What’s a decision that changed the direction of your career?
Thinking back, two decisions stand out in my mind. Decision #1 shifted my “what and where.” In college, I worked as an Educational Assistant in special education at a high school. I thought I would pursue a career in education. Just before graduation, I applied for an intensive mental health internship, found it was filled, but was invited to apply for an outreach job.
I shifted from working as a paraprofessional in the school system (special education) to being a mental health outreach worker in Chinatown-Iwilei. There was a lot to learn. Over the next few years, I held roles of increasing responsibility, and attended as much training as I could, including a 3-day grant writing seminar. Eventually, I served as a human services trainer for our shelter, case management, and outreach workers.
Decision #2 came in 2013, when I found myself suddenly covering for grant writing, reporting, and data management duties (previously, I’d helped for programs I worked in, but not for the entire agency). Replacements did not stick, and I was successful not just at keeping operations going, but growing programs that were successful. I decided to stick with the role, and I’ve worn it in one fashion or another ever since.
How do you stay grounded as your responsibilities grow?
As my work responsibilities have grown, reminding myself of what drew me to the agency mission and work are what keep me grounded. Continuous learning has helped also. I’ve had many fantastic teachers and mentors, among them clients whom I served directly. Giving back helps too. Mentoring and growing new staff, students, and volunteers has helped a lot as there is no shortage of need for helping professionals in our community.
Outside the workplace, family grounds me. Ema (my wife) is my all in one cheer squad, sounding board, and challenger. Spending time with my parents and my in-laws has become more and more precious. Also, putting first things first to center myself (e.g., doing laundry, washing dishes) to regain perspective.
What’s one thing you learned about failure?
I’ve learned that failures are the source of valuable lessons because at the moment, they feel so costly. Opportunities come and they go. Real failure only happens when you don’t apply your learnings to improve and pursue the next opportunity better prepared and equipped. Sometimes what feels like failure is pursuing an opportunity unprepared.
Another key thing I’ve found is that career desires I had once felt were squashed popped up later. Four years after leaving education, I created a training series for social services paraprofessionals, which led into a clinical training role for our case management, operations, and support staff. Later, the research methods and statistics I learned in college formed the basis of my grant writing, management, and evaluation work. This was supported by what I had learned hands-on, on the job.
How do you handle pressure when the stakes are high?
Ah—getting and staying in the zone. Maintaining focus is key. Part of this is minimizing distractions (via routines, planning, and calendars), and another is triaging items by urgency and importance.
Strengthening oneself through learning from others and strengthening others is really key. I have had to learn (and probably still am learning) to seek help and to seek it often: find mentors, build and sustain support networks of subject and process “go-to” people, and generally maintain a proactive posture.
Communicating to establish environmental awareness and interdependent needs with others is really important not just to getting the work done, but to maintain the wellness of the people doing the work, especially over time. This goes for letting family and friends in too, so they understand why I’m behaving a certain way.
Two key pieces of advice I offer: 1) Tolerance to pressure builds over time with exposure; and, 2) There is a limit to how much pressure you can handle and how long you can handle it. Different people have different limits. Know yours. Have people you can ask to keep you in check.
What’s a leadership quality you admire in others?
One leadership quality I admire in others is the ability to lead in an integrated, authentic way that applies their whole “self.” Rather than being compartmentalized, leading with a blend of intellectual decision making, value creation, and heart. These are the leaders who communicate readily through a combination of reason, emotion, and presence.
