2011: My Aspirations

I achieved 5.5 / 7 aspirations for the year 2010; I thought I would continue writing down the new aspirations. I learned in my Top Manager's Perspective class at Rotman - people who write down their aspirations / goals, do achieve them. So, here's to 2011:

1. Be Fluent in Conversational Traveler's Spanish: It all started with our week-long trip to Costa Rica in November 2010. Both, Hitesh and I took a week long Surf / Spanish camp in Montezuma. Since then, I have been working on my Spanish. But, learning a language is all about conversation. My aspiration is to be fluent in Traveler's conversational Spanish, so that when I travel to South America, I can immerse myself in the culture, and interact with the locals. We stayed at a bed & breakfast in San Jose. Initially, it was hard to have a conversation with the lady, because she spoke little English, and we spoke little Spanish. But, after our week long trip to Montezuma, we came back equipped with good beginner's Spanish. I started chatting with the lady in Spanish; she beamed, and smiled. She was thrilled to have a conversation with me. I can not explain that feeling, but it was extremely gratifying to speak with her in her native language. I want to savor that feeling; I wish I were able to learn every language possible, and converse with people from around the World. My pre-intermediate Spanish lessons start from February 1st - yay!
   
2. Be Less Straightforward: It is either my strength, or my weakness that I can be very direct in my conversations. Well, in my opinion, things are not left to interpretation, and people can understand each other easily. However, I find that most people can not tolerate truth, or direct answers.
   
3. Listen More, Interrupt Less: Have you noticed, in a social gathering, people offer cut each other thoughts, and conversations? It appears as if there are competing to maneuver the conversations in the direction they want to chat about. I am guilty of interrupting people as well. I hope to listen more, interrupt less, and talk slow (yep! still need to work on it).
4. Travel Much More: Theme from last year's aspirations continues. I want to make it to Yellowstone National Park, Alaska, Yosemite National Park (again!), Death Valley, South America (30-day expedition would be amazing), and India. I hope to explore coastal California more.
   
5. Exercise Much More: I am a sucker for chocolates! I have changed my behavior towards a lot of bad food products except for chocolates, which are still my weakness. I do not want to say that"I will give up chocolates, because it is not realistic", but what I will say is that - I want to run 6 times a week, workout 6 times a week, have a healthy lifestyle, and have a flat stomach by the end of 2011. This is a tough aspiration; tough, but not impossible.
6. Launch My Own Something: It is running behind schedule, but I need to step on it.
7. Surf, Swim, and Hike more: Ah! maximize the joys of living in California.
8. Regret less, move forward
   
9. Update this blog regularly!

Happy 2011 to me!

2010: New Year, New Decade, New Aspirations

Earlier this year, I wrote down my aspirations for 2010. Let's see how I did:

My 7 aspirations (in no particular order) for 2010 are:

1. Talk Slow: I think I talk really fast and sometimes loud (on the phone, when the person on the other end is also loud!).In my last two social gatherings with new people (on two different occasions), I discovered two people, who talked extremely loud, so much so that I got a headache after being in the room with them for 5 minutes. The problem is that most people think that being loud will get their point across. I had to sit far away from these two people, which is not good, because a) I did not interact with them; b) I was annoyed all the time; and c) Loudness is all I remember about them. The experience got me thinking that it must be quite annoying for others as well when I talk fast AND loud! (Needs work in 2011 as well)
   
2. Learn to Surf: Hitesh and I love water sports. We took surfing lessons in Maui in December. Gosh! I have been missing all surfing fun all this time. Both of us loved it. We intend to be able to surf in Santa Cruz over Summer this year (Achieved! Watch out for another post)
   
3. Learn to Swim: I know! I know...swimming, should technically, be a precursor to surfing. However, not being able to swim does not stop me from being in the water. I have taken swimming lessons thrice in my life. Something is wrong with my legs. Oh wait! I am making excuses - I, obviously, did not practice enough to be able to swim properly. Well, it changes this year and starting, January (Achieved; after 3 years of persistence)
   
4. Start My Own Something: I have many-many interests and passions, which have not helped me focus my 100% attention on any particular interest. Starting this year, I am going to "start my own something". My biggest strength (that I can leverage easily) is that I am hyper-observant, and excellent at talking to people and building relationships. I have to focus my energy in meaningful interests and get on with it this year. I have gradually come to realize that owning your own something (that you are passionate about and good at), is the way to succeed (A little behind schedule, but watch out for the launch in early 2011)
   
5. Become More Involved Within Non-Profit: I am a huge fan of people, who focus their attention within non-profit sector. One such non-profit, started by a friend, and based in India, is "chotti si asha", which means 'a ray of hope' in English. I blogged about Liza's efforts in 2008. I hope to be able to help Liza more with her initiative, make it sustainable, and make "chotti si asha" profitable (Yes! MBAs do think about profits) (Absolutely lagged behind)
   
6. Exercise Regularly: I do exercise 3 days a week. It would be amazing to step it up to a 5-day regime. Most importantly, it will help me stay healthy and stress free (Achieved; hired a trainer, lost 10 lbs, and have changed my behavior towards a lot of bad food. I also work out very regularly.)
   
7. Travel More: I have a confession - prior to traveling to Mexico, I used to think that Mexico is a dangerous place to visit. I am ashamed of my perception. I am quite open minded and do not usually have preconceived notions about anyone, or anything. I am not certain how I developed this idiotic misconception. In December 2008, Hitesh and I visited Mexico and boy! I was surprised. Mexicans are extremely friendly people. I had a fantastic time on that trip. The trip changed my point of view about Mexico. Travel, does open your mind. It makes you comfortable with the unfamiliar places and situations. Although, I already love to travel a lot, I hope to do more of it this year (Definitely achieved - traveled a lot around National Parks in California, visited London, Scotland, Pacific Rim National Park, Vancouver, Costa Rica, Grand Canyon, Las Vegas. I am thrilled with all the brilliant exposure to travel, cultures, and people)
   

Oh, and most importantly: invest in relationships, reconnect with friends, and speak with friends & family more often this year.
Most definitely achieved this!

I read somewhere that people, who write down their aspirations tend to achieve them than people who do not.

I plan to revisit this post at the end of 2010 and see where I am at.
Achieved 5.5 / 7. That ain't bad at all.

I hope to be more regular in 2011 with the blog posts. There is so much to write.
Happy New Year!

An Inspirational Quote

metacool Thought of the Day

http://metacool.typepad.com/metacool/2010/12/metacool-thought-of-the-day-tim-brown-change-by-design.html

"Above all, think of life as a prototype. We can conduct experiments, make discoveries, and change our perspectives. We can look for opportunities to turn processes into projects that have tangible outcomes. We can learn how to take joy in the things we create whether they take the form of a fleeting experience or an heirloom that will last for generations. We can learn that reward comes in creation and re-creation, no just in the consumption of the world around us. Active participation in the process of creation is our right and our privilege. We can learn to measure the sucess of our ideas not by our bank accounts but by their impact in the world."

- Tim Brown

Invaluable Feedback

I want to share a story that will possibly change the job search game for me:-

Hitesh works at HP. Around April 2010, he showed me career story of someone from HP. Let's call this person - Photographer (well, because I checked out some of his photos, and they are amazing). His career story was fascinating!
He talked about a lot of things that I value - design-thinking, collaboration, diverse backgrounds, relentless curiosity, networking, leadership, cultures and opportunities to work in different parts of the worlds.

I asked Hitesh to introduce us. Believe me, you rarely get to encounter all these words in one career story; it was refreshing and I was intrigued by the story.

We got introduced, and agreed to speak on the phone. The first phone conversation fell through, and did not happen. We were finally able to speak over the phone for about 25 minutes. Usually, in my phone conversations, I thank the person for their time, and after a brief chit-chat, I dive into the purpose of the conversation.

During the conversation, Photographer informed me that he had a position within his group. Although, he did not give me any details about the position, experience etc, we ended on a note that required me to send my resume across, in order to provide him with a better context about my background.

I followed up after a few weeks, and Photographer wrote back,"It appears there is not a fit at this time".

I was disappointed. I re-read the email after 2 days, and thought to myself,"Appears, is a good word. He did not say 'NO', there is not a good fit". I sent another email inquiring whether he would be interested in my portfolio.
He welcomed that.

In June 2010, I volunteered at the DMI conference, and found out that Photographer was attending the conference as well. We exchanged emails, and agreed to meet at the conference.

We met, and had a pleasant conversation.

Last week, I made a day trip to San Diego. Most insightful discovery of that trip was my lunch meeting with Photographer. This is how he remembers me from our first phone conversation, and told his wife about the experience as well :-

"Shalu, when we first spoke, you jumped straight to the point. You did not thank me for my time, and directly said,"This is what I want to talk about". I had written you off there and then! Also, your voice on the phone is high pitched. Your phone persona is very different from your real persona. You are very charismatic and confident in real life. When I met you at the conference, I saw you in a different light, and thought to myself that I could work with her. She seems like a pleasant person."

I have to admit; I was quite shocked that THIS is what he remembers about me! It must be true, because he still remember it after 5 months. And, he had written me off! (Boy! and, I had no clue all this time). I actually pride myself on being able to engage people at every level, and be polite. I can not believe that I was horribly rude to Photographer in our first phone conversation.

This story summarizes the reason I never do well in any phone interview. Till date, I have been able to convert 1 out of 5 into an offer, which is extremely frustrating.

No one...and I mean NO ONE has ever given me the invaluable feedback that I received last week!

I always thought that the reason that I do not do well in phone interviews is, because I like to put faces behind people's names, and am not able to connect with people over the phone. I did not realize that my phone interviewing skills / phone pitch skills need a lot of work.

Thank you, Photographer; much appreciated.

Can you imagine working with Photographer, and getting your annual (or semi-annual) feedback? I am certain that his team members know so much more about themselves, and constantly innovate their personalities.

I wish more people were like Photographer i.e. not afraid of providing feedback in a constructive way.

The big question is: "What will I do different that will help me succeed in phone interviews, and convey my real persona across"?

The funny thing is that now that I try to talk softer, my husband can barely hear me! :)

A Few of my Favorite Captures

Sunset on Half Dome, Yosemite National Park, July 2010

Mirror Lake, Yosemite National Park, April 2010

Lake Tahoe, May 2010

Golden Gate Bridge, July 2010

DMI's Re-Thinking...The Future of Design Conference in San Francisco - June 16-17, 2010

Recently, I attended DMI’s Re-Thinking… The Future of Design conference in San Francisco. This was my second DMI conference, and I love the network and conferences. The event was a call to action for industry leaders and academics to foster design thinking.

There is a great deal of curiosity within the business community about merging business with design. However, only a few corporations have been able to instil and foster the design DNA into their culture. And, those who have been able to do so (P&G, for instance) have discovered that design is indeed the next competitive advantage.

The conference was an opportunity to create awareness about successful businesses that have remained profitable by approaching problem-solving through a design thinking lens. The conference had an impressive lineup of speakers, but the two that stood out for me were Katie Taylor and David Butler. Both leaders are creating value for their customers and business by applying design methodologies but without explicitly talking about design.

David Butler, Vice President of Global Design at The Coca-Cola Company, is responsible for instilling design into Coke’s DNA. I was stuck by the fact that he is an extremely humble person. Someone asked him, “Can you teach me how to deal with politics at work?" David’s answer was inspiring—he emphasized that once you stop taking credit for your work, you would be able to tackle the office politics. Using his own example, David pointed out that since he was featured in Fast Company recently, he could potentially shoot down everyone’s idea at Coke and pretend that he is the only think tank at Coke. However, the move would not make strategic business sense. He further argued that as long as everyone at Coke moves towards the common goal, i.e. increase product sales, it does not really matter who takes the credit for his work.

Wow! How many of us are tolerant of someone else taking the credit for our work?

David’s comment was thought-provoking. What drives political behavior at any organization? Current incentive systems could be driving such behavior since they are built to reward individual’s performance. A bigger question to re-think and re-design, in my opinion, is how we might change the current incentive system (and, therefore politics) within corporations.

Katie Taylor, President and Chief Operating Officer of Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, is responsible for overseeing all aspects of the company’s global operations. Her talk was clear, compelling, and memorable. Katie gave several examples which clearly showed that design is at the core of Four Seasons and every decision at Four Seasons is approached with a human-centered approach.

Katie described something that most corporations most likely do not pay much attention to, that can be motivational for the employees. Four Seasons interviews 100-200 candidates for one position. After five rounds, the candidate meets with senior management. At this point, the decision has already been made to hire the candidate, but the candidate is probably unaware of this fact. The point of the meeting is to explain to the new hire that he or she is an important asset to the company, and that his or her job is really important for Four Seasons’ success. While the senior management does not need to meet with the new hire, Four Seasons has deliberately adopted this policy.

The policy speaks volumes about Four Seasons’ culture. In fact, there is a bigger lesson to be learned here about organizational behavior. This clearly shows that empowering the employees can lead to grass roots innovation in any industry.

This conference presented compelling examples that design can be used to initiate a movement within corporations to think more holistically, and still be able to generate profits. Bruce Nussbaum made a comment directed at CEOs which sums up the conference quite well: “Stop making excuses about not being able to merge business with design, just go do it!”

I Love Talking to MBAs...Well Not All, But Most of Them

I have had 100 conversations with random people in California in the last one year.

All these people hail from different professions: designers, executives, students etc. Most of them have pre-conceived notion about MBAs. Apparently, it is a crime to have an MBA degree. I am not certain how and when did MBAs develop this bad reputation, but people, instantly, get cautious while talking to us. They seem to be thinking in their heads," eewww...you are an MBA"

I have even been advised to stop telling people that I am an MBA! Am I going to do that...hell No! And, may I say what a stupid suggestion?

I am proud of the fact that I have an MBA from the Rotman School of Management and I am humble about it. There is a good reason that I chose to make such an investment in myself. You, a non-MBA do not need to discredit my credentials. Keep in mind, I am not following your suite, and discrediting your credentials....now, am I?

I think the caution stems from the fact, that people are ignorant. They do not know what MBAs do. They only categorize us as Type "A" personalities with pompous attitudes. Well, some of us do have those attributes, but then so do other people in other professions. MBA has got nothing to do it.

Why judge (or, rather bad mouth) someone based on their degree or profession?
Why judge anyone at all?

Instead, why don't you get to know the people better, engage them in conversations, and make an informed perception about them (if you must!)?

Back to the conversations: Out of 100 conversations, 2 conversations have really stood out. And, may I just point out that one conversation was with a Harvard graduate and the other with a Haas graduate. Don't get me wrong, other conversations was fantastic as well, but not as impressionable.

These 2 conversations were extremely structured. For example; "I want to discuss a); b); and c), "or, you should do blah, blah, and blah", "or, my suggestion would be to do this and that"," Or, tell me why do you want to do this" etc.

I was clearly impressed by the structure, clarity, and delivery in those conversations.

98 other conversations have not been as structured as these other 2.

Well, for all the "judgmental" people out there, please open your minds and learn to engage with people from all sorts of professions. Once, you have mastered that art, you will not need to be feel insecure around anyone, including MBAs.

I, thereby, am done venting out with the nonsense that I have put up with for a year!