NBK EMPOWERED WOMEN

NBK Insider March 2011 Issue 33

Dear NBK Family,

March is synonymous with a globally significant occasion, the

International Women's Day celebrated on the 8th of the month.

On this particular day, women across the globe come together

to reclaim attention on what can right and equal, raising aware-

ness with gender issues and promoting the significant role fe-

males play in both the social and business aspects of life.

Traditional and new media have seen a massive rise in the

number of women sharing blog articles, videos, tweets and

comments on every social medium possible in order to support

the largest ever simultaneous women's activity witnessed to

date.

At NBK, we boast a corporate culture that nurtures and re-

wards a team-spirit based on equality, respect and recognition.

Our workforce is made up of smart and talented women and

we our proud to be led by a lady whose name has been a ref-

erence in the world of business for years, Sheikha Hanadi Nas-

ser Bin Khaled Al Thani and who has been and still is consid-

ered as a role model to many.

For any thoughts, please feel free to drop us a line at nbkin-

sider@nbks.com.

All the best,

NBK Insider Team

Insider’s Note March 2011 Issue 33

NBK IN THE NEWS

March 2011 Issue 33

NBK sponsors Qatar Marine Festival

NBK has sponsored the Qatar Marine Festival this month. The second edition of Qatar Marine Festival (QMF) took place from 16 to 26 March 2011 at the Eastside Seafront of the Cultural Village Foundation (KATARA). QMF is a unique celebration with dazzling events and offbeat activities showcasing Qatar’s vibrant culture. With more than 30 events, workshops and contests it is the largest family festival of the year. Through building awareness about the importance of local

culture, marine environment, education and sport QMF seeks to educate and engage the people of Qatar in its diverse marine traditions.

Prime Food Gets ISO certification Prime Co has been recently awarded world-class quality accreditation by ISO. Prime Co. received certificates by ISO 9001:2008 Quality Management System and ISO 22000:2005 Food Management Safety Sys-tems. Prime Co.'s restaurants, "Lina's Café", "Siver Café" and "Manakish Al Basha", have been awarded The ISO 9001/22000 Certifications by Moody’s International, a worldwide leading management system cer-tification body, with scope of “Catering and Serving freshly cooked ready to eat food and beverages”. The alignment of ISO 22000 with ISO 9001 requirements will enhance the compatibility of the two standards and ease their inte-grated implementation and turn Prime Co, therefore, into a benchmark in the local F&B industry.

NBK IN THE NEWS

NBK BOWLING TOURNAMENT 2011 WINNERS

Champion

1st Place

High Series—Male

Hani Zaablawi

2nd Place

3rd Place

High Game—Female

Leah Rosello

Most Improved Bowler

Prescilla Rosales

High Average—Female

Fritzie Canda

High Series—Female

Rana Aref

High Game—Male

Mohammed Bhiry

March 2011 Issue 33

HR NEWS

CONFLICT IS THE STUFF OF LIFE Extract adapted from the CRN Network www.crnhg.org

Have You Ever Had A Conflict And Wished You Could Have Handled It Better? Conflict comes about from differences - in needs, values and motivations. Sometimes through these differences we complement each other, but sometimes we will conflict.

It is important that we do something when conflict occurs, because whether we like it or not, conflicts demand our energy. In fact, an unresolved conflict can call on tremen-dous amounts of our attention. We all know how exhaust-ing an unresolved conflict can be. It is not always easy to fix the problem but a great energy boost can come when we do. Resolving conflict requires skills. What Are Conf l ict Resolut ion Ski l ls? They are the skills that enable us to bypass personal dif-ferences and to open up to other possibilities. The skills of CR draw us closer to other people, as we jointly search for fair solutions and balanced needs. It involves a powerful shift from adversaries to co-operative partners. In this shift each person benefits. CR Skills Create Better Work Climates and More Fulfilling Relationships. For the organisational manager, or a non-management employee, skilful conflict handling is an important tool in managing situations in which conflict arises. Conflict can be seen as an opportunity for learning more about the company - its bottle-necks and inefficiencies, as well as its areas of expertise. The learning potential of conflict often goes unrecognized when staff and manage-ment react negatively to it. Conflict Resolution Skills Teach The Psychology Of Effective Communication. These skills are also the tools for building friendship and intimacy. A whole new level of trust develops as people recognize that, dealt with correctly, conflict does not have to result in disharmony. Relationships become more fulfill-ing and supporting.

Conflict Resolution resources and training are based on a number of skills which may be relevant to solving any conflict. You can pick and choose the skill(s) appro-priate to your particular issue or crisis. You will achieve success with any conflict situation when you use appro-priately one or a combination of these tools.

1. THE WIN/WIN APPROACH Identify attitude shifts to respect all parties' needs.

2. CREATIVE RESPONSE Transform problems into creative opportunities.

3. EMPATHY Develop communication tools to build rapport. Use lis-tening to clarify understanding.

4. APPROPRIATE ASSERTIVENESS Apply strategies to attack the problem not the person.

5. CO-OPERATIVE POWER Eliminate "power over" to build "power with" others.

6. MANAGING EMOTIONS Express fear, anger, hurt and frustration wisely to effect change.

7. WILLINGNESS TO RESOLVE Name personal issues that cloud the picture.

8. MAPPING THE CONFLICT Define the issues needed to chart common needs and concerns.

9. DEVELOPMENT OF OPTIONS Design creative solutions together.

10. INTRODUCTION TO NEGOTIATION Plan and apply effective strategies to reach agreement.

11. INTRODUCTION TO MEDIATION Help conflicting parties to move towards solutions.

12. BROADENING PERSPECTIVES Evaluate the problem in its broader context.

CONFLICT IS NOT A

PROBLEM IN ITSELF - IT

IS WHAT WE DO WITH IT

THAT COUNTS.

Contributed by Lance Rooney

March 2011 Issue 33

HR NEWS TRAINING PROGRAMS

NBK Certified Trainer, Lucya Abraham

(standing), facilitating the New Hire

Orientation workshop 22/3.

From L to R: Lance Rooney (Train-the-Trainer program designer and as-

sessor), Hussein Abdullatif (QAC), Marinda Thornhill (COO Auto Office),

Samuel Zidan (NBKS), Cathy Francisco (NBK Auto), Kamal Sulaiman (MB),

Conchita Ponce (PR), Lucya Abraham (HR), Rami Mansour (MB), Firas El

Zaknoun (Internal Audit) and Mahmoud Urrehman (IT).

The Human Resources Department rolled out a series of training programs March 1st-March 24th for a total of 73 staff. These courses included the following:

• Two half-day ‘New Hire Orientation’ workshops, delivered by one of our Certified Trainers, Lucya

Abraham, and attended by 23 new employees.

• PowerPoint Beginner, designed and delivered by another of our Certified Trainers, Firas El Zaknoun,

and attended by 7 staff.

• Interpersonal and Communication Skills, designed and delivered by our external training provider

Spearhead Training, attended by 12 employees.

• Strategic Thinking and Planning, also designed and delivered by Spearhead Training, and attended

by 12 managers across multiple sub-divisions.

• Excel Beginner, also designed and delivered by Firas El Zaknoun, and attended by 7 staff.

• Improving Your Sales Skills: Key Elements of Successful Selling, also designed and delivered by

Spearhead Training, and attended by 12 staff.

NBK Certified In-House Trainers with their certificates of competence at

their presentation ceremony 23/3.

Twelve NBK Staff attended a two-day training

program on Developing Effective Interpersonal

and Communication Skills provided by Spear-

head Training on March 2-3, 2011.

From L to R : Wael Al Masri (Accounts), Baha

Al Athearhe (NBKS) , (Elaine Tapnio (Credit

& Collection), Nicola Percival (Spearhead),

Diana Karaatanassova (NBK Fashion),

Mohammad Al Khuffash (QAC), Karen Al-

menana (Doha Petrol Station), Salim Khan

(QAC), Conchita Ponce (PR), Bilal Mustafa

Hassan (Bosch), Sufyan Khaled (Accounts).

Not in photo: Anna Bou Diab and Jean-Paul

Abbosh

March 2011 Issue 33

March 2011 Issue 33

In The Spotlight

Empowered Women of NBK

For years, women have been instrumental in our lives. Without women, where would we be? They have been the role model for us when it comes to self sacrifice, love, kindness, inspiration, motiva-tion, and hope. And this month, five of our beautiful and gorgeous ladies at NBK have spoken! Cleofas, Marinda, Carmela, Inas and Zulfa share with us their thoughts and inspiration in life and talk about a healthy work life balance.

What is your inspiration in life? Who is your role model?

FAMILY is my only inspiration in life. They are my happiness, success, and my whole life as well. Everytime I think of them, my whole day will be perfect. My role model is my FATHER. He molds me to become a better person.

And I am proud of who I am now. How important is women's involvement in and contribution to the business scene? The women’s involvement is very important to the business scene to encourage the entrepreneurial pursuits of younger generations in which the result of such efforts will have a positive impact on the future. And the position allowed us to provide a reminder of the balance between work and family.

How do you manage work and life balance?

Work-life balance is a problem for many people. Not just freelancers, either—anyone who works in a job that involves some kind of thinking is tempted to take work home with them. I suppose that maintaining a good balance is one of the benefits to menial shift work. My five tips for better work and life balance, are the following Manage your time better , Set Pri-orities, Learn to leave your job at work, Eat veggies and get a good sleep, Make a date with yourself

CLEOFAS NEBRES

NBK Auto

What is your inspiration in life? Who is your role model?

My inspiration in life as a believer is Prayer and the Word of God, be-cause it never fails us. I always try to have a positive mindset in order to inspire myself and others around me. Finding the power in myself. I am always inspired by the nature. As the meaning of my name “of the sea”, the sea is my favourite because it demon-strates the Greatness of our Creator. As with a happy and very good child-hood, my parents will always be my role models as they demonstrate by example what they teach us. A man and woman of their word. They al-ways expressed not to give up but rather to make a plan. Women in pub-lic that I see as role models are Sheikha Mozah and the late Princess Diana. How important is women's involve-ment in and contribution to the business scene?

My personal view on the impor-tance of women’s involvement in the business environment is our way of understanding things differently and using our imaginative skills more flu-ently than man. Women in business have more to give than to take com-pare to man. Women are successfully

balancing both work and family life to create a strong path for future genera-tions who may wish to accomplish the same achievements. Males are more adoptive and straight towards the work, whereas a woman is soft hearted and looking at every aspect more concisely, business comes to women more positively. Women tend to emphasize relation-ship of style or equality and stability whether they are talking to men or women. All of these statements bring balance in the workplace.

How do you manage work and life balance?

I believe that smiling is a powerful tool for helping my body, soul and mind to function better and bring bal-ance. It improves my health, relief my stress level and even let me relaxed.

Inner confidence enables me to

make decisions and taking actions that helps me sustain a healthy work-life and beyond balance. First of all, I aim to live my life by the values I be-lieve in and to understand myself. I list a set of goals (short, mid and long term) and prioritize my goals, my

strengths, and my actions. I ask my-self “what am I really good at?”, “where do my natural talents lie?”, “what do I enjoy most?” and “what will help me advance my life’s goals and vision?” To have this clear and un-derstanding, it will help achieving a healthy balance. The ability to be flexible is fundamental to emotional intelligence because work, life and beyond is more about heart, soul and relationships.

I always aim to see all sides of a

situation. I believe to be empathetic, respect and understand other people. Ask for help and support, and if you

are effective at managing your own feelings, you will be able to support others. Life is not only about your-self. It is important to shake off the stress of the work and spend valu-able time with my husband and chil-dren as they play an important role in my success. Always making time for leisure and in this case we are very lucky to have all four mostly the same interest. I focus to work smarter, not harder and practice good time man-agement and lead by an example are golden rules for me. Lastly, it is important to get enough sleep, exer-cise regular and ensure to have a balanced eat pattern. If I face a difficulty, I build a bridge and get over it! Staying motivated even if it is sometimes difficult. I challenge you to smile. Give it a try! Everyday smile with at least one stranger and see how much love and happiness will enter your life! Keep smiling.

“Ask for help and support, and if you are effective at managing your own feelings, you will be able to support others. Life is not only

about yourself. “

Did you know that smiling: Makes Us Attractive - We are drawn to people who smile. Changes Our Mood - Next time you are feeling down, try putting on a smile. Is Contagious - When someone is smiling they lighten up the room, change the moods of others, and make things hap-pier. Smiling Relieves Stress - Stress can really show up in our faces. Smiling helps to prevent us from looking tired, worn down, and overwhelmed. Boosts Your Immune System - Smiling helps the immune system to work better. When you you smile, immune function improves possibly because you are more relaxed. Lowers Your Blood Pressure - When you smile, there is a measurable reduction in your blood pressure. Releases Endorphins, Natural Pain Killers and Serotonin - Studies have shown that smiling releases endorphins, natural pain killers, and serotonin. Lifts the Face and Makes You Look Younger - The muscles we use to smile lift the face, making a person appear younger.

Tips from Marinda Thornhill

MARINDA THORNHILL

COO’s Office

March 2011 Issue 33

What is your inspiration in life? Who is your role model? I don't have one. Don't believe in it. That's not to say there aren't a lot of great, wonderful, caring, and influential people in the world, but at the end of the day, they're all human. They all have faults, some of which are massive. So instead of idolizing some-one, I appreciate them for what they do or have done, but I never put any-one up on too high of a pedestal.

How do you manage work and life balance?

It's not easy,. Working is something

that's important to me, and also nec-

essary. I try to do as many things be-

fore hand as possible. I've cooked

meals the night before while doing

dishes, baths, so that the next night

the meal is "home cooked" in com-

parison to a quick meal.. I do laundry over night (throw the load in

and then go to sleep). My son does not help with anything re-

lated home . The floors aren't always spot less and there's often a

laundry basket filled with clothes, but we're happy and that's

what's most important.

What is your inspiration in life? Who is your role model? My inspirations has always been my family. My husband and my three daughters, they are the ones that give me the drive to take action to my ideas and goals out into the world. How important is women's involvement in and contribution to the business scene? The importance of women’s involvement in the business scene is very high. In this time of the modern world and in most parts of the corporate world gender issues are no longer present in its business arena. Women have gained equal rights in the business commu-nity and they have proven that they are capable of carrying out re-sponsibilities and tasks as well as their male counterparts. Their competence and skills are now widely recognized. Many have be-come women executives who served as CEO’s, Managing Direc-tors, and General Managers in major global corporations. How do you manage work and life balance? Work and life balance is problem to many people managing it well results in healthy family life and high productivity in the workplace. I avoid becoming a workaholic, if I have a spill over work for a day; I usually say to myself “I can do this in the morning”. I always put a wall between my personal and professional life to keep it always separated although it is hard for me to switch my mobile phone “off” when at home. Finally I always make sure that I am always fully recharged at the beginning of every work week.

Inas Bahtity

Human Resources Dep’t

“The floors aren't always spot less and there's often a laundry basket

filled with clothes, but we're happy and that's what's most important. ”

Carmela Barles

DCEO’s Office

March 2011 Issue 33

What is your inspiration in life? Who is your role model? My father is my Role model, in addition, I was inspired by the author of the best-selling book, “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Peo-ple” , reading Covey’s books made a major paradigm shift in my life. How important is women's involvement in and contribution to the business scene? Women represent one half of society, I believe both genders should have equal chances based on their qualifications and competencies. However , Women even highly educated and multi-skilled need to pay more efforts than men to secure equivalent jobs. How do you manage work and life balance? It is not easy, there are always things to sacrifice, for me , I am blessed with an understanding husband and smart kids raised to be independent. Though I have home assistant, I still enjoy waking up early mornings to cook before coming to work.

Zulfa Al Disi

Quality Assurance

March 2011 Issue 33

POSITIVE QUOTES

We know how a positive mind can make a lot of things seem better. So let these positive quotes add a

few positive notes to your day.

All these inspirational quotes have been collected from the wisdom and inspiring words of various women.

Many of these quotes will unfold a certain truth, roll out some strong advice and brew up a lot of good-

ness.

Enjoy!

Be thankful for what you have; you'll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don't have,

you will never, ever have enough.

-- Oprah Winfrey

Just don't give up trying to do what you really want to do. Where there is love and inspiration, I don't

think you can go wrong.

-- Ella Fitzgerald

The best cosmetic in the world is an active mind that is always finding something new.

-- Mary Meek Atkeson

The most basic and powerful way to connect to another person is to listen. Just listen. Perhaps the most

important thing we ever give each other is our attention... A loving silence often has far more power to

heal and to connect than the most well-intentioned words.

-- Rachel Naomi Remen

March 2011 Issue 33

EMPLOYEES OF THE MONTH

Amal Hussein Tarek Habbal Jonel Centeno Rochdi Saadellah

Rasha Mahran Ayad Al Dali Tulasi Lungba Faris Alousi

Mustafa Al Habbab Jawahir Ismail Mohammed Ougly Runesh Parathatta

Melchor Laxamana Salim Sulaiman Mohammad Talukder

March 2011 Issue 33

EMPLOYEES OF THE MONTH

March 2011 Issue 33

Can radiation poisoning be treated? In some ways yes, but in other ways no. Potassium iodide can

block radioactive iodine from being taken into the thyroid gland,

protecting it from injury. However, it won’t protect other parts

of the body, or reverse damage to the thyroid once it has oc-

curred.

What are some sources and uses of radioactive materials? Radioactive materials are widely used in hospitals, research

labs, industry and construction sites for such things as diagnos-

ing and treating illnesses, sterilizing equipment, and irradiating

food. Radioactive byproduct material in the United States is

regulated by either state or federal laws. The Nuclear Regulatory

Commission, together with 32 states which regulate radioactive

material, have over 21,000 organizations licensed to use such

materials for these purposes.

Other man-made radioactive materials come from nuclear power

and weapons sites. In the United States, radioactive waste is

located at more than 70 commercial nuclear power sites in 31

states. Enormous quantities also exist overseas, especially in

Europe and Japan.

Medical procedures, including diagnostic X-rays, nuclear medi-

cine and radiation therapy, make up the most significant source

of man-made radiation exposure to the general public. Other

legal uses of radioactive materials include industrial radiogra-

phy, manufacture of gauging devices, gas chromatography, and

well logging. It is used in consumer products such as smoke

detectors (americium), "exit" signs, static eliminators, and lumi-

nous watch dials. Some examples of radioactive materials are

cesium, americium, plutonium, and strontium.

How can I be exposed to radiation?

Small quantities of radioactive materials occur naturally in the

air we breathe, the water we drink, the food we eat, and in our

own bodies. People receive some background radiation exposure

each day from the sun, from radioactive elements in soil and

rocks, from household appliances (such as television sets and

microwave ovens), and from medical and dental x-rays. Even

the human body itself emits radiation. These levels of natural

and background radiation are normal.

Eighty percent of typical human exposure comes from natural

sources, such as sunlight. The remaining 20% comes from artifi-

cial radiation sources, primarily medical x-rays.

Health News March 2011 Issue 33

The devastating earthquake and tsunami in Japan has led to a

nuclear crisis as well. Japanese authorities are having a difficult

time keeping several reactors cool enough to prevent a melt-

down and an uncontrolled release of radiation. But they are as-

suring the public that a large radiation leak is highly unlikely.

Still, it’s not surprising that the very possibility of any size ra-

diation leak has many of us on edge. When catastrophes like this

happen, it helps to have the facts on hand.

What is Radiation?

Radiation is a form of energy. It comes from

man-made sources such as x-ray machines,

from the sun and outer space, and from some

radioactive materials such as uranium in soil.

Radiation travels as rays, waves or energetic

particles through air, water or solid materials.

Radioactive materials are composed of atoms

that are unstable. As unstable atoms become

stable, they release excess energy (called

"radiation") through a process called radioac-

tive decay or radioactivity. The time required

for a radioactive substance to lose 50 percent of

its activity by decay is called its half-life.

What happens if you’re exposed to high lev-

els of radiation? Exposure can cause radiation poisoning, which

results in significant damage to human body

tissues, premature aging and possibly death.

Exposure to lower levels for a prolonged period of time in-

creases the risk of poor health. A few workers at one of the reac-

tors were reported to have shown symptoms of radiation sick-

ness during the crisis.

What are the symptoms of radiation poisoning? Nausea, vomiting and diarrhea are typically the first symptoms

and can begin minutes to days after exposure. The duration of

the symptoms ranges from minutes to a week. Even if someone

has acute radiation syndrome and the symptoms last only min-

utes, they may still look and feel fine – at least for a short pe-

riod. Additional symptoms will eventually follow including loss

of appetite, fatigue, fever, and possibly seizures and coma. This

stage may last a few hours or several months. Radiation poison-

ing also typically causes skin damage.

What level of radiation is dangerous? Radiation is measured in Sieverts and the devastation of the ra-

diation poisoning depends on the amount of Sieverts. For exam-

ple, one Sievert of radiation can cause hemorrhaging and 2,000

Sieverts can cause loss of consciousness within minutes and

death within hours.

Radiation Facts and

Health Effects

Please email us with your thoughts and comments

at nbkinsider@nbks.com

March 2011 Issue 33