Audit / proTalent (September 2017)

Particularly noteworthy contacts and activities in the current year were a seminar for the management of the academy for further education and personnel development at Stuttgart-Esslingen as well as the cooperation with Prof. Dr. Flemming Ruud (public accountant and professor of business administration, in particular Internal Control / Internal Audit, at the University of St. Gallen) and the related lecturing activity in the Current Issues on the Internal Audit seminar (details / program) organized by EXPERTsuisse (expert association for auditing, tax and trust).

The psychology practice PsYkids (one of the so far three sections of the CICB Center of Intercultural Competence Ltd.), which was opened in September 2014, has developed and consolidated excellently over these three years. Children, young people and families with different needs as well as different linguistic and cultural backgrounds make use of the possibilities for a determination of the status quo according to objective criteria, as well as counseling and coaching, especially in our offices in Fribourg and Zurich.

Our experience during the 17 years activity of our company (the first 10 years as an individual company, from 2010 as a shareholder with the two sections CICB Center of Intercultural Competence and CACB Center for Assessment and Coaching, and from 2014 onwards with the psychology practice PsYkids) including the exchange with countless personalities in many subject areas, have brought to light important findings, which mainly relate to determination, analysis and description of abilities, potentials and talents as well as their purposeful, measurable further development. In order to be able using this core competency in a more targeted way and thus meeting a frequently expressed need, we have established a fourth section: proTalent. Here, we are focussing on the definition, detection and promotion of talents and capabilities, on the one hand in terms of breadth – the versatility of intellectual, emotional, artistic potentials up to rare manifestation like savant syndrome – as well as in the depth, including high and extreme giftedness.

Since these (conscious or hidden) skills and potentials are often associated with other personality traits that are perceived as both positive and difficult / challenging, we want to pursue a comprehensive, holistic view. That means approaching the different bases, influencing factors and expressive forms in a both deepened and detailed way as well as on a superordinate level (meta view). The goals are to be defined individually with the concerned personalities – usually by defining strenghts, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT analysis), the abilities and possibilities, and furthermore the hindering as well as the beneficial influences and interactions, in order to enable these talents to be promoted and used as benefits, without losses, but with the best possible synergies. Not all potentials need to be evolved to the maximum, as the goal is a balanced life between all the traits, expectations and needs of the person concerned, so that he/she can feel well, develop within the wishes and possibilities, and, at its best, be satisfied with him-/herself and the world, as far as possible being happy.

The new section of proTalent is headed by Dr. Julie Baumer (head of PsYkids) and Thomas Baumer (head of CICB and CACB). The management of the group CICB Ltd. is held by Thomas Baumer (CEO), Dr. Julie Baumer (deputy) and Dr. Jörg Sorg.