Three Months in Tanzania: What Have I Learned?

So I’m back home. Felt strange at first. It’s the little things I miss, like the radio in the morning, the conversations with Ed,  the outdoor lunches, the meetings with “my” team.

Going to a different world leaves traces. Sometimes less when the exposure was minimal and sometimes more, when many touch points with the other culture were made. Having spent three months in Tanzania and reflecting on it I come up with some points where I think I’ve changed somewhat. It’s an integral part of what the Global Citizen experience at Credit Suisse is about: reflection and building awareness.

I’m Working in Six Sigma – Six what?

Half of my assignment with FINCA Microfinance Bank Tanzania has almost passed – time to write about what I’m actually doing, as the objective was not entirely clear at the beginning.

FINCA Tanzania is embracing a methodology to improve processes called Six Sigma. We currently  use it to analyze account opening and other back-office processes. After visiting two branches in Dar es Salaam it became clear that we should be focusing on