The National Association of Asian American Professionals (NAAAP) is a volunteer-based 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that cultivates, supports, and promotes Asian American leaders through professional development, community service, and networking. Gil Gido is the President for the Seattle Chapter serving the Pacific Northwest. This blog is his perspective on leadership and visitors are encouraged to comment.
I am on a quest for wisdom and at forty, is it possible? Is it to soon? Or do I have to wait? I say, "not." My life is bracketed by the first lunar landing in 1969 and the BP oil spill, so far. As a personal development exercise, I wrote down a page for every year I've lived and through my development, I realized that I've experienced 24 years of formal educational learning. The rest is through various work experiences and organizations, most recently with NAAAPSeattle. You could say that I've been learning all my life.
Since there are an infinite amount of experiences throughout one's lifetime, it would make alot of sense to continue learning and preparing for what lies ahead. Consider NAAAP Seattle, for example, as an access to support you with rich content and networking in your life-long learning. With that, here's a bit of wisdom I encountered in my quest.
If you have ever ridden a bicycle, you would understand that to ride it everything about the bicycle would need to have what is known as integrity. In other words, no part of the bicycle, especially the wheels, should have any missing spokes or the brake pads worn or have any missing parts. It is whole. Otherwise, the riding experience would be horrible.
If integrity is what makes a bicycle work, where does it play in leadership or at your profession? Well, in everything. If you're hearing integrity for the first time, it's obvious that you might not be working with integrity in what you do. You might be getting your job done but what does the resulting efforts produce? Do you experience questions about your work or acknowledgement of good work done? Just like the spokes of a bicycle wheel, if integrity is missing in your work, you'll likely have to either rework it, get a failing grade or a poor performance review.
So what is integrity? To be clear, it's doing what you say you will do and doing what people expect you to do even the unsaid. It's also doing what you know to do. Let's take the example of being a leader of an organization and one of your primary jobs is to build relationships with people and represent your organization at functions. If what you say is that you'll be at functions building relationships with other organization, then with integrity, you will be there at those functions building relationships. On the other hand, no one is saying you need to be there, but people are expecting you to be there, right? Then with integrity, you will be there.
When things don't work
When things don't work, you can look at integrity as a foundation. Look to see if there was an action you could have taken - a so-called missing. Could you have had a conversation with a key player in your project? Did a goverment filing get filed? Did your homework get done? Did you forget to ask someone to help you?
In summary, if you look, you can always find a missing. When you do find that missing, put it in. What you'll find many times is that that piece could make all the difference in what you're up to.
Whether you are applying for a job, scholarship, or admissions to a degree program, recommendation letters are important tools. While important, it is a personal decision to write a letter of recommendation for a business, a former employee or co-worker; however, take into consideration that it may benefit you in simple ways like building relationships, being seen as approachable and making you a better communicator, even for someone you aren't as willing to recommend over another. As my experience tells me, receiving a recommendation letter is always exciting. As a recipient, I get acknowledged and see what others think of what skills of mine are the strongest and if written thoughtfully, where I can improve. I experience a feeling of appreciation and gratefulness to whomever can give me a recommendation.
When writing a recommendation letter, keep your comments specific to your experience with whom you are recommending and highlight results, strengths and weaknesses positively. This is your perspective and as I mentioned earlier, you can give constructive feedback, if applicable. You can use various tools like a word processor for more formal or traditional recommendations or LinkedIn's recommendation functionality. In fact, it's now becoming more relevant to use LinkedIn for recommendations as in the example of searching for a job and in combination with the more traditional methods.
In terms of managing your professional brand, recommendations, like performance reviews, can indicate if you're a team player, how you contribute to other's success, and if writing one, demonstrate your writing skills.
Now, if you are in the process of writing a recommendation, here are a few examples that others have written for me and one that I've written. And to sum up, a well-written recommendation opens up opportunities and possibilities for one another and I encourage those of you reading this to write one today.
Example 1 (Traditional)
I am pleased to have the opportunity of providing a reference for Kerri A. Rogers. As the program manager responsible for application portfolio management in XIT, my job was to minimize the impact of the next wave of Microsoft products across our line of business applications. During the last 12 months from October 2005 to September 2006 Kerri was part my project team that achieved outstanding results. With Kerri’s help, we:
• Tested 500+ applications across Exchange, Internet Explorer, Security Update, Office, Vista, and Managed Solutions. • Accepted 27 builds. • Submitted product feedback in the form of 104 bugs. • Achieved minimal impact to our application portfolio. Roughly 19% of all feedback sent to product group resulted in a change to an application (CR). • Increased year-over-year cost savings for the program.
In the beginning of the project, Kerri had a huge learning curve. For example, Kerri had products in the Managed Solutions space that she hadn’t even heard of and that was to be expected. She had to conduct research in a short amount of time while at the same time write test cases for our apps. Her primary duties were to understand the changes related to a specific build, apply the build to the test environment, perform the testing and write a bug if it was necessary. And if it was necessary, she would be responsible for reporting on the status of the bug until it closed.
As we neared the end of the project, I was reticent of the day Kerri had to leave because she brought with her a positive attitude and a willingness to achieve results. So in closing, I have no reservations about recommending Kerri for your organization. If I can provide additional information, please don’t hesitate to ask.
Regards, Gil Gido Microsoft IT Program Manager
Example 2 (Traditional)
As the Executive Director of the Executive Development Institute (EDI) I have had the privilege of knowing Gil Gido and calling him a friend of EDI for the last few years. The mission of EDI is to develop culturally diverse leaders starting first with Asian Pacific professionals and then, reaching out to other ethnicities. We do this by offering culturally tailored leadership programs.
EDI was approved as a nonprofit organization in July 2002 and over the last six years it has emerged as a financially sound and successful organization. We have grown our program offerings for Asian Pacifics geographically to Portland, Oregon and through offering a higher tier program, and now in 2009 EDI has expanded to the Hispanic community with like programs. It is individuals like Gil that have been helpful in making this success happen and quite honestly, without them it may not have.
Gil Gido has a deep seeded caring for all people which is rooted in his value system. He is a role model of integrity, a sense of community and selfless giving of his time, talents and treasures for the greater good. These are not just empty words however, demonstrated through his actions. As examples, Gil volunteered his time to EDI’s Tastes of Asia Benefit. He was instrumental in the preplanning phase and spent considerable volunteer hours in the EDI office procuring auction items and supporting processes.
Further, I’ve also observed Gil as in the role of Co-Chair, Microsoft Asian Pacific Society (MAPS). Gil and his colleagues volunteered their time to host in April 2009 the 2nd MAPS Leadership Conference for Microsoft Asian Pacific employees. This is a very large undertaking in that over 1000 employees attend as well as several senior executives present at the event. Gil with ease and levity was effective with all stakeholders in communicate, influence and motivate them which resulted in a exceedingly successful and memorable conference.
To have Gil, an honorable, competent, dependable, trustworthy and reputable community citizen, volunteering his valuable time, talents and treasures to our agency helps to assure EDI’s future stability.
I cannot thank Gil enough for making the world a better place and for being such a strong example of the enduring human spirit and heart so much needed in leadership today.
Sincerely,
Starr Macdonald Executive Director
Example 3 (LinkedIn)
Top qualities: Great Results, Personable, Good Value
When Gil became President of NAAAP Seattle, he immediately reached out to as National Chairwomen of Women in NAAAP. After our initial phone conversations, we realized that Gil's company Ulysses Social Media could launch Women in NAAAP's social media platform. With his experience working at Microsoft, Gil specializes in start-ups and intrinsically understands the needs and budgetary constraints that emerging businesses may have in their beginning phases. He gives personalized attention and focus to each individual business while producing results beyond a customer's wildest expectations. I really appreciate Gil for all of his work in creating Women in NAAAP's NING social network. I highly recommend his company Ulysses Social Media Marketing Company (USMMC) to any budding business that is looking for a guide through navigating the social media jungle.
- Judi Rhee Alloway, Women in NAAAP National Chairwoman, April 22, 2010
As a leader you will oftentimes be called on to share your passions and to share mine, I recently appeared on the Passions and Possibilities blogtalkradio show with host, Sue Oliver (SO), an amazing interviewer and passionate person herself.
Here's an excerpt from the show:
SO: Your definition of “passion” – your “WHY” for being on the planet?
GG: Passion is an energy that pulls one forward. There’s no resisting this energy because it’s so strong. It’s also illuminating. People can see it. It’s very difficult to hide when you’re passionate.
SO: Your biggest passions for serving others, and how you’re expressing them (include hobbies, volunteering, if you wish)?
GG: Everyone wants in some way wants to make a difference, so as a leader I create and share about opportunities for them to express and to fulfill on that need.
SO: Your biggest challenge(s) in expressing your passions for serving others and how you’ve addressed them?
GG: I believe that your own worst enemies are within you; that is fear and self-doubt. I find some way by having people around me that support me and want me to succeed, namely my family, friends, and mentors.
SO: What have been the key factors in your success?
GG: While there’s no substitute for hard work and commitment, I believe you need to share what you’re doing and allowing people to participate. It’s amazing how if you’re passionate about something, it’s a magnet and people by nature want to be a part of whatever you’re being passionate about.
SO: What one word/quality best describes your journey?
GG: Unpredictable.
SO: What has been your experience of prosperity, as you define it?
GG: Prosperity means celebrating the small wins and being acknowledged by others.
SO: What’s the biggest lesson that you’ve learned in making the leap?
GG: Go big. Get out there and share your passion with others.
SO: What’s your support system look like; how did you create it?
GG: I joined a lot of groups (both in person and online) and took many classes.
SO: What wisdom do you have for someone who’s scared/discouraged about their own leap?
GG: It’s really all in your head. Have conversations with people in your support groups about what will work. When you can talk about your vision with clarity, it’ll work because you’ll know what actions to take.
As many of you may know, May is Asian Heritage month in the United States, so what better way to start it off by announcing Seattle's nominees for the NAAAP100, an International program designed to acknowledge the contributions of Asian Americans exemplifying NAAAP's mission and values.
Earlier this year we asked members and the community at large to submit nominees. We collected them and having sorted through them, it gives me great pleasure to update you on the NAAAP 100 Nominations for Seattle. These nominees are in great company as you may be wondering. Other chapters are also nomininating leaders in their communities.
The selected few among all nominees will be invited to NAAAP's 2010 Convention being held in San Francisco later this year to receive their award. Most importantly, it gives me a sense of hometown pride that Seattle is a progressive place to conduct business and has an environment in which to foster leaders in our community.
These are the amazing individuals nominated for this year.
Phyllis Campbell – Sr. Vice President at JP Morgan Chase | Read more ...
John Okamoto – Executive Director for the Washington Education Association | Read more ...
Assunta Ng – Publisher NWAsian Weekly | Read More ...
Tay Yoshitani – Chief Executive Officer(CEO) – Port of Seattle | Read more ...
Martha Choe – Chief Information Officer (CIO) – Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation | Read more ...
Qi Lu – President Microsoft Online Services Business and former exec at Yahoo! | Read more ...
Thanks to those submitting nominations, too. Of course there are other wonderful unsung heroes. As an organization and in the spirit of community, we hope to acknowledge them in future years.
It’s amazing to see the diverse areas where Asians are leading now and it is quite the contrast from 20 years ago. Congratulations to all!
Regards,
Gil Gido
NAAAP Seattle
President
For more information on the NAAAP100 program, please visit our website.
