Page 5 - DIVA_1_2016

fAFtl

I'm learning

ancient greek next

Over and over again, I ask myselfi If both of them are satisfied (and this put after my name "Dip. I.o.D"! That
Why do I do it? is not certain), then they recommend should have been enough, but not
to a selection committee your ac- for me! When everyone was having

I am talking about putting myself creditation. If one says "yes" and the a great time at Christmas, I down-
through hell for no logical reason. other says "no", then you have to be loaded the application for Chartered
Let me explain. interviewed by another worthy pair. Director and began all over again.

About two years ago, I had a casual For no logical reason at all, I enrolled Now, halfway through January and
conversation with SOmeOne who on the Certificate course with the zeal I am filling forms, sending reports,
worked for the British Institute of of a teenager determined to devour paying fees, responding to ques-
Directors (I.o.D), a highly respected an entire large pizza in one session! tions and waiting to be told if I am
body in the United Kingdom. As the invited for the hallowed interview. If
name suggests, it is a club for senior I attended the lectures, revised over and when I am interviewed, it will be
business people who are involved in 1,000 pages of documentation, sat some six weeks before I become "one
company boardrooms-small, me- through revision webinars, answered of them".
dium and large. mock questions on-line and finally

sat the exam -which I hated with Why do I do it? I am not entirely
The institute is headquartered in a a passion. I then had to wait for six sure. After all, I dorrt need it; my job
magnificent Regency building on weeks before I received the e-mail does not depend on it; my career is
the prestigious Pall Mall in London. that told me I had passed my "Cer- largely behind me; I am not a partic-
The building belongs to the Queen of tificate" Level; now I could use "Cert. ularly good student; I hate exams -
England but she lets the institute use I.o.D" after my name! nothing makes sense. Further, this
it for free, provided they maintain it. is not cheap, it already cost me over

It was constructed in the early nine- Later, I attended the next set of lec- US$15,000 in fees and about thirty
teenth century by John Nash - he tures, webinars, mock exams, real days of precious personal time, not to
who built the Brighton Pavilion and exam (more stressful than a visit to mention the stress and anxiety. The
Marble Arch. the dentist) and waited in agony un- best explanation I can give you is: No
til I passed my "Diploma" level just matter how high or far we get in life,
Mycolleague casuallymentionedthat before Christmas last year; I can now there is always another peak to climb,
the institute awarded a "Chartered another hurdle to jump, another
Director" status to people who sat- rainbow to chase. Sometimes we
isfied its conditions. Thinl6ng that get to an age when we stop see-

you simply filled in a form and ing these goals and cease trying.
paid the fees I asked: what do I do? It gets harder and less purpose-
Wrong question! ful with age and takes more ef-
fort. But, when we reach another
I had opened "Pandora's Box"! It summit, boy does it feel great!
turned out you have to enrol in
courses, pass exams and answer a I am glad I began this journey a
bunch of devilish questions. If you couple of years ago. It has been
are masochistic enough, you can interesting, invigorating and re-
then ask for a "Chartered Director" warding. Whoever you are, what-
accreditation. This is when it gets ever your age is, may I offer this
hard! It requires the submission simple advice: keep searching for
of detailed evidence to prove that challenges and test yourself-it
a significant part of your work en- will be the malcing of you.
tails directorship, annual reports,
organizational charts ... and more. I wonder how hard Ancient
If this satisfies them, you are in- Greek is? What do you think?
vited to meet two senior members. Mupzn Srxxhn

IN TER N ATIO N A L DI PLO M AT - DIV A 3