MY STORY

Learning to bridge differences at an early age

I was born in the Philippines, a country at the geographic center of the Far East and comprised of over 7,000 islands with nearly seventy different spoken dialects. My parents each came from different parts of the country and each spoke a different dialect.  Each was orphaned at an early age and learned to manage a life filled with challenges.  They introduced their different dialects and backgrounds in our home and I learned early on how to comfortably navigate through differences and become fluent in both dialects.

When I was eight years old, my parents announced, “We are going to America!”  The move to America and my experience as an immigrant greatly impacted me as a child.  We had very little. Although my parents were educated and worked as teachers back in the Philippines, the jobs available to them in America were menial. In order to survive, they started from the bottom and took the menial jobs.  The weight of their struggle must have truly tested their resolve because I would occasionally see them shed a tear. But through it all, my parents were brave and they expected us to bridge any difference we may encounter, as they have, in order to attain the promise of America.  They modeled how to bridge differences and accomplish goals with hard work and commitment.

Building bridges of understanding

When we arrived in America, I did not speak English.  Communicating in a new language was not easy and people made fun of me. I used to cry until one day I discovered Sesame Street. I expanded my vocabulary and learned to construct sentences by hanging out with Big Bird and the gang! In addition, I practiced English by reading my books out loud. I finally became fluent and people stopped making fun of me. The experience taught me to embrace challenges and be strong in the face of difficulty.

In Hawaii, I grew up with children who were descendents of immigrants from all over the world.  We each brought to the playground different cultural backgrounds and traditions. While the differences were sometimes frustrating, it made our experience with each other very interesting!  From an early age I learned how to navigate through differences and leverage them to reach common goals. I learned that differences are not negative. At an early age I learned that we are all inter-related and inter-connected.

Working effectively across differences.

Working across differences has been a life long journey.  My life experience is the foundation for the work I do today.  I help individuals and organizations succeed in a complex and diverse environment.  I help leaders work effectively across all dimensions of difference whether it’s about different approaches or backgrounds.  I strongly believe that the ability to work effectively across differences is a leadership competency, a competitive advantage and a business imperative. This is my purpose and my passion!