Guest Blogs
Knowitall.ch often invites local experts in their field to contribute to their own blogs on our site. This means not only you will benefit from the useful recommendations that we make on our News pages, but you can also profit from some of the great advice and tips that these experts have to make on their favorite subjects. Whilst each of these bloggers has been recommended to us at some point during the evolution of Know-it-all passport and knowitall.ch, obviously we are not able to test out all the suggestions they make on their blogs, nor do we necessarily agree with all their opinions. So if you do find one of their tips useful (or not!), do let us know!
To make these blogs more accessible to you, we have now decided to group them altogether in one section, entitled Guest Blogs, accessible from our main menu bar. We will also post the most recent blogs on the home page of our site in the right hand column.
We are still building up this area of the site, and are looking for bloggers in a number of sections, including Your Home, Travel, and Leisure, so if you feel you have a useful contribution to make in either of these areas, and have the time to submit blog entries approximately every month, then please get in touch!
By Sarah Frei, Brillantmont International School
There’s an English saying, “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy “ to which I wholly subscribe! Education is not just about what goes on in the classroom. Of course, knowledge is important and we all want our children to achieve at school. However, let’s not forget the importance of “play” in a child’s developmental process. Extra-curricular activities provide the opportunity for children to thrive in a non-classroom situation, to develop new interests and discover new talents. Some children may find school challenging but can be transformed when taking on the leading role in a drama production or captaining the village football team.
In the Lake Geneva region we are lucky to have an incredible range of activities, sporting, cultural, artistic, creative right on our doorsteps (see Know-it-all passport for suggestions). So rich is the offer that simply choosing an activity becomes difficult. A word of advice however: whilst you may have been a talented dancer, forcing your daughter to take ballet when her heart’s set on rock-climbing, is going to generate some serious family discussion.
Did you know monks planted the first vines in Lavaux in the 12th century? The area between Lausanne and Vevey is now a UNESCO World Heritage site with stunning views of the Alps and Lac Leman. We think one of the nicest ways to see the area is ‘slow tourism’ - get there by train or boat, then visit the charming villages on foot or bicycle along paths and quiet vineyard roads.
1. Hike
On our hike last week, we followed the tourisme pedestre trail (marked with yellow signs) from Lutry. We started on a pretty lakeside trail to Cully, then back on the scenic vineyard terraces through Grandvaux (about 3.5 hours, 350m elevation gain). Details can be found on the site: http://www.wanderland.ch/en/routes/route-0113.html. Stop off for lunch on the terrace of the many cafes and restaurants in Grandvaux, or at the picnic tables with unbeatable views just past the village of Aran.
We visited the Domaine du Daley (www.daley.ch). Founded in 1392, the estate produces 20 Grand Crus wines, including one that is very popular in Japan to accompany sushi! We sipped three different wines on Cyril Severin’s panoramic terrace, and visited the ancient and modern cellars before a short walk back down to the Lutry train station.
Léman International Academy in Cologny, Geneva
By Denise Nickerson, Educational Consultant
When it comes to educational choices here in Switzerland and neighboring France we have a dizzying array – for ourselves and our children. Families relocating to the area from all over the world want to know all about the schools before trying to figure out basics like cars, housing, even finding a local family doctor. Because children grow and change so fast, parents who are established in the area go through similar anxieties at each stage of a child’s life, questioning school choice and other educational decisions at the start of new scholastic levels. Just when we are comfortable with how our kids are doing and what they are learning, the end of an academic year comes around and we wonder what would be best for next fall. Have the needs changed? Will the homework be more challenging? As a parent, will I be able to help or even know what is going on at school?
Before becoming overwhelmed, there are some steps we can take to make sure we are actively supporting a quality education for our kids. I’ll start with the obvious ones in case the mere topic of education has you hyperventilating with stress.
Image courtesy of David Castillo Dominici, www.freedigitalphotos.net
By Sunita Sehmi, Walk The Talk
Burn•out /ˈbərnˌout/ Noun
Ref: Merriam-Webster - The Free Dictionary
This blog entry is a little different this time and I hope you will enjoy it. Over the last four weeks I talked to three professionals, (with three completely different roles), regarding their understanding and thoughts about “burnout”.
Next week we will look at their views on how stress can be managed more effectively and how to listen out for the alarm bells before it’s too late.
Question: What are your views on burnout?
HR Professional “ I think it is something that we are definitely seeing more and more in businesses and I believe it is something that we need to be very concerned about. I think, despite it being an emotive issue, very often we forget about the human factor. People do have stressful periods in their professional and personal lives and they need the resources from work and from home to help them. I do think, very often, burnout is due to an accumulation of stress and not confined to an isolated incident at work…very often something is not going well at home. The good thing is nowadays we are talking about it. I have been in HR for over 25 years and it’s only in the last few years we realize it as a genuine concern for the individual, the team and the organisation. In a report published in 2010, the Federal Statistics Office highlighted the exposure of workers to psychosocial risks: 41% of those interviewed said they were under strong psychological pressure at work and we all have to be concerned about that. I encourage employees to come to me with any difficulties they are having but I don’t always have the power to change the situation, and that’s frustrating.”
Psychiatrist “I see patients who have experienced some form of personal professional burnout. Without generalising, these types of people are often smart, kind, and sensitive and so are at higher risk for burnout. The burnout fogs logical thinking and reasoning and even the most intelligent individual can find it hard to think straight. Unfortunately, frequently they do not demonstrate or confide in anyone until its too late…. We know that stress manifests itself in different ways, namely psychological, behavioural and physical. If the duration of the stress is sufficiently long, the body eventually enters a stage of exhaustion; a sort of aging due to wear and tear - prolonged or intense stress could sometimes lead to disease even death. The problem is when the accumulation of stress, and the reluctance to use the resources available to patients, results in a gradual depletion of energy and eventually burnout. I understand that deadlines have to be met and the changing method in the way we work now means it doesn't even matter where you do your work any more…So now you can work around the clock. Crouter et al. (1989) coined the phrase Work-Life spill over and this is exactly what is happening now.”
Burnout survivor “In 2008, I began an assignment with a very difficult and demanding client. I began to notice that I was not sleeping well, I was irritable and I was starting to get bad headaches. The client whom I was working with was very controlling and demanding. He expected over and above what was required from me. In September 2008 I felt the increased strain of working with this client and thus went to consult a doctor. The doctor advised me to take a week off work but I took only two days off work. This enraged the client even further and thus decided he would not pay for the services that I had provided. A legal battle began and I gradually became tired, withdrawn and fatigued by the situation. I knew I did not have the right technical skills to manage the project and told my company that I was not going to deliver what they had promised to the client. I felt physically and emotionally drained, and isolated, and the situation made me feel frustrated, misunderstood and angry.
I tried to signal to my colleagues at my company that there were a series of core issues with the project and that the problems would worsen if not dealt with collectively. Physically I was beginning to feel increasingly tired and mentally exhausted due to my professional situation. I also began to feel irritable at home as a consequence of the stressful situation at work. I started questioning the purpose of my role in life and feelings of worthlessness and despair began to surface - these were manifested by me through anger and irritability at home.
The situation did not change for me despite my protests and everyone was dissatisfied with the progress I had made. From all sides I felt I was getting all the blame for the failure of a project.
The climax came in February 2009. I woke up but could not get out of bed… I was washed out, kaput, completely defeated, I felt physically ruined. Never did I expect that the emotional stress and my working conditions would lead me to this physical state. So many times the alarm bells went off but I did not listen to any of them.”
Tips
If you now feel that you are completely fed up with work and that you lack the energy to do anything about it, the first solution is to:
- Step back from the situation; take a day off.
- Focus on those important priorities and put them into action at once
- Refuel your energy
- Think about what you expect of yourself, what others expect of you and what you have committed to fulfill
- Talk about how you feel to someone you trust and listen to their response
- Give yourself positive feedback as you succeed in achieving your revised goals
- Listen to your body before you surpass your limits, to return to normal
Ref: Geneva Business News | Actualités: Emploi, RH, économie, entreprises, Genève, Suisse.
Ref: Crouter, A. C. (1984). Spillover from family to work: The neglected side of the work–family interface. Human Relations, Crouter et al. (1989) Work-Life spill over
Bio
Sunita Sehmi was born in London and is of Indian origin. She has a Psychology degree and a Post Grad in the Development and Training for Adults from the University of Surrey.
She began her career in the recruitment industry where she worked in Executive Finance Recruitment in the city of London. Upon her arrival in Geneva, she completed the advanced level Cambridge University training certificate (CELTA) and thus began a career in teaching, training and development. She has taught English and Communication skills both in companies and in educational institutions for over twenty years. She is now the founder of Walk The Talk. www.walkthetalk.ch
Sunita lives in Geneva with her husband and their two boys. She has a Masters from the University of Geneva, Lausanne, Neuchatel and Fribourg, specializing in Career Management and Coaching
Photo courtesy of nellart
By Crissy Mueller, Writing that Works
One of the challenges you might face as an expat building up your own business here is how to attract local, non-English speaking customers/clients, especially if you don’t speak the language (well). Can it even be done? How?
I would say the answer is YES. It’s possible. At first, it might seem daunting. But with just a little effort and perhaps investing in the right resources, it could make a huge difference to your bottom line. Here are some ways to get started:
1.Learn about the local business and consumer culture
The gap between the “international” and the “local” might seem larger than it actually is simply because of lack of knowledge. The best place to start is to research the business culture in Switzerland. Switzerland is a bit complex because of the four different language regions – but there are some overarching commonalities as well. Many helpful points on doing business in Switzerland are summarized here. Also, observe the ways other companies in your niche advertise and market their businesses. Gather samples of flyers, etc. Watch some Swiss TV commercials. What do people seem to like.
2.Meet local people
Getting to know local people is key, and not just necessarily in a business networking setting, but in any setting. Good options are networking opportunities available through organizations such as OWIT Lake Geneva (mostly geared towards women). The Workshops and Seminars section of the knowitall.ch calendar is also worth keeping an eye on. For an excellent opportunity to meet other local entrepreneurs, look out for the “Free for Lunch” events organized by the Business Club of the Vaud chamber of commerce (CVCI). This event brings together local business executives for an informal networking opportunity over lunch. While the Business Club itself is open to members only, anyone can attend events like this one as it’s organized in cooperation with International Link (an organization created by the CVCI to promote the integration of expats in the region). Look out for the next “Free for Lunch” event (and many others) on the International Link calendar.
