PREFACE FROM THE FOUNDER, SEEMA JAIN
Welcome to Seva Global’s first quarterly newsletter, The Seva Story! We are excited to share our company’s services, cultural tips, and other highlights you might find helpful or interesting. I am grateful for your support and encouragement as I began my new journey last year. Seva Global has provided the opportunity to take my cultural knowledge and share it across all industries. In the last few months my small but mighty team has worked diligently and done a fantastic job to get us ready for the year. We have been planting seeds with potential clients who inspire us and share our passion about cultural competency. We want to travel on this journey with you and lead with a global mindset. Cheers to a brighter 2021! Each newsletter will have tips related to cultural competency. If you have any ideas to share, please let us know as we are always seeking to increase our own cultural intelligence! THIS EDITION'S TIP
When scheduling conferences or meetings – whether they be virtual, in-person, or some mix of the two – be mindful of upcoming global holidays so that you can respect those who may by celebrating them. For example, if you are hosting a meeting on February 12, which is the beginning of the Chinese New Year, it might be difficult for your Chinese attendees to participate since they may wish to celebrate with their family. Think of it this way: if you celebrate Christmas, you most likely would not appreciate a meeting on December 25. Being mindful of global holidays is a simple way to showcase your cultural competency! NEXT CHAPTER
Seva Global is excited to offer TWO new presentations ready for launch in the first quarter of 2021. THE GLOBAL JOURNEY: CULTURAL TIPS TO HELP YOU SOAR! (AVAILABLE NOW) An interactive presentation that highlights eight countries and the top cultural tips to know when working with people from these regions. The presentation is designed to provide a brief overview of each culture’s customs, norms, and protocols in order to help you understand the similarities and differences between them. (Approximately 60 minutes) LEADING WITH A GLOBAL MINDSET: THE EVENT PROFESSIONAL'S GUIDE TO A SUCCESSFUL MEETING (COMING FEBRUARY 2021) Do you plan international events? Do you have diverse attendees? Do your clients have a global presence? If so, you will benefit from this presentation, which provides insight into how to be more culturally competent in all aspects of event planning. From Registration to Food & Beverage to Activities, we will help you lead with a global mindset and shine in front of your leaders. (Approximately 45 minutes) Have a cultural competency need for your organization? Let us know how we can assist!
MY SEVA STORY
Seva (pronounced “SAY-vah”) is a Sanskrit word that describes the act of selfless service. In 2020, I was blessed with the opportunity to spend time with and take care of my parents for an extended period, which enabled me to do greater "seva" for them. It is a great joy to help my parents when I can. As first generation immigrants, they worked hard to give me a good life, and I am honored to have the chance to care for them in return. The term "seva" can mean helping parents, elders, or one’s community.
In each newsletter, we hope to share a story from one of our readers about how they are practicing service to others. The concept of "seva" is seen in many cultures. Here are two examples:
As one of the five pillars of Islam, zakat is a form of alms-giving. All Muslims who meet the necessary criteria are obligated to donate at least 2.5% of their accumulated wealth for the benefit of the poor and destitute.
The literal meaning of the Hebrew word mitzvah is commandment, but the generally accepted sense is that of a good deed, meaning a conscious act of empathy and kindness. In fact, many Jewish homes have a blue and white tin box for the deposit of tzedakah coins for charity.
Please share how your culture practices "seva" and let us know how you are helping a customer, colleague, community, neighbor, or friend! You can send your "seva story" to Elizabeth Vukovich.
TRAVEL SAFELY. TRAVEL WELL.
I believe that most hotels and airlines have done an exceptional job in cleanliness during the pandemic. I am comfortable traveling when necessary while, of course, taking proper safety measures to comply with the CDC guidelines. If you need any travel tips, please contact me… happy to share! Here is my travel schedule for the next few months (covid permitting). If you are in these cities, please let me know. Perhaps we can meet for a socially distant walk outside. February 1-26: Dallas (driving to escape the Chicago cold!) February 12-14: Houston March 10-12: Washington, DC April 2-18: Austin
HOLIDAYS
Chinese New Year
Begins Friday, February 12, 2021
(Year of the Ox)
Carnival Friday, February 12 - Wednesday, February 17, 2021
Holi
Sunday, March 28, 2021
SPEAKER SPOTLIGHT CORNER
In each newsletter, we will feature an expert from a different subject area who will provide us with some recommendations as we all continue to learn and grow. Since COVID-19 is on everyone’s minds, we asked Dr. Manoj Jain, an infectious disease physician, to provide us with three recommendations for staying safe during a pandemic:
1. Be mindful of unmasked exposure to another unmasked person. The dangerous point is when there has been more than 15 minutes of unmasked exposure. Meals with members outside of your pod should be avoided as much as possible. 2. If you feel you may have been potentially exposed to COVID-19, wait five full days before getting tested. Getting tested too early might result in a false negative. 3. Always opt for the PCR lab test – it is more reliable and accurate than rapid testing. The results should be ready in 2-3 days.
For more information, please visit mjainmd.com
Seva Global offers a wide array of services to foster cultural competence across organizations. Through our customized solutions and consultations, we can help to increase employee engagement, enhance customer experience, and drive bottom line results. Our goal is to help teams become more culturally competent when engaging with people from different backgrounds. We would love your feedback on this newsletter. Please share with anyone you think it may interest!
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