Lessons from failure

A popular saying assures us that only two things are certain in life:  death and taxes.  There is a third:  failure.  We are bound to not achieve all of our goals on the first try.  Sometimes our failures are very public. Think the New England Patriots losing to the New York Giants.  Other times they are private.  Regardless of how we fail, the important question is:  What lessons can we learn from failure?

A couple come to mind:

Accept and acknowledge.  In order to move on and focus on other goals, it is important to accept that things did not work out and--most importantly--acknowledge the fact that you tried.  Acknowledging your efforts is key. We spend lots of time beating ourselves up for not winning and forget to remember what did right.  Stop the cycle of excessive self-criticism and identify small wins.  Did you secure an informal interview after several attempts?  Did the recruiter invite to another round of interviews?

Reflect and retool.  This approach is most useful when we know we will be trying again.  Being objective about what went wrong and could have been done differently.  What actions could you take to achieve different outcomes? Who could help get there?  Do I need more time to prepare?

Losing is not pretty.  No one is his right mind wants to be the one who did not get the job, was the runner up to a fellowship, or lost a second time to the same team (I feel you pain, Patriots!).  However, having the courage to see failure as a learning opportunity is what separate real winners from losers.

From dreaming to execution

As we wind down the celebrations for Dr. Martin Luther King's birthday, the one thought on my mind is his "I Have a Dream" speech.  These words have inspired many to dare to dream big.  I must confess I am a serial dreamer.  Where I encounter challenges at times is making a dream a reality.  Here is how I have made it work.  Ask yourself these questions:

• How does this dream fit with my goals? There was a time when my dream was to have a Caipirinha with New England Patriots Tom Brady and his wife supermodel Gisele Bündchen.  As fun as this dream was it really did not fit in with my goal of being an inspiring author and a leadership expert.  I guess I could have used the anecdote of meeting them in my talks, or use them as examples of leadership and empowerment, but meeting them did not add any value to my main goal other than give me personal satisfaction.  
• What does this dream mean?  In the Tom and Gisele example, I could speculate endlessly and arrive at many answers.  The one that resonated with me the most was the desire to have fun things happen in my life.  If I were to combine my dream of being an author and expert with the Tom and Gisele dream, I would come up with being an inspiring author while having fun at it.
• How does the end result look like? Once you have figured out that your dream makes sense and is in alignment with your goals, then start visualizing how it will look like when you get to the finish line.  Yes, we have discussed this technique before.  It works.  So, start backtracking every step from the end result (the realization of your dream!) to where you are now.  What are the steps necessary? Who do I need in my corner? What resources will I need? What is a realistic timeline?

Going from dreaming to execution requires a lot of thinking.  But at the end what will make your dreams become a reality are the steps that you take to get you there.

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New year resolutions that stick

Not to burst your bubble but statistics do not lie:  the likelihood you will not accomplish your New Year resolutions are very high.  So, why do we go through the yearly ritual of listing what we want to do, share it with others and then do not follow through?

Because of two reasons: 1) we are creatures of habit; and 2) we overestimate our ability to change. 

Yes, we love to do what is familiar to us.  It makes us feel comfortable and in control.  So, if for the past several years we've been eating a whole bagel with cream cheese with a large coffee with 3 packets of sugar every morning and our resolution is to lose weight, it is going to be tough. Notice that I said tough not impossible.  This is where our belief that we can conquer and squash this eating habit kicks in.  We cannot accept that a bagel and cream cheese have such an influence over us.  We prefer to think that our will power can transform our eating habits just because we say so.

How can we increase the chance that we will accomplish our resolutions?  Let me offer a few suggestions.

• Become aware that what you are looking to achieve means changing your mindset and  lifestyle.  It is the same for those who are looking to lose weight, find a job, start a relationship. 
• Focus on one resolution at a time.  The greatest mistake most make is to write a list of many resolutions (i.e. swim with dolphins, do the Inca trail, save $500 a month, run the marathon) that are complex, require resources and focus, and at times, compete with each other.  How are you going to spend time swimming with dolphins, and do the Inca trail when you also want to save money?
• Enlist the help of others.  Find a friend, colleague that has similar goals so you can support each other.
• Visualize the outcome.  This is a popular method used by professional athletes and other high achieving performers.  Before you start, close your eyes and see yourself where you want to be.  See yourself 30 lbs thinner, or crossing the finish line of the marathon, or receiving confirmation of a job offer.  Spend time observing how this 'new' person is behaving, her posture, what she did the day before.  The idea is to backtrack from the day when the goal happens to where you are now and figure out the steps that got you there.

The most important piece of advice I can give you is to have fun during the journey.  Help yourself accomplish your goal one day at a time and you will get there!

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NSHMBA Boston Gala: Embracing change, leveraging technology

On December 8, 2011, the Copley Marriott was buzzing with excitement for the National Society of Hispanic MBAs (NSHMBA) Boston’s 9th Signature Gala. Every year the NSHMBA Boston hosts an event that celebrates the accomplishments of the chapter, its corporate partners, and members who are committed to accelerate the Latino initiative in education and career advancement. The result is always on target: people leave excited, inspired and filled with renewed energy to become a change agent in the Latino community and this year was no exception.

Boston Chapter President, Karina Arnaez’s opening remarks centered on one word: familia. Karina described NSHMBA as an organization that upholds the values of being a family unit. She said, "NSHMBA means different things to everyone, it depends where they are in their career progression.  The one constant is that we are a family and are here to support you and your career advancement." Mistress of Ceremony, Elisa Jaramillo, of Pegasystems, introduced keynote speaker Carlos Domínguez, Senior Vice President from Cisco Systems.

Domínguez presentation evoked humor, wonder and the realization that part of our success is directly correlated with embracing technology. He emphasized creativity as the number one desired skill in today’s work place.  He gave example after example of how pervasive technology has become in everyday living, from online dating to social media. His message was simple:  Folks who cannot embrace technology cannot lead.

Yvonne Martin, Carlos Domínguez, Armando Llorente and Karian Arnaez

Other highlights from the gala include awards given to several organizations and individuals for their advocacy and commitment to advancing Latino leadership through education:

• Corporate Award: Ocean Spray
• Non-Profit Award: Orale con Veronica
• Educational Institution Award: HULT International Business School
• Volunteer of the Year Award: Robert Aguirre (2010 NSHMBA Scholar at Harvard Business School)
• Champion Award: Brenda Ruiz, EMC
• Member of the Year Award: : Manuel Zapata (2010 NSHMBA Scholar at Boston University)
• Hayden Estrada Inspirational Leader Award: Armando Llorente

Before the evening came to a close attendees danced the night away with DJ Franklin Rosario.  Several looked at one another with delight and commented on the evening’s highlights. Among them was Armando Llorente, Vice President from Clark & Lavey Benefit Solutions, Inc. who said, “This year’s gala was a fabulous success, the group outdid itself!”
Evelyn Barahona contributed to this article.

Life lessons from Russell Simmons

Russell Simmons.  The name says it all. Social entrepreneur. Human rights activist. Best selling author. Mogul. His list of accomplishments and influence is so long, that at recent event hosted by Color Magazine in Boston, where Simmons was recognized, the Mistress of Ceremonies took a few extra breaths just to keep reading the introduction.

Simmons, a bit embarrassed and impatient to get on with business, smiled and humbly accepted the award. His speech was short, since he had previously had a conversation with Harvard Professor Charles Ogletree. 

Photo credit:  Color Magazine

During his talk with Dr. Ogletree, Simmons mostly explained the philosophy behind his book, "Superrich:  Inside and Out" came about.  But he emphasized the same key points:  get to know yourself, reach out to others and together improve your community.

To read an extensive interview with Russell Simmons, please click here.

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Making lemonade from lemons: the job seeker mantra

Lately, it seems that everything is conspiring to test our optimism.  First, there were several tremors felt across the United States and Latin America.  Then, Hurricane Irene caused havoc the Caribbean and along the East Coast, from Florida to New England. Telephone lines, internet and electric power were interrupted.  How can we focus on looking for work under these conditions?

I was one of those who was in a technology stand still.  We lost electricity for three days which meant I got behind  in my work and deadlines.  It took lots of will power to channel my frustration into some kind of productive outcome but somehow I got there.  Here are the steps that helped me.  They may help you.

• Go with the flow.  It is useless to get angry about an act of God.  Accepting that there are circumstances beyond our control, like the weather, diffuses the feeling of helplessness. 
• Refocus and re-prioritize. Once you have accepted your new, temporary reality, see what you can get done.  Could you go to the library to continue your online search?  
• Test your resourcefulness.  Make a game of finding solutions to the challenges in front of you. If you need to write a thank you letter, do it by hand until you can get to a computer. It is as simple as that.  You would be surprised to know how many people spend the day complaining about what's wrong and do not do anything about it.
• Acknowledge what is working.  The feeling of appreciation will put things in perspective.  Although our level of comfort was radically changed, it did not compare to what others went through.  And this applies to Irene or to being unemployed.  

Remember, there are always others who are better or worse than we.  Understanding this dynamic does not make us complacent.  It turns us into grateful, resourceful, creative individuals that can be productive under any circumstance.

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