Category Archives: nirvana profesional

¡Sácale el jugo!

alcanza metas, autoconciencia, empoderamiento, empoderamiento profesional, liderazgo, nirvana profesional, tomadecisiones

Thirst_Quencher_by_sametimenxtyr(PRECAUCION: Este post puede atentar contra tu existencia.)

Parece que esta de moda ser impulsivo. 

Si no me crees, piensa en cuantas veces has escuchado la frase ‘déjate llevar…aprovecha la vida…sácale el jugo al máximo’.  Admito que cada vez que la he escuchado he sentido como si alguien me estuviera empujando en el autobús.  Hoy, por fin, entendí porque me siento así. 

Lo que sigo sin entender es porque una manada de personas cree que la única forma de aprovechar la vida es viviéndola en un mar de placer. (Antes de que pienses que soy bonachona, aburrida e introvertida, confieso que me zambullo en ese mar de vez en cuando – para refrescarme no para ahogarme.)

No te confundas.  Ser impulsivo y sentir euforia son una cosa. Vivir el presente y aprovechar la vida, son otra.  Créemelo a mí que he sido impulsiva más de lo que me gustaría admitirte.

Sospecho que bien sabes como lograr lo primero.  Entonces aquí te doy unas pistas acerca de cómo vivir el momento y sacarle el jugo a esta vida que te han dado. 

  1. Empieza de atrás para adelante.  Date tiempo para aclarar tus metas.  ¿Qué logros te harán sentir que has aprovechado tu vida? ¿Qué te dará gran satisfacción al final de tu vida?   Luego…
  2. Adelanta la película. Con tus metas en mente, descifra que acciones debes tomar hoy para alcanzarlas.  Tómalas hoy – aprovecha el momento.
  3. Cambia el patrón – atrévete a ser consecuente. Cada una de tus acciones – por más minima que sea – tiene un impacto – ya sea constructivo o destructivo.  Salte de la manada – piensa en las consecuencias a corto, mediano y largo plazo – de tus acciones.  Aprovecha cada decisión que tomes para causar un impacto constructivo en tu vida.
  4. Los sacrificios no existen.  No te estarás perdiendo de nada si dejas de hacer algo por hacer otra cosa  para perseguir tus metas.   Cualquier acción que tomes en función de tus metas es un intercambio que te llevara mas cerca. 
  5. Conformarse no es una opción.  Esa tensión que existe entre la incertidumbre que sientes y tu ambición por alcanzar tus metas es signo de que estas viviendo al máximo.  Cuando paras de perseguir aquello que más te apasiona, la carrera ha terminado.

Ahora si – ¡sácale el jugo a tu vida!

Watch how they rise

corto y poderoso, empoderamiento, empoderamiento profesional, libre y relevante, liderazgo, nirvana profesional,

success_leapOne of the main conclusions that can be reached from looking at the list of the world’s top 50 CEOs – as it appears in the Harvard Business Review (click here to listen to the IdeaCast) – is that on the job performance is not tied to:

  1. Gender – so it does not matter if you’re a boy or a girl.
  2. Geography/culture – high performers come in all the colors of the rainbow.
  3. MBA – although there were slightly more MBAs on the list, it’s not possible to conclude that the edge is statistically significant. 

So what are you waiting for to perform?  Take a look at the list – then take your pick – and follow a few. Watch your game rise.

Al final del dia…

corto y poderoso, empoderamiento, empoderamiento profesional, encontrando significado, nirvana profesional

meaning1Conozco personas que coleccionan huevos de Faberge.  Otros carros.  Otros carteras y zapatos.  Y otros estampillas.

 Y tu que coleccionas?

 

Objetos? Experiencias? Contribuciones? Aprendizajes?

 

Piensa detenidamente que es lo que le dara mayor sentido a tu vida – al final del dia.

 

 

Te gusta la foto? Gracias – Nietzsche’swife

A New Kind of Hero for a New Kind of World, Career Hero #15

alcanza metas, autoconciencia, empoderamiento, empoderamiento profesional, liderazgo, nirvana profesional, tomadecisiones, ,

Female surgeon(This post is part of a pact I made. Click here for the full story.)

Ambition. Passion. Tunnel vision. Laser-sharp dedication.  Self-criticism. High expectations. An entrenched fear of failure. A need to compete and to win. And self-awareness.

Meet Josephine.

Without exception, every single one of those traits fuel her career. 

As she candidly admitted to me, it was mostly in search of approval and admiration the reason why at the age of 17  she decided that she wanted to follow her parents’ footsteps and become a surgeon.

Guided by her parents’ example, she immersed herself in a rigourous training program that lasted 13 years.  It included working long hours, completing exams 12 years in a row (that’s a total of 24 semesters) and supporting a family on very little pay – while watching most friends live comfortably. 

13 years later, Josephine now owns and runs one of the most succesful private day surgeries in the country.

Note to self: Knowing what you want is only part of the picture – working with all your might is what will get you what you want in your career. 

No doubt, she earned her current success.  As she wrote to me:  “Being self-demanding to ensure my success has become a habit…Fortunately my profession is judged by results.  And it’s delivering results where I’m talented – and I seek to be better every single day.  It’s because a patient’s complication gives me so much angst that I seek to be a better a surgeon.”

Most definitely she feels that it’s an advantage over other surgeons to have parents working in the same profession.  Because she admires her father inmensely, she has been wide open to learning from his path.  Today she feels that she has gained 30 years of experience – over those who don’t have parents in the same profession – or those who aren’t willing to learn from their parents.

In her words:  “It’s been a matter of learning from my dad’s mistakes.  About following his idealogy about work – and paying close attention to what it takes to stand out as a surgeon – just as my dad has.  From a technical view point, I’ve benefitted from the number and variety of procedures that I had access to during my formative years, from having a medical library at home, and from travelling to conferences with him…This is in large part why my experience is much greater than it should be at my age…Today we enjoy learning as a family.  Professional development has become a fun family activity that my dad, my mom and I share.”

Note to self: Sure you can chose to rebel against your parents – and go at it alone. Or you can choose to leverage their wisdom.  It’s your choice.

As much as she admires her parents, and learns from them, she feels that perhaps the best career move she has made so far has been to work alongside her dad – and not for him.  They each have their own private practice, that includes having separate patients and support teams. That has allowed her to make a name for herself – and importantly to receive her own referrals and build her own reputation as a surgeon.

Note to self:  The success of your parents – and of others around you – is not your own.  The sooner you accept this reality – and use it to your advantage – the sooner you will start to cast your own shadow.

Although her career has benefitied immensely from working alongside her parents, it’s having clear and achievable goal posts that have led her to her own achievements.

In her words:  “In school I knew I had to complete the school year, in university I worked towards completing every semester, and during my residency I worked towards completing every new rotation at the hospital.  I always planned  – and rarely did I make impulsive decisions.  I guess I was fortunate in that sense. There was always someone around who reminded me to be analytical, look at the facts and stay on the path I had planned.”

Note to self:  Set achievable goals – and a long career path will not feel like holding your breath under water.

Clearly Josephine is a person who thrives under the constant tension that exists between success and failure.  She is constantly looking to improve her skills, increase her knowledge and sharpen her business acumen – that is her way of guaranteeing success and warding off failure.

Note to self: What are you doing in your career to guarantee success and ward off failure?

“Perhaps the most important lesson I’ve learned is that my profession is made a day at a time, a patient at a time.  As long as one is ethical, committed and professional, results will begin to emerge.  Just as well, monetary achievements cannot be an end in itself – but a desirable fringe benefit that results from helping people and offering a service with care and loyalty.”

Note to self:  Working for money is short-sighted.  Expand your vision.  Work for more than money – and the money will come.

 

*Name changed for privacy reasons.  I feel honored that Josephine trusted me with her story. She did so only on the condition that her identity not be revealed.  Looking to respect her wishes – and thank her for her contribition – her real name has not been use

Pass the passion please…

autoconciencia, empoderamiento, empoderamiento profesional, nirvana profesional, tomadecisiones,

Pass the passion pleaseMost would agree that pleasure is a sustainable state of being.  That when you work with passion and love what you do, it’s likely that you’ll remain focused and energized for a long time.  For that very reason, it’s important to seek excitement in your career.  That said, it’s also important  to gauge if the pursuit of passion and enjoyment will yield you more pain than pleasure.  More drain than gain.

 Here’s how you can tell if, in your career, you’re chasing after instant gratification or long-term excitement:  

  1. Play it forward:  Look beyond the here and now.  Chances are that if you’re evaluating a decision in this light, it’s because it’s a major one.  Major decisions will impact your life – and career – for years to come.  That being the case, think about what will the major outcomes be in 2 years time.  What about 5?  Ask yourself if you’re falling into the temptation of short-term pleasure, and paying with long-term pain.
  2. Consult your gut:  Be honest – with yourself – because you’re the only person that counts.  When you think about the overall outcome, does it feel right?  Or does it feel wrong?  Here you’re looking for physical feelings – check your gut. As a point of reference, think back about a time when one of your decisions felt right – in your gut. 
  3. There are no right or wrong answers:  You’re probably thinking that this information does not help your decision process.  Actually I beg to differ. Knowing that you’re looking for an excellent answer, not a perfect one is bound to empower you. Looking for right or wrong answers is the surest way to suffer from analysis paralysis. So go ahead, make a decision.  Know that there’s loads of grey.  Be open to the lessons – and you will come out on top!

Passion, excitement, enjoyment are all achievable career goals.  It’s a matter of having the right strategy and an action plan. What do you think?

A New Kind of Hero for a New Kind of World, Career Hero #14

alcanza metas, autoconciencia, empoderamiento, empoderamiento profesional, liderazgo, nirvana profesional, , ,

Bronwyn Fagan(This post is part of a pact I made. Click here for the full story.)

With looks that belong on a fashion runway – certainly not on an OzTag field (the Australian version of touch football) where you can now find Bronwyn several nights a week –  she’s wholesome as apple pie, and driven as an Olympic athlete – literally. 

 Bronwyn leads a life guided by this AND that.

More than her natural talents, it’s her approach to work, sports and life in general that drive her to achieve what she has.

She has been working as the Corporate (legal) Counsel since January 2000 at Country Energy.  To you and me that means that since she was 27 years old, she’s headed the legal department of a male-dominated company that owns the world’s second largest electricity network.

Outside of work her track record also raises eye-brows.  That’s because at her core, Bronwyn is an elite athlete.  Her strongest sport has been track and field, although she has also competed in swimming, Australian Football League (AFL), hockey, OzTag and equestrian.  Her most recent achievement was making the Olympic Shadow Team for Torino 2006 for both Skeleton and Bobsleigh. 

There have been times when in addition to working full time as a lawyer, she has been studying at university level and co-hosting the ABC 666 Grandstand Sport radio show.   Today Bronwyn is a mom, a practicing lawyer, and is completing her last course towards a Masters of Law at University of Melbourne in Australia.

“A lot of people say they can’t do something or don’t have time. That’s a priority issue rather than an inability to be involved.  Usually many people feel they shouldn’t do something because they don’t fit the stereotype of the sort of person that would usually take that job or do that activity or play that sport. Constraints such as those don’t tend to bother me so I will have a go even if I’m the odd man out.”

Note to self:  Your opinion is the only one that matters. Let it be your guide.

“This has sometimes meant that I’ve spread myself quite thinly, and it certainly means I have very little time to sit down and do nothing. It has meant though that I’ve been able to experience many things and meet a huge amount of people and travel to many countries (mostly with my sport).

Prioritising and organising is a very important part of my day. Without organisation I would end up doubling up on a lot of what I do, and retracing my steps, and I would run out of time to do the quality things instead of just the mundane, menial things.”

Note to self:  Take time to prioritize and organize.  What are the most important things in your life?  Are you sacrificing them to do the most urgent – and less important?

“Sport at an elite level teaches you to be aware of what your body is telling you – and to react to that. It may be a deficiency in something, a temporarily increased or decreased metabolism, a pain. I think a good example of this is when I was pregnant my metabolism would increase for a day or two and then go back to normal. I may crave certain foods for a day or two and then a different food after that. The key is to listen to my body and eat extra food for that day or two only, and not get into the habit of eating too much permanently – or not eating foods long term because I craved them for two days.

My inner compass is exactly that – I just have learned to listen to it and pay attention to what it’s telling me about what I need to do. That may be to find a new challenge or just keep doing what I’m doing.

I’ve never believed in 5 year plans or changing what I’m doing because of an objective milestone. My goal is to be content – and that involves having a sense of satisfaction and achievement as well as many other things. That sense tells me when I’m no longer being challenged by something, or when another offer that is ‘too good to refuse’ comes along that I should take it.”

Note to self:  Where is your inner compass taking you?

And what exactly is Bronwyn’s (winning) philosophy? 

“There’s never a ‘perfect’ time for anything, and sometimes waiting to have more experience for something means missing other experiences and missing opportunities. I think it’s important to note that I don’t believe opportunities need to be waited for – I believe that you can make your own opportunities if there are none on offer.

People are often afraid to jump into things when they are unsure or have choices to make that are difficult. Not many decisions are not reversible, or can not have something made of them – even if it isn’t an ideal situation it generally isn’t unsalvageable!”

Make a mental note of that.

“I think it’s important to have a belief in yourself and remember that you’re making the best decision you can based on the information that you have at the time. That way you don’t spend forever second guessing past decisions and wondering whether you took the wrong path. There’s so many things that cannot be changed, but can be learned from so it’s best to move on and use that knowledge rather than dwell on the past.”

Read that one more time.

 

Thank you Dean Taylor for the awesome shot!

A New Kind of Hero for a New Kind of World, Career Hero #13

autoconciencia, empoderamiento, encontrando significado, nirvana profesional, , ,

(This post is part of a pact I made. Click here for the full story.) 

Meet Cindy.  As you read this post, keep in mind that as I wrote it, I flipped back and forth through her six-page resume. 

Starting with her education, Cindy has a Bachelor’s of Engineering from Auckland University.  A program which she completed in three years, instead of four, because she was awarded direct entry into year 2.   That’s because from highschool she  graduated in the top 1% in New Zealand.  She then went on to complete a Masters of Engineering Science in Biomedical Engineering – and graduated top 3 of her year.  And as of 2002 she can be addressed as Dr. Shin-Yi Lin because she has a PhD in Neuroscience.  As of today, Dr. Shin-Yi Lin has published more than 45 papers and has been an invited presenter at conferences and symposiums around the world, including Japan, Australia, Europe and Canada.  Two years ago Dr. Shin-Yi Lin became a lecturer at the faculty of medicine of the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia.  She teaches fundamentals of neuroscience and neuromuscular rehabilitation.  In July she was named Senior Lecturer.

Cindy is 34.

Even for a high-achiever like Cindy, it was not immediately obvious to her what she was put on this earth to do. 

As she shared with me, because she received a ‘typical Asian’ education in Taipei, since the time when she started her schooling, she’s been driven by the belief that academia and being a top student are what matter most.  Inspite of her upbringing, after her first job in academia, she felt that she needed to tone down the pressure in her life.  In her own words: “because of how young I was when I first got my research assistant job, all my colleagues (professors and nuerologists) were at least 10 years older than me.  I felt I had to catch up all the time, in terms of professional aspect as well as the overall maturity. This invisible force or peer pressure has really been a major catalyst throughout my life.” 

She decided to change courses and moved into the business world.   Albeit related to engineering, she held several jobs outside of academia.  Including computer programming, doing a BBC production, developing multimedia and selling biotech solutions.
Even then things did not feel quite right.  In her words: “I was struggling to move into the business world and away from the research world…with my given back ground it was difficult…without an MBA or any commercial experience…”

While staying open to the possibility of some day branching back into business,

Cindy decided to go back to academia.

Evidently it was through trial and error that she finally found her career nirvana. As she wrote to me:  “So far I would say, all (these jobs have been) influential (and have) shaped me….Yet now I think the most influential job is…as an academic lecturing…because I clearly influence all of my students and this to me is a huge responsibility.”

Note to self:  What has been your most influential job?  What does that tell you about your passion?

Lets be clear on this.  It’s not Cindy’s degrees or achievements that I found surprising.  Or how smart and knowledgeable she is.  I know that anyone can achieve anything that they set their mind to.

Make a mental note of that.

What drew me into her story was how down to earth and approachable  Cindy is.  I met her during my Sunday morning swim at the university where she teaches.  She was wearing a bathing suit and flip-flops, casually carrying around a bottle of water.  To me she looked like one of the students.  For no real reason we began to talk.  She asked me what I did. I told her about my blog – and recent book project.  I reciprocated with my own curioisity.  And she briefly told me that she was a lecturer of neuroscience.  She left it at that and we began to talk about star signs.  She’s a libra, I’m a scorpio.

She shared her path with me only after I asked.  Being that the topic of neuroscience is one of my own passions, I wanted to know more about what exactly she taught.  I now feel lucky that I dug deeper.  It feels like I lifted the lid to a wonderful world full of light.

It was not because we were rushed that at first she did not ramble off her achievements.  In time I found out it’s because Cindy feels so comfortable in her own skin, that she doesn’t have a need to seek approval for what she’s done – or achieved.  In her eyes, she’s living the life that she is meant to live.  To her it doesn’t feel grandiose – it’s simply her life.  In line with her simplicity, she confessed (almost apologetically) that her child-hood dream was to become a kinder-garden teacher.  As she wrote to me:  “I can never take my eyes off children and I love to play with them.”

Note to self:  Achieve what matters to you.  How are you meant to be living?

For someone who has looked at brain scans longer than most of us have, Cindy is an extremely extroverted person. “…I love people and I am very blessed to work with some amazing people who have great integrity and I have been blessed with excellent mentors all along my career.”

Note to self:  Are you surrounded by amazing colleagues?  People who are worthy of imitation?

It’s refreshing to hear it from a scientifically-minded person like Cindy that the only constant is change in this world.  “Therefore you can prepare but… the truth is for me I don’t even know myself when it happens…I do plan things in short terms but hardly long terms, since I know you really don’t know what will happen tomorrow…How would I know if I change things will be better?”

Even so Cindy has taken chances and has changed lanes.  In her words: “To me experience = you have DONE it before…and it became your experience.  It could be great, it could be wrong, it could be anything but it’s all part of your own experience and the most important thing to me is, you did take the lesson out of the experience and you learn from it. I am a great believer in for things to happen you need ‘the right timing at the right place with the right people’ otherwise the same thing can have a completely different outcome.”

Make a mental note of that.

In search for more answers, I asked Cindy to tell me what has worked for her and what hasn’t throughout her career. 

In her humble way she wrote:  “Woops, this one is hard, but I am giving it my best shot…What worked? My family and friends and colleagues who supported me throughout the years…What hasn’t worked for me is I wait too long…. I wait for things rather than go and get them… this leads me to answer what would I do differently?  I would love to be more proactive and less conservative… I regret that I didn’t believe in myself more before… I wish I could be more FOCUSed and make my dreams come true!”

Reader, make a mental note of that!

 

Brain scan photo credit: click here.

Cindy chose the underwater shot.

13 and counting…

autoconciencia, empoderamiento, empoderamiento profesional, encontrando significado, estratégico y sostenible, liderazgo, nirvana profesional, rse, , ,

Today, to celebrate my blog’s first anniversary,  I’m writing my 100th post.  It’s about my 13th job. 

That I’m up to job 13 means that I continue to stay faithful to my self-proclamation – as a strategic job hopper. 

I am now working as the commercial director at an Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) of medical supplies.

That said, rest assured that I will continue to blog – and to work on my book projects.  That’s another pact I’ve made with my readers.  I even have some inspiration to drive me through my back-to-back schedule as a writer and employee (and wife).   The other day I came across a CEO of a 50,000-large organization who blogs.  Logic tells me that if he can, well I can too. I say.  And it’s been 2 months since I’ve been keeping my pact – with you.  So far, so good…

In the spirit of keeping it real, here I answer questions I’d be asking about the change I’ve just made in my career.

How does it feel to be back on high heels and a business suit?  

As much as I loved my jeans/t-shirt & bare-footed existence (while I was writing full-time), I’m enjoying the change.  It feels kinda’ good to dress up.

Is my work-life still being guided by my reason for being?

Absolutely.  I would not have it any other way.

In addition to waking up every day as a writer with the vision to inspire and empower people to create, follow and  succeed on their own  path –  my vision as commercial director is:

To defend the safety of patients (yours and mine).

I’ll elaborate.

The OEM I work with is my family’s business.  For close to three decades this small giant has been manufacturing disposable medical supplies – like syringes and catheters.  Our company was born to produce high quality medical supplies – not a small feat in a Latin American country.  In fact we’re the only Latin American OEM supplying the market – the rest are multinationals. 

Why have I made it my vision to defend the safety of patients? 

At the risk of getting in trouble, I will share with you what I learned in my 60-day induction to the healthcare system in Colombia. 

After traveling around, visiting some of the largest hospitals and meeting with providers of health-care products (i.e. drug-store chains), it’s quite evident that most buying decisions are being made by administrators – not scientific commitees or nurses and doctors.  It’s obvious that the main driver is cost reduction, not quality or the improvemet of patient safety.  Priorities are inverted.  Product sterility and patient safety are often last on a long list of commercial priorities. 

As a manufacturing outfit, that for close to three decades has been following Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and is certified by world-class regulatory bodies (ISO-9001-2001) – we know what it takes to manufacture high quality goods.  And this is where we differ from most of our competitors.  In other words, most lower cost products being used at hospitals and being sold at drugstores across the country, have not passed the test of our quality assurance laboratory. 

It’s these findings that set me on the path to defend the safety of patients. 

Simply put, if I, as a manufacturer don’t fight for patient safety, then who will? 

And that, my friend, is another fulfilling reason to wake up for everyday.

So was it nepotism the main reason behind my appointment at my family’s business?

Valid question – I’d be wondering that too if I were you. 

The answer is a resounding no.  

I pose the question on your behalf to share with every aspiring strategic job hopper the number one insight I’ve gained after more than a decade of hoping around jobs: (drum roll please…)

Every single job has a reason for being in your career. 

(Read that one more time – and make a mental note.)

Right now it may not be obvious to you what that is, but nonetheless, there a reason behind every experience.  Taking from my own path, not so long ago I discovered the reason behind my tour de force through the healthcare industry in Australia. 

Starting out, I had no idea that I would one day work in my family’s business.  That possibility was not a reality when I accepted my first, second, third or fourth job in the health-care industry in Australia.  On top of that, a decade ago when I moved to Sydney, Australia, I had no idea that years later I’d be coming back home.

The opportunity opened up a few months ago.  And because of my experience, because I endured stapling papers and stuffing envelopes as a marketing coordinator; waiting ad-infinitum in doctors’ offices as a medical sales representative; using my right brain to understand complex market data as a consultant; and finally (almost) giving blood as a national sales and marketing manager at a start-up malpractrice insurance company – I am now ready to cease this opportunity.  Which at times, I admit, feels like a dream come true.  Yes, I now feel that every single experience is an integral part of my career puzzle. (yes, even the time when my boss wrote me a memo for refusing to order a cab for another manager or the time when…) 

Yes reader, I have arrived. 

Being that I am now working with my family, does that mean that my job hopping days have come to an end?  Must I now remove ‘strategic job hopper’ from my blog’s heading? 

It’s hard to say – mostly because more than ever, I’m aware of my modus-operandi – and hence I’m open to the possibility that I will eventually seek out other opportunities.  Because…why not?

In line with my strategy, I am giving my current job my absolute best. That’s mostly because that’s how I know how to work.  It’s also because it is my family’s business. And lastly, it’s because I recognize that I have no idea what the future will bring.  That means that my professional track record is still on the line.  In fact, delivering results matters more now than it ever has. And more than ever, I feel prepared to deliver.

Will this blog be about strategic job-hopping?

Actually, it never has been.  Since day one, my writing,  has been  guided by my vision to inspire and empower people to create, follow and  succeed on their own path. 

While I strongly advocate strategic job-hopping, that is not the driver behind my writing. Inspiration and empowerment are.

That means that my posts will remain faithful to this vision.  Now they will benefit from my new experiences – as a commercial director in a Latin American country – with the perspective gained after more than two decades working, first in the US and then in Australia.

My advice to you:  stay tuned.  My blog has just grown up – it’s one year old!

Thank you all for your support during one of the most amazing years in my life.

Namaste.

Silvana