NBK INisder November Test
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Transcript of NBK INisder November Test
insider
ΝΒΚΝΒΚΝΒΚΝΒΚ
© PR Department NBK Holding 2009 Year 2—Issue 16 October 2009
VVVVVVVVVVVV I S I O N F O R T H E F U T U R EI S I O N F O R T H E F U T U R EI S I O N F O R T H E F U T U R EI S I O N F O R T H E F U T U R E
NBKS inaugurates the Station at Musheireb Area! PAGE 3
SAP Team updates PAGE 6
H1N1: What you can do! PAGE 11
2
W e’d like to take this opportunity to share with you all that Qatar needs our help and support today more than ever.
As you may know, the country has signed up for the race to bring home the FIFA World Cup in 2022. To have the ‘beautiful game’ staged in Qatar is to draw the world’s attention to the whole Arab world and to propel an image of a forward looking state that is bringing populations and cultures from across the globe together under the FIFA flag “For the Game, For the World”. The name of our organization has been long associ-ated with the best in sports and to that effect, Qatar is counting upon each and every one of you to be the ambassadors of this bid and to help spread the word nationwide. To host the World Cup in Qatar would bring the most historic sports game ever for the very first time to the Middle East. To host the World Cup in Qatar will offer a unique opportunity to football fans to enjoy the true Arabian hospitality, tradition and heritage amidst spectacular venues and cities. Qatar is known for its dynamism, its passion for foot-ball and its investment in the Sports industry in general and the country is now looking to set another benchmark working towards achieving greater unity and understanding between peoples from every con-tinent and showcasing the real image of the Middle Eastern region. So let’s all wish the bidding committee of the 2022 World Cup the best of luck as the decision will be taken in December 2010!
NBK PR Department
Inside this Issue:
Pages 3– 4 NBK News Bulletin
Page 5 NBK Family Round-Up
Page 6 SAP Journey SAP Updates
Page 7 HR News
Page 8 U-Matter Dot Com Bubble—Lessons Learned
Page 9 Announcement Ask Your Management
Page 10 In Depth Intech
Page 12 Round & about Generosity
Page 11 Health Tips H1N1: Protect Yourself
NBK Insider
Issue 16 - October 2009
NEWS Bulletin
BRABUS Is Best Tuning Brand for the Fourth Con-secutive Time; Auto motor und sport Readers Vote BRABUS ‘BEST BRAND 2009’ The readers of Germany’s leading automobile magazine ‘auto motor und sport’ have spoken: For the fourth consecutive time they voted for BRABUS as the ‘BEST BRAND’ in the “Tuners” category. The participants in the reader poll were asked to name those tuners whose products they deemed especially convincing. More than half of them – exactly 52.9 percent of all respondents – picked BRABUS as their top choice. On the occasion, Said Radwan Ogali, NBK Prime Ride General Man-ager said: “NBK Prime ride is proud to be the sole agent of BRABUS in Qatar. Being voted ‘BEST BRAND 2009’ for being the best tuning brand is more than just an honor. It is also the ultimate motivation for NBK Prime Ride and BRABUS to continue to develop high-performance automobiles and tuning components that meet and ex-ceed the high expectations our customers, the media and the general public place on us. BRABUS Offers the Best tuning quality, Body kits, wheel rims and leather for all Mercedes-Benz vehicles. All BRABUS products are backed up by BRABUS warranty of two years”. Feel free to contact the Human Resources Department for more in-formation about INJAZ and their volunteer program.
S-Class sets new standard in the luxury segment Mercedes-Benz is setting a new benchmark with its 2009 version of the S-Class, the Middle East & Levant’s favorite German luxury sedan and setting new standards in sustainability.
Trailblazing innovations in comfort and drive engineering combined with state-of-the-art technology for enhanced safety consolidate the Mercedes-Benz flagship's position as the brand's innovation driver and underscore its pioneering role in the automotive industry as a whole. Technology highlights include the world's first standard production hy-brid drive with a lithium-ion battery in the S 400 HYBRID, which makes the top-of-the-line Mercedes-Benz model the most economical petrol-engine luxury saloon.
The S-Class's traditionally exemplary standard of safety is further en-hanced by a unique combination of innovative camera and radar-based driver assistance systems which turn the luxury saloon into an ‘intelligent’ partner on the road.
NBK Insider
Issue 16 - October 2009
NEWS Bulletin Qatar Automobiles Company extends value promotion on Mitsubishi vehicles
QAC has extended its value promotion on Mitsubishi vehicles offering lower prices and interest rates, and attractive financial solutions. QAC had joined hands with Doha Bank during the Holy Month of Ramadan to offer the promotion exclusively for Mitsubishi vehicles, which has been well-received by customers. One of the biggest automotive promotions of its kind in Qatar, the QAC offer has now been further strengthened by an array of new and innovative customer service solutions.
Qatar Automobiles Company strengthens customer support with modern service centre
QAC has unveiled new customer-oriented initiatives aimed at enhancing the after-sales service support to customers. Among key initiatives is a new service centre to be opened shortly at Street 41 of the Industrial Area, which can service up to 100 cars daily.
Further building on QAC’s reputation as an award-winning automobile dealer, the new service centre will be complemented by a lifetime war-ranty on all Mitsubishi vehicles. These initiatives are in line with QAC’s commitment to further strengthen the customer experience and build lasting bonds with customers.
Qatar Automobiles Company unveils all-new 2009 Mitsubishi Pajero Sports QAC has unveiled the Year 2009 Mitsubishi Pajero Sports, a dream vehicle for automobile enthusiasts. An ideal family vehicle with the latest safety features, the all-new Mitsubishi Pajero Sports seats seven and bundles sheer power and performance that is unmatched among vehicles in its class.
QAC has already commenced booking for the new vehicle at its showrooms in Qatar. Tailored for off road and long highway cruises, the 2009 Mitsubishi Pajero Sports has all the markings of a clear win-ner, and will be a perfect fit for those looking for a family vehicle that also alternates as a rough rider capable of pulling heavy loads.
High value, high power and a body that shapes the future Qatar Automobiles Company pushes price boundaries even further for Mitsubishi Eclipse QAC has pledged to cut the cost once again of the stunning Mitsubishi Eclipse unveiled earlier in the Year. The Eclipse 3.8 liter v6 has one of the sportiest looks on Qatar’s roads, the power to reach 210 kmph and the curves to turn heads at every street corner.
5
NBK Insider
Issue 16 - October 2009
NBK Insider wishes a Happy Birthday to:
NBK Family Round-Up!
Bosch Automotive Shambhumahra Chamar 1 Nov
Class Leasing Davidson Cometa 1 Nov
Michelin Shyam Ranathungage 1 Nov
NBK Real Estate Sherif Ghali 1 Nov
Bosch Automotive Shabar Dalvi 2 Nov
Doha Petrol Station Eric Dela Cruz 2 Nov
Heavy Equipment Harry Salayan Ladera 2 Nov
Intech Muhadi Tangsir 2 Nov
QAC Industrial Area Jesus Salcedo 2 Nov
NBK Auto Cristina Manuel 2 Nov
NBK Holding Rami Mansour 2 Nov
QAC Industrial Area Tek Bahadur Kawar 3 Nov
Heavy Equipment Ricky Rollinas 4 Nov
Intech Pratheesh Vellachalil 4 Nov
QAC Industrial Area Vipul Mudiyanselage 4 Nov
QAC PDI Babu Chaudhari 4 Nov
NBK Travel Rania El-Zeibak 4 Nov
NBK Holding Yogesh Batra 4 Nov
NBK Holding Charene Anne Carbungco 4 Nov
Quiksilver Rym Laouiti 4 Nov
QAC Industrial Area Charith Hewage 5 Nov
QAC Industrial Area Anuradha Nissanka 5 Nov
QAC Salwa Adel Nasser Hassan 5 Nov
NBK Auto Dennis Mangsat 5 Nov
NBK Real Estate Joey Belen 5 Nov
NBK Trading Kumaratunge Mudalige 5 Nov
Projects Promotion Akbar Paduvingal Ali 5 Nov
Select Rizwana Abd Alrasheed 5 Nov
Bosch Automotive Antonio Zapata 6 Nov
Manakish Al Basha Richard Enriquez 6 Nov
Michelin Alex Culaton 6 Nov
NBK Holding Rowena Ibarrola 6 Nov
NBK Holding Nandhakumar Vettekudath 6 Nov
ZAI Cherly Hallasgo 6 Nov
Intech Rastadi Rastam 7 Nov
Lina's Cafe Pushpa Thubadeniye 7 Nov
NBK Trading Fahed Al Hussein 7 Nov
Art Marine Saaddine Al Jamal 8 Nov
Bio Medical Annel Aguilar 8 Nov
NBK Fashion Adel Saleh 8 Nov
Kawasaki Nelson Javier 8 Nov
QAC Al Wakra Nelson Urbano 8 Nov
NBK Carpentry Mohamed Askar Jamaldeen 8 Nov
Select(Vehicle Leasing) Abdel Wahid Abdel Majid 8 Nov
ZAI Alvin Gomez 8 Nov
Doha Petrol Station Lilibeth Nazareno 9 Nov
QAC Industrial Area Nishantha Arachchillage 9 Nov
QAC Salwa Marianne Usman 9 Nov
NBK Auto Shaju Joseph 9 Nov
Heavy Equipment Jamal Abdalla 10 Nov
QAC Salwa Mohamed Ali Darwish 10 Nov
NBK Auto Alex Santos 10 Nov
NBK Auto Hazrat Qureshi 10 Nov
Quiksilver Mark Nocasa 10 Nov
Intech Chandra Yadav 11 Nov
NIC Dennis Lacson 11 Nov
NBK Auto Krishna Bahadur Bahadur kunwar 11 Nov
NBK Auto Valurakayil Narendran 11 Nov
NBK Trading Joseph Sunil Silva Andige 11 Nov
Heavy Equipment Rico Perales 12 Nov
Michelin Karunadasa Rathnayaka 12 Nov
QAC PDI Rabi Gurung 12 Nov
NIC Chitilappally Francy 12 Nov
NBK Auto Poniciano Alvarez 12 Nov
NBK Trading Ranjith Kumara Kankanamalage 12 Nov
NBK Trading Asanka Pathiraja 12 Nov
Select(Vehicle Leasing) Mohammed Meah 12 Nov
Bosch Home Appliances Imad Saifan 13 Nov
Intech Fernandez Mario xavier 13 Nov
Heavy Equipment Jessif Penaflorida 14 Nov
Heavy Equipment Richard Aguipo 14 Nov
Heavy Equipment Sujith Namalwatte 14 Nov
QAC Industrial Area Renee Fernandez 14 Nov
QAC Industrial Area Leo Macanas 14 Nov
NBK Trading Ranjula Fernando 14 Nov
Heavy Equipment Sajeev Panicker 15 Nov
Michelin Vancheeswarath Babu 15 Nov
NBK Holding Anna Marie Tutor 15 Nov
Bosch Home Appliances Kamal Abou Nada 16 Nov
QAC Al Wakra Mohamed Sabras Aliyar 16 Nov
NBK Real Estate Noli Saquillo 16 Nov
NBK Holding Mohammad Idrees Chowdhry 16 Nov
NBK Holding Anjo Jose Thachil Kannayi 16 Nov
Class Leasing Joey Estinor 17 Nov
NBK Real Estate Noelito Jason Norman 17 Nov
NBK Trading Mahinda Gamage 17 Nov
Ziebart Glenn Polo Layson 17 Nov
Intech Romli Rais Tayat 18 Nov
Michelin Wasala Kandegama 18 Nov
QAC Industrial Area Amina Abdel Rahman 18 Nov
NBK Auto Marilon Barco Barco Chan 18 Nov
NBK Auto Ziad Khaireddin 18 Nov
NBK Holding Alaa Al Hably 18 Nov
NBK Auto Pamela Reyes 19 Nov
QAC Industrial Area Thekkekara Mathew Kurian 20 Nov
QAC Industrial Area Allan Nobleza Inventor 20 Nov
NBK Auto Mohammed Fawzi El-Shafey 20 Nov
NBK Holding Yousuf Awad 20 Nov
Intech Thirunana Kabilan 21 Nov
QAC Industrial Area Deonald Beren 21 Nov
QAC Industrial Area Gilbert Ramos 21 Nov
NBK Carpentry Branislav Travica 21 Nov
NBK Auto Alejandro Narboneta 21 Nov
NBK Holding Ronald Celades 21 Nov
Michelin Ramesh Sunar 22 Nov
NBK Auto Allan Alea 22 Nov
NBK Real Estate Mahmoud Abaza 22 Nov
Doha Petrol Station Vivian Ricafuente 23 Nov
Doha Petrol Station Jayantha Rohan Jayaweera 23 Nov
Lina's Cafe Fortaliza Yoyoy 23 Nov
NBK Trading Top Oli 23 Nov
NBK Holding Carmencita Daniel 23 Nov
Silver Cafe Francisco Bausin 23 Nov
Manakish Al Basha Jayantha Koralage 24 Nov
QAC Duhail Sajee Mathew 24 Nov
QAC Industrial Area Efren Villaber 24 Nov
NBK Trading Selladorai Ramesh 24 Nov
NBK Trading Nalaka Gamaralalage 24 Nov
NBK Trading Nadith Priyankara Egodage 24 Nov
NBK Holding Sheryl M Adolfo 24 Nov
NBK Holding Thomas Daniel 24 Nov
Heavy Equipment Hamdi Abaza 25 Nov
QAC PDI Jamal Ahmed 25 Nov
NBK Auto Jeffrey Manalad 25 Nov
Prime Labels Hani Touma 25 Nov
Heavy Equipment Mohammed AbdelMohsen 26 Nov
QAC Industrial Area Nelson Balid 26 Nov
Quiksilver Rosalie Casas 26 Nov
Class Leasing Fredrick Munanga 28 Nov
NBK Fashion Sabine Meyer 28 Nov
QAC Salwa Nancy Moussa 28 Nov
NBK Auto Aluthdurage Rupasinghe 28 Nov
NBK Auto Ashraf Kahoush 28 Nov
NBK Auto Mahmoud El Ansary 28 Nov
NBK Auto Geraldine Patigayon 28 Nov
NBK Trading Jhup Roka 29 Nov
Class Leasing Saleh El-Taweel 30 Nov
Intech Satish Kumar Singh 30 Nov
QAC Industrial Area Mohamad Taiseer Safyia 30 Nov
NBK Trading Rathnaweera Arachchige 30 Nov
NBK Trading Mohammad Alnagam 30 Nov
NBK Trading Abdul Kaish Hawari 30 Nov
Elaine Tapnio NBK Holding Stock Control Assistant
Mercy Reyes NBK Holding Accountant
Eldo Kurian NBK Holding Accountant
Jeyantherakumar Kopalasamy Class Leasing Driver
Zaldy Ramirez Doha Petrol Station Pump Filler
Francis Perez Doha Petrol Station Pump Filler
Edilberto Rodriguez Doha Petrol Station Pump Filler
Orlando Jr. Abuan Doha Petrol Station Pump Filler
Mohammathu Jahufar Harley Davidson Driver
Ameen Mohamed Ibrahim NBK Trading Batching Plant Electrician
Mandilakkottil Rajan QAC Salwa Fleet Sales Supervisor
Shahul Hameed Select Driver - Heavy Duty
Nasser Bin Khaled welcomes new
assets to the family
Rania Khalil Anowr PR Manager NBK Holding
Anala Shenolikar Secretary NBK Holding
Ana Marie Cruz Reservation Staff NBK Travel
Preciuos Muana Secretary Harley Davidson
Adade Christian Carpenter H-Deco Qatar
Adjei Collins Carpenter H-Deco Qatar
Ernest John Ironman Project Manager H-Deco Qatar
Jaime Montuya Field Salesman Heavy Equipment
Cesar Ligaya Auto Mechanic Michelin
Joel Jamora Service Advisor Michelin
Francis William Coles Project Manager NBK & Sons
Hazem Abd Al-Razek Sales Manager NBK Auto
Jacqueline Caparas Secretary NBK Auto
Kadi Habashi Cleaner/Washer NBK Auto
Rosalie Casas Sales Assistant NBK Fashion
Marilou Sayaman Sales Assistant NBK Fashion
Fernando Morales Jr Warehouse Assistant NBK Fashion
Junmar Ampong Security Guard NBK Real Estate
Romel Daghoy Security Guard NBK Real Estate
Hanadi Ibrahim Admin Services Assistant NBK Real Estate
Abdul Salam Vakayil Heavy Vehicle Driver NBK Trading
Mohan Roka General Helper NBK Trading
Keerihi Arachchillage Heavy Driver NBK Trading
Sarath Liyanage Truck Mixture Driver NBK Trading
Abeykoon Abeykoon Maintenance Foreman NBK Trading
Tonilyn Dampil Waitress Prime F&B
Ziad Labban Waiter Prime F&B
Mtanios Jarjoura Cook Prime F&B
Himalaya Kharel Cashier QAC
Romeo Del Mundo Painter QAC
Alaa Youssry Advertising Executive QAC
Alina Moldovan Sales Consultant QAC
Samah Sharkawy Customer Care Executive QAC
Sait Demirel Service Advisor QAC
Nasser Bin Khaled wishes farewell and best of luck to:
NBK Insider Issue 16 - October 2009
7
A Culture of Progress! – HR Thoughts, At a Glance
SAP Training for QAC Sales Team
Dear colleagues, We further leverage on technology in our workplace by getting the QAC sales unit on board the SAP system. From October 6 – October 13, several training ses-sions on SAP were facilitated by Chona Calderon of the Information Systems (IS) for the QAC Sales unit. All the sales staff including the management team attended the said training. Participants learned how to access inventory and book a vehicle for a customer, down to creating a quotation and completing a sales transaction. This initiative is expected to contribute to the seamless operation of the business across departments since all transactions will be under one system. This streamlines processes in the organization including access to information critical to business decisions.
8
NBK Insider Issue 16– October 2009
U-Matter! NBK invites each and every one of
you to share their thoughts, views and points
of interest on a monthly basis.
MATTER U-Matter! NBK invites each and every one of you to share their thoughts, views and points of interest on a monthly basis. This month, PR Team would like to share with you some insights on the Dot Com Bubble Burst.
Dot Com Bubble: Lessons Learned
“If trading/short-term investing is your thing, then get your profit and get out. Don’t get caught up in how much higher your stocks can go,
just sell them when you believe it’s time to get out”
It all started during the mid 1990’s. The Stock Market soared on technology and Internet stocks, IPOs were all the rage, and the sky was the limit for stock prices. The masses believed there was a new world upon us, and the internet was to become the future of business. Then reality set in when the hype didn’t live up to it’s promises, and the stock market crashed. If you take all of this for only its face value, all you see is what happens when a stock market gets overvalued and crashes, but if you look deeper you can find plenty of timeless lessons that every investor should learn. Here’s a few lessons that can be gathered from the Dot-Com bubble: Fundamentals Don’t Lie The fundamentals of the Dot-com bubble were horri-ble, most new public compa-nies weren’t profitable and some had no intention of ever making a profit. IPOs were going sky high while the business model itself showed no realistic way to turn a profit. These big warnings are known as red flags, and they were everywhere during the dot-com bubble. The educated investors and professionals in the stock market saw these red flags and knew that a crash was coming, and that’s why they were successful during the Dot-com bubble. The rest were left to fight to sell their rapidly devaluing stocks. Lesson learned: If you are investing in the stock market for the long term, don’t invest when prices are overvalued and fundamentals are poor. The combination of these two problems are practically begging for an eventual stock mar-ket crash if things don’t turn around. You want to invest when you see nothing but green flags, not red.
Trading stock market momentum is fine, but always remember it’s just momentum! The stock market rallied during the dot-com bubble for good reason: everyone and their grandma was excited about Internet based companies. The overall investor’s be-lief was optimistic and this fueled a multi-year rally that had seemingly endless momentum. But as we just learned, the fundamentals were garbage and when the momentum died, the party was over and the stock market crashed.
Lesson learned: If trading/short-term investing is your thing, then get your profit and get out. Don’t get caught up in how much higher your stocks can go, just sell them when you believe it’s time to get out. When the reality of overbought stocks comes into realiza-tion, you want to be the guy with all of your stock sold, not the guy caught off guard while panicking about what you should do.
Life-Altering Changes Don’t Happen Overnight The optimism for the Dot-com bubble was supported by the belief that internet business was somehow going to in-stantly take off and going to retail stores would be a thing of the past. Huge issues such as customers having to pay heavy shipping fees were regarded as not important, and the stock market rallied while believing that we’d all be buy-ing our groceries online and ordering our pizza from a .com site. The problem was that none of this was actually occur-ring, and it was really just wishful thinking since most com-panies had no realistic business model to get these society changing ideas off the ground. Lesson learned: The internet was invented in the 1950’s; It didn’t become popular until the 1990’s. When a company or many companies are promising life-altering changes in how we live our lives, be very skeptical. Even if these ideas for change are realistic, they don’t happen overnight, in most cases they don’t happen for decades!
NBK Insider Issue 16- October 2009
INDepth
Intech
10
Nasser Bin Khaled has itself the aim to continuously boost Qatar’s status as one of today’s world energy giants, special-izes in the engineering, design and supply of materials and related installation services for various industrial insula-tion and refractory lining applications for industrial plants in Qatar and the Middle East. Associated with Intech Group and established in 1940, Indus-trial Technology Qatar is considered one of the leading con-tracting companies in Qatar, proving its expertise in areas such as heat insulation and fire-proofing entire factories, in addition to providing premium services in Oil & Gas, Petro-chemicals, Fertilizers, Power Generation, Steel Mills and Alu-minum smelters. Industrial Technology is specialized in the engineering, design and supply of materials and related installation services for various industrial insulation and refractory lining appli-cations on industrial plants in Qatar and the Middle East. Poised for major expansion, the company has recently gone public with a variety of high-scale projects such as the pres-tigious Ras Gas Trains 6 project at Ras Laffan (Al Khaleej Gas) which includes total heat insulation of pipes, equipment, and boilers, as well as the Helium & NGL and will require the ser-vices of 1000 Engineers and Technicians. Industrial Technology Qatar looks, confidently, at the future, having set its target on several new, local and regional, land-mark industrial projects.
NBK Insider Issue 16- October 2009
Health Tips
11
H1N1 Epidemic Protecting yourself and others
One of the most effective ways to protect you, your family and friends from influenza is to practice good personal hygiene. Five simple ways to prevent the spread of pandemic influ-enza: 1. Cover your mouth and nose when you sneeze or cough The flu virus can travel through the air when a person coughs or sneezes. When you cough or sneeze you should:
• Turn away from other people
• Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve
• Use disposable tissues rather than a handkerchief (which could store the virus)
• Put used tissues into the nearest bin, rather than a pocket or handbag
• Wash your hands, or use an alcohol hand rub, as soon as possible afterwards.
People who are sick should always be encouraged to wear a surgical mask to contain the virus and help prevent its spread. 2. Wash your hands Washing your hands regularly with soap and water or using an alcohol-based product (gels, rinses, foams - available at super-markets and pharmacies) that does not require water - even when they aren't visibly dirty - is effective in killing the flu virus. Always wash your hands:
• after you've been to the toilet
• after coughing, sneezing or blowing your nose
• after being in contact with someone who has a cold or flu
• before touching your eyes, nose or mouth
• before preparing food and eating. To wash your hands properly
3. Don't share personal items The flu virus can spread when someone touches an object with the virus on it and then touches their eyes, nose or mouth. If a member of your household has the flu:
• keep personal items, such as towels, bedding and toothbrushes separate
• do not share eating and drinking utensils, food or drinks.
• In relation to sporting teams make sure that you do not share things such as towels etc.
• Most importantly, do not share water bottles and make sure hygiene is maintained with rub downs and first aid.
4. Clean surfaces Flu viruses can live on surfaces for several hours. If a member of your household has the flu, you should regularly clean sur-faces such as tables, benches, fridge doors and door knobs with soap and water or detergent. 5. Avoid close contact with others if you are unwell with flu Keeping your distance from others by standing or sitting back (at least one meter apart, where possible) will help reduce the chances of spreading the flu virus between people. While you are unwell you should remain at home and avoid go-ing out in public. If you are unwell, you should not go to work or school or attend other public or crowded gatherings, and avoid taking public transport. If you need to use public transport, it is recommended that you wear a mask to contain the virus. Do not visit people who have the flu unless it is absolutely nec-essary. If a member of your household has the flu, he or she should be separated from other members of the family if possible, and be encouraged to wear a surgical mask. If you are caring for some-one who has the flu, you too should wear a mask and gloves when in close contact to protect yourself from catching the flu.
NBK Insider
12
ROUND & about
Generosity by Alan Weiss, Ph.D., CMC – Founder, Summit Consulting Group
Generosity is not merely about the amount one gives. One of my favorite observations comes from Joseph Epstein’s A Line Our for A Walk: “…the true measure of generosity is not how much one gives but how much, after giving, one has left over.” But I’m not even talking about financial dona-tions and contributions. I’m talking about the generosity that allow one to give time, attention, solicited feedback, support, caring, and under-standing. Sometimes that needs to be the pro-verbial “tough love.” We do grievous harm to people when we lie to them in order to assist them (and, usually our-selves) in trying to maintain certain perceptions. The presentation was excellent (even though it was seriously flawed); the food was fine (even though the pasta was nearly inedible); the clothes look wonderful (even though they are age-inappropriate and terrible colors for you). You get the idea. It’s fine to overlook the trivial and the inconsequential (those flowers will not last in that location) but not the important (Can I recommend a couple of other schools that are aligned with your daughter’s career goals?).
It’s easy to be generous with tangibles and “stuff.” Those can be replaced and are non-threatening, non-emotionally involving. No matter how much I believe in a cause, writ-ing them a check is a rather impersonal act, especially, as Mr. Epstein points out, when there’s more where that came from. But head-ing a fund raising event (and not just in name only) requires far greater generosity. And telling your friend, the organization’s chair, that she is shutting down debate and alienat-ing potential donors is the greatest charity of all. Through the commission of lies or the omis-sion of truth, we enable people to perpetuate mistakes, errors, and, too often, self-destruction. Our refusal to get involved when we are friends, insiders, and trusted, is basi-cally a selfish and ungenerous act. Don’t misunderstand: I’m not proposing that you go out and start critiquing people’s attire or choices, or attempting to substitute your judg-ment as Holy Writ. All I’m suggesting is that when people expect you to tell them the truth, even if it hurts, you ought to do that. It would be generous.
Issue 16– October 2009