discern the layout of walkways and shops.

The students pose in what will become one of eight movie theaters in the mall.

I must stress that this visit was voluntary for the students; it was outside normal class time. In fact, it occurred on a Friday, traditionally a free day for the students when they can catch up on their demanding course work or perhaps travel. Nevertheless, about 25 of my students elected to participate, and I believe they found it to be a fascinating and valuable experience. That's a reflection on their commitment to professional development.

The design includes sweeping balconies that will feature coffee shops where customers can enjoy a beverage while observing mall activity.

Disappointingly, the mall is slated to open about a month after we return to Charlotte, North Carolina, but I’m sure we’ll return to Poznan in the years ahead. It will be interesting to walk the marble floors (huge boxes of marble tiles were scattered throughout the interior of the construction site) and recall the skeletal beginning of the mall.

Chipping Away

An unusual event in Poznan this past weekend was an international ice carving competition. National teams from around the globe converged on the Stary Rynek (Old Market Square) to vie for recognition as the best in the world in several categories of ice carving. With temperatures hovering just above freezing, carvers used tools that shaved, shaped, melted and re-froze their ice blocks. In one competition, carvers were briefly shown a drawing of an object (typically a Disney-like character) and had 25 minutes to recreate the figure in ice in 3-D. The crowning event lasted several hours on Sunday evening when each team created the sculpture of its choice. Of course, such an event draws crowds, and the attraction was amplified by an outdoor Christmas market in the square along with concerts and displays.

Here, without further commentary, are photos and links to short videos of the event.

Crowds brave the chill to watch the carvers at work.

The team from the Philippines in action.

Japan's team.

A beautiful setting for the Christmas market.

Nearly finished.

Creative lighting enhances the effect.

And here are links to three short videos of the event, each less than two minutes long:

• The U.S. team working on its sculpture.
• A sweeping view of the competition.
• An a cappella men's choir performing alongside the sculptors.

That's it for this edition of my blog from beautiful Poznan. Thank you for your virtual visit. Do widzenia!

A Fulbright Thanksgiving and an Update on Teaching

A Fulbright Thanksgiving and an Update on Teaching

Polish Hosts Embrace a U.S. Tradition

Thanksgiving is, of course, a U.S. holiday, at least on November 26 this year, and the day is a normal workday here in Poland. Thanks to the Polish Fulbright Commission, however, U.S. Fulbrighters in Poland were treated to a splendid celebration in Warsaw that I'm sure rivaled any similar events in the United States. About 20 Fulbrighters serving in Poland converged on an elegant restaurant in the heart of Warsaw on that Thursday for the traditional feast of roast turkey and all the customary accompaniments. Added guests included Fulbright Commission staff who orchestrated the event, Polish Fulbright alumni, Polish government officials including the Minister of Science and Higher Education (a cabinet-level appointee), and officials from the U.S. Embassy, including the Deputy Chief of Mission.

Our Polish chef prepares to carve the Thanksgiving turkeys.

Guests enjoy socializing before sitting down to the traditional Thanksgiving feast.

Superb service in an elegant setting.

Robin and I rode the train from Poznan to Warsaw that Thursday morning (3 hours), arriving comfortably in time for the 2 p.m. banquet. It is always a delight to gather with other Fulbrighters and compare our experiences in various cities in Poland, and the event also afforded the opportunity to make new friends. Robin and I opted to stay in fascinating Warsaw through Saturday. Although we have visited the city previously, there is always more to see and experience. Our focus this time was a visit to the recently completed Museum of the History of Polish Jews -- a story that begins 1,000 years ago. It was yet another extraordinary sight. I spent close to four hours working through the well-designed museum and progressed only through the end of World War I. At that point, I was simply overwhelmed and could not absorb any more; even then, I had seen only about half the content. Completing the experience will require another visit to Warsaw.

A display in the Museum of History of Polish Jews.

One of the displays depicting the wooden synagogues that used to exist in large numbers throughout Poland.

A vertiginous view of central Warsaw from our hotel window. The Central Train Station is at lower left, with an extensive shopping mall just beyond it (with the undulating glass roof). The older structure center right is the Palace of Culture, constructed in 1955 in the Socialist Classicist style. It now houses offices, cinemas, theaters, libraries and a university.

Our visit to Warsaw included another Charlotte connection. Roman and Monika are friends of ours in Charlotte who are originally from Poland. Roman's brother, Mirek, and his wife Grazyna, live in Warsaw, and the connection to Roman and Monika was ample reason to invite us to a delightful dinner at Mirek and Grazyna's home. Once again, Polish hospitality shone as we enjoyed a wonderful evening of laughter and storytelling. As Grazyna said, it seemed as though we were old friends.

Rewards of Teaching

We're now about 2/3 through the winter term, which began in September and will continue through early February. My two graduate classes (Internal Communication Management and International Public Relations) are progressing well, and I like to think my students are benefiting from the experience as much as I am. They're big classes for graduate level -- 45 in one class, 35 in the other. That compelled me to adjust my teaching style from the norm, but we're all making the adjustments. I try to combine lecture with class discussion and small group exercises so students have opportunities to experiment with fundamental principles and concepts through applied cases and situational challenges.

Students working through a small group problem in one of my classes.

Students working through a small group problem in one of my classes.

Nearly all my students are in Poznan under the Erasmus program, an extensive European Union student exchange program. Consequently, they come from Spain, France, Turkey, Bulgaria, Romania, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, Portugal and elsewhere. I also have students from Columbia, China, South Korea, Vietnam and Taiwan. They are here for just one semester, typically, and none has a thorough grounding in public relations before coming into my classes. That requires another layer of adjustment in my curricula, but it's working out well, and it gives me an extraordinary opportunity to provide future global leaders with an understanding of the role strategic communication can play in business, government, nonprofit and other sectors.

Students working through a small group problem in one of my classes.

In addition to my regular classes, I'm often called upon to guest lecture in other classes. This afternoon (December 8), I'll teach two consecutive classes on public relations legal issues. Last Saturday, I led a 3 1/2-hour graduate seminar on international public relations for a dozen Polish working professionals pursuing their master's degrees through weekend courses. Next week Saturday, I'll teach a session on internal/employee communication for graduate students at another university here in Poznan. So I always seem to have plenty of items in my in-basket, but that's what makes this entire experience so great.

Finally, I will leave you with a short video Christmas greeting. As we're in Poland, Robin and I will not send Christmas cards this year, so I'll take this opportunity to wish you all a Merry Christmas. The video reminds me of how proud I am of my Air Force background (22 1/2 years) and captures a bit of the spirit of the season. The U.S. Air Force bands are commanded by my friend Colonel Larry Lang - you'll see him conducting in this video. We worked together in Hawaii in the early 1990s, and it does not surprise me at all that he has risen to the top position. It also doesn't surprise me that he orchestrated the remarkable event showcased in this video. So please enjoy this 9-minute greeting. Merry Christmas, everyone!