The two travelers approached the airport customer check-in line from different directions. One was a family man with a young wife and infant child. The other, a more seasoned veteran of airports and travel challenges, was traveling alone. In a brief moment of interaction the former accused the latter of trying to take cuts in a line that was interrupted by a woman sorting her luggage, whilst sitting on the floor.
Tempers heated up. The older guy defended himself, saying he’d waited patiently while the other guy and family took their places in line. Then he went on to say there was no need to be rude and in fact he had waited courteously while the man and his family took their place. The young father carried on, saying that in fact the older guy was trying to cut in the line. At one point the young father moved aggressively towards the middle-aged traveler, as if to strike him, in response to a snide comment, but the wife prevailed and settled him down. There was more verbal sparring, and sharp glaring looks, and finally, with the wife pleading for her husband to forget it, and stop quarreling, the interaction ended.
As an observer, I wondered what it would take for the two to realize that their interaction and heated tempers warranted an apology. Even as I watched, they continued to wind in the snake-like line, separated only by one other passenger, till they both reached the ATM-like check-in machines side-by-side, each ignoring the other as best as possible. What would it take to say, “Sorry, I over reacted. I apologize if I upset you (or upset your wife)”. Yet it didn’t happen.
They continued on, passing from the check-in to security clearance and on into the vast waiting areas of an International airport, yet no apology came. What might have happened, if one or the other had acted on his Christian or Jewish or Muslim (or any other value system) precepts, and turned the other cheek, offering an “I didn’t mean to upset you, sorry”.
Would the world have been made a better place? Would the individuals involved have felt less stress, more peace? Who knows, but it caused me to think and ponder as to why we so often boil inside and leave things unresolved. What holds us back from saying something as simple as, “I regret what happened. Sorry.”? I know, for one, that the next time something like this happens to me, I hope to be grown-up enough to speak out loud and say it. Whether I’m right or whether I’m wrong, the lesson learned is to speak up, be mature enough to say it, and make sure not to leave an apology unspoken.
Thanks for reading.
© Daniel A. Cabrera, TopExec.org, All rights reserved, 2009.
For other perspectives from me, specifically on Latin America, see this blog: http://latinknowhow.blogspot.com
As we all know, time passes rapidly. Life rolls by readily, and before you know it, the years are piled up all around (and behind) you. No regrets, just hope I wrote a good story, as I went along, with a lot of good chapters, overall.
Along the way, from childhood on, we make friends, lose friends, re-connect with them and scratch our heads often, to ask, “whatever happened to so-and-so?” With the Internet, we often have friends we never knew we had (LinkedIn, Facebook, etc.), just as we can dig up folks from the past (or they dig us up), if we so desire.
Well, something like this happened to me recently, and while it’s not earth-shattering, it does warrant a commentary. In fact, it’s happened to me multiple times this year, and I wasn’t even trying.
Years ago, I was a starving musician (true story), working my way around the Southern California scene to find a record deal and become a star. Needless to say, it didn’t happen and no gold record came of it. However, I did share some formative years and some fun (and not-so-fun) times with a number of guys, including one from my small-town childhood, who went on the music venture with me, as well. Flash forward, and before you know it, a pile of years has grown up around me, and I haven’t spoken to him in more than 20 years.
Well, somehow, via the Internet, he got in touch with me. We exchanged emails, but never got around to phoning, till one day, while sitting in an airport I dialed him in California. Neither of us recognized the other’s voice (time ravages all parts, no?), but there was a camaraderie and a friendship that burned brightly as soon as we spoke. We spent 45 minutes talking about family, common friends, memories of our rock ‘n roll days, current events, politics, you name it. It was a warm and satisfying conversation, as if we’d never fallen out of touch. For someone like me who moved away from the home town long ago, and someone like him, who moved back to that same home town in recent years, it was an amazing moment of memory and friendship.
Fortunately, this is not an isolated experience. Others have reached out to me, and in their unique ways, they have expressed their regards and strong links to a friendship kindled years ago, in a work circumstance, university classroom or other shared experience. So as I reflect on this, and similar events, it occurs to me that we should all find ways to rekindle the flame of friendship. Whether that’s with the next door neighbor, or some long lost colleague/friend/mentor/teacher, it’s probably worth it. In fact, you often find out that people appreciate you more after all these years, then perhaps they seemed to way-back-when. Memory being as subjective as it is, and time being as elastic as it can be, there’s nothing like a phone conversation, email commentary or other communications with someone from the past to elicit opinions and compliments that just might surprise you. Hope it works for you the way it worked for me. And, I hope the flame of friendship warms your soul, one way or the other.
Perhaps you want to share this with someone. Thanks for reading.
From the Right Coast to the Left Coast, this message found its way into the world today, from one friend to another. I thought it might be worth posting. I hope you enjoy it.
Life is so short, and moves so fast, that times with loved ones and good friends are irreplaceable. I continue to marvel at how fast children grow up, and how we sometimes drift away from good friends (or they from us). It's all a wonderful, precious thing, called LIFE, and though we get bogged down in STUFF, the reality is as precious and valuable as we choose to make it. For example, from my home office, every day I can hear mockingbirds cheerily singing throughout the day. As you know they have a vast and never-ending repertoire, and are delightful in their singing ways.
So, if they sing so joyfully, am I appreciative for the birds and for my hearing and for what those songs do to my heart? Yes. At least, on my better days, I strive to be thankful and mindful, too, of how we are surrounded by such beauty. Well, my thoughts can take me many places, on a beautiful SoFLA day. I just wanted to send some sunshine your way. Have a peaceful and prosperous day, and remember to listen for mockingbirds.
Thanks for reading, and feel free to comment, or share this post with someone else.
Another blog you might like:
http://latinknowhow.blogspot.com
© Daniel A. Cabrera, TopExec.org, All Rights Reserved, 2009.
No doubt about it, the empty eyes of ghosts are staring at each of us, whether we realize it or not. They seem to be real, even solid in their stance, but if you look carefully, you see that they are just empty, transparent and not meant for this world. These are the ghosts on 108th Avenue.
Where I live and walk and enjoy the songbirds every day is, generally speaking, a very nice part of south Florida. It's got a good reputation, has a lot of trees (an "Arbor City") and generally, its city services, police protection and other civic amenities are very good for its citizens. In fact, where I live is even considered a safe haven from hurricanes (a reality in south Florida), such that the entire county government moves here when the coastal headquarters are threatened by deadly wind and rain of Hurricane (fill in the blank).
Yet, something is amiss. As I mentioned, there are ghosts living right here, in plain sight. They are putting on airs of being "OK", but really they are not the same. They are now ghosts, and whether the neighbors like it or not, they are a sign of the times. Who are they? Why are they here? They are the houses that no longer have owners or residents. They are the fine, upstanding middle class citizens that no longer have their gardens tended or their insides filled with useful things, like furniture and decorations. They are the sad leftovers of the "home loan craze" and "financial bubble" that was the middle 2000's, as in 2004-2009, which we are still living through at this time.
It's not hard to spot them, but you have to take the time to look. If you cruise by at 30 MPH in your four-door wheels, then perhaps you'll miss them. But if you walk by at 3-5 MPH on a morning stroll, you'll notice the lawn is unkempt. You'll see that plants in the landscaping are dying or sorely in need of a trim. The roof will be dirty and unkempt (here it's a rule to keep the barrel tiles clean), and sometimes you'll see through semi-covered windows that the insides are hollow and not a human soul is to be found in the ghosts on 108th Avenue.
Sad to see, and scary, too, as ghosts are. What do you see in your neighborhood? How do you deal with it, and what is the future for these forlorn folks? Sale, Lease or Rent or worse (foreclosure?), what's in store? Do you know friends or ex-neighbors that have been swept out of their homes and into less-desirable settings? I hope that all of us find a way out of this spiral to ghostliness and ghastliness that touches us all.
Thanks for reading. Share this blog with a friend or post a comment, but keep reading, and whatever you do, do your part to help those who are close to turning into ghosts. We don't want this to haunt anyone, ever.
From the great state of Utah, to the sunshine state of Florida an email came winging my way recently, with the following proposition (paraphrased):
I'm a young father with several kids, and my passion is Latin America. Can you provide me any insight into whether this is a good area for me to focus my career? I speak Spanish well, and love the region. How would this benefit me and my family to focus on the region you know so well?
Needless to say, my curiousity was piqued, and I responded, which eventually allowed us to have a substantive phone conversation and several more email exchanges. Based on what my new friend indicated, my words and comments were useful to him, and we plan on keeping in touch, both via LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com ) as well as by phone and email. He's even promised me lunch, the next time he passes through the Miami/Ft.Lauderdale area.
How did this come about, and how did he find me? By reading my blog (LatinKnowHow) and by discovering a common interest, he simply decided to reach out and explain his career issues. After all, working for a Utah-based firm, while selling into the Rust Belt of the USA, and pining for an opportunity to speak Spanish, learn Portuguese and interact with the warmth and vitality of Latin America must have caused him some restlessness, don't you agree?
Bottom line? Blogging is good for a lot of things, not the least of which is self-expression. It's also exceptionally good for meeting new people with similar interests, and shows a willingness to communicate one-on-one or one-to-many with one's thoughts and interests. Have you tried it? Do you read anyone's blog or contribute comments or share some of your expertise in any way that others can be touched or enriched by? Try it! You just might find that someone else appreciates your thoughts, on the Career Path Expressway™.
Thanks for reading (and commenting). Share this with a friend, and consider a peek at my other blog, cited above. Soon, I'll even be posting in Spanish and Portuguese on blogs associated with SonicWALL in Latin America. Hey, the more the merrier!
On a recent business trip to Miami to visit a new set of customers and partners, I had the distinct impression that I was a part of the U.N. Instead of working for the multinational organization with headquarters in New York City, however, I was just making a day trip from Fort Lauderdale to the heart of one of Miami's export districts.
In the course of a single day, I had the pleasure to speak French, Spanish, Portuguese and English. Further, I met and interacted with people from Colombia, France, Panama, Brazil, Venezuela, USA and Nicaragua. Undoubtedly, I also interacted with people born in Cuba, but now a longtime part of the fabric of greater Miami-Dade County.
What makes this remarkable, in a country of considerable depth and richness, when it comes to the immigrant talent that makes up so much of the USA, is the incredible concentration of all these folks in a small part of one big city, Miami. For me, it was a wonderful example of how diverse and interesting the USA is, and how vital it is to be able to speak multiple languages, and to get in tune with different ways of doing business.
How about where you live and work? Any examples of "United Nations" coming together and interacting on a regular basis? Any mix of languages or national backgrounds sounding in the background of your day-to-day? Take a careful listen, and you, too, might find something similar to what I did in the United Nations of Miami.
From time to time, people ask me for career advice, or job-hunting tips, or related experiences. This is one example, and I hope it helps in case you're riding on the Career Path Expressway™.
The question posed was, "What are the critical factors to overcoming an 8 year absence from an industry (IT Services) and trying to break back into a senior sales or sales leadership role?"
My answer was, Keep it simple, keep it honest and use your best anecdotal and "narration skills" to explain the absence. In my case, a few years back, I was recruited away from software and high-tech sales into the financial industry. The role offered broad responsibility in marketing, business development and web strategy initiatives, so that was all positive. Likewise, the experience and pay were positives. However, when the industry started to go south, it was time to re-position myself and return to the software industry. Whether this journey ends in software, high-tech or a "blended" opportunity is what makes the career hunt exciting (and challenging). Nontheless, if you craft (beforehand) a very solid and compelling explanation as to why you changed course then, and why you're returning to your roots now, you'll likely be able to persuade others as to what you learned, how you will apply that now, and why you're the best candidate for this opportunity. The truth is always the best medicine for any part of your past, even as you use it to pave the way to a future career choice.
For more commentary from this blogger on specifics relating to Latin America, try reading a new blog, called LatinKnowHow. Please share it with others, and feel free to comment here, on TopExecBlog, or on the new one. Thanks for reading.© Daniel A. Cabrera, TopExec.org, All rights reserved, 2008.
When a grown man says, for the world to hear, that he feels like a "brand new baby", you know that something very special has taken place. (These were the words of a Bahamaian man, ringing a bell and shouting, "God Bless Barack Obama!" in a local Miami area neighborhood, as heard on a radio news program, on the night of November 4, 2008).
As a young person I once heard Martin Luther King, Jr., speak in public (Fresno, CA) many years ago. Like others, I grew up as a long-distance witness (TV, film and radio coverage) of the Civil Rights Movement in this country, and it changed me. So now, it moves me to consider that for people of color, and for people of all races, the recent election of Mr. Barack Obama is a major moment in the history of this country.
God bless us all, as Americans, born here or re-born here, as immigrants. This election, and this young leader and all that he represents, are especially poignant. Let us enjoy the moment, and work together for the common good, now and in the future. We may not share the same policies, nor the same heritage, but whatever your color, politically or racially, we must be United in these States of America, for all citizens and residents to prosper, live in peace and create a better world.
© Daniel A. Cabrera, TopExec.org, All rights reserved, 2008.
The questions came via email from a senior executive interested in my thoughts about Latin America. “What do you think about the viability of software markets in Brazil and other parts of the region?” More specifically, he wanted to know my thoughts on the market for “on-demand applications” and specifically “talent management applications”.
Before commenting on those particulars, it might be helpful to provide context, since the world appears, at this writing, on the edge of an economic abyss, and many of the financial and commercial norms that we have known in the past several decades are changing so fast as to warrant some reflection. What is happening to emerging markets, especially Latin America? How are people coping and in what direction are these markets going? Do they rely on technology or other solutions that come from “the north”, or are they increasingly independent and uncoupled from the freezing-up of credit and other mechanisms in the northern hemisphere?
In brief I would say that it’s a mixed environment. Certainly a market as huge and self-sufficient as Brazil is a lot less concerned about the challenges faced in the U.S. and Europe. For them, in the words of a good friend in that country, they are accustomed to crises all the time, in fact it’s almost a way of life. Except for a jump in interest rates, recently, nothing much has changed since the “meltdown” began earlier this year in the U.S. and other world economies. In other words, to the extent possible, business people and others will take these situations in stride, find a way around the barriers they come up against, and move forward. Brazil has natural advantages, of course, including a widely diversified economy, a huge population of consumers that have learned to love a stable currency and credit facilities to enhance their life styles, and a government that has in the main been largely free-trade and hands-off with regards to managing that country’s economy.
Nonetheless, there is a definite impact in the stock markets and capital markets of these emerging economies, including Brazil. Stock markets are getting hit, currencies are weakening against the U.S. dollar and projects are being delayed to let the dust settle. Those countries that have enjoyed a run-up in commodity prices without building up a sufficient “rainy day” fund are going to find severe challenges when demand falls for their bread and butter products (soy, wheat, copper, beef, etc.). A notable example of this is Argentina, which continues to flail away at its economic challenges and has recently announced it will appropriate private pension monies to tide it over as major, sovereign debt comes due in the coming 12-24 months. Chile, on the other hand, has been very conservative about holding on to the tax revenues raised (in the billions of dollars) over the past several years for its many commodity exports (copper, fisheries, agricultural, etc.), and has an enormous reserve upon which to draw in this faltering market environment.
What do these macroeconomic issues have to do with “on-demand applications” and “talent management applications”? From the perspective of building an emerging market, creating a brand and gaining market share there is a correlation. Until such time as the value proposition and cost/benefit equations are fully embraced by consuming organizations of these offerings, it will be a long, hard road to create and sustain markets with these kinds of products. In particular it should be noted that the effect of an exporting company’s marketing, advertising and even customer success stories in the U.S. or Europe have very little impact on the folks in Latin America.
Even as their economies have grown, and their imports and exports with other countries have expanded, Latin America remains focused on its own markets, its own communities and its own reference points. Until an “on-demand, talent management application” can really be proven as a must-have, versus a nice-to-have for day-to-day operations, there will be serious impediments to building that particular market. Likewise, until the “best practices” of performance reviews (see a contrarian view on this topic: here), succession planning and other talent management techniques become acceptable to Latin American firms and worth funding via technology, consulting or other investments, it will be tough for this kind of application to make progress in the short term. Some might even say it's a cultural oxymoron in Latin America, "talent management". More importantly, just as the consumer, generally, and many companies in the U.S. are cutting back on expenditures, and eliminating many nice-to-have items, so, too, consumers and corporate organizations in Latin America will do the same, having an impact on how U.S. and other non-Latin American vendors approach and serve these markets.
That being said, there are vendors that have on-demand offerings, fairly well-known, well-capitalized and willing to do the “blocking and tackling” it takes to create and build an emerging market like Brazil, Mexico or other nations in Latin America. Does this mean they can achieve short-term results? Yes, but not on the scale that Wall Street-driven firms in the U.S. or Europe might be hoping for. Does it mean it might take years to begin to get real traction in the region? Yes, it does. One particular “Software-as-a-Service” vendor I know admitted to six years of effort in Latin America, and they are just now (as of mid-2008) beginning to find their bearings and produce what they hoped for all these years. Who knows where they are today, in this “soft freeze” economy that seems to be delaying new hires, postponing projects and hoping that the first of the year will dawn warmly with positive GDP’s and operational budgets to gear up sales and profits once again in the region?
Regardless of the challenges, there will be those vendors who make a commitment to being “global” and put into action the teams and strategies necessary to serve and build emerging markets. With appropriate expertise, a clear-cut strategy and the executive talent to see the big picture in terms of time, resources, talent and commitment (yes, it’s often called hard work), Latin America and other emerging markets will adopt on-demand applications, just as they will adopt wireless broad band technology, or any number of other products and solutions. Want them to adopt talent management applications? Then, put the talent you have on the case, fund it appropriately, scale it on a time line that makes sense in Latin American terms (not Wall Street terms), and get to work. Need help figuring out what to do? Contact me: info@TopExec.org and I’ll be happy to help.
Thanks for reading this chapter of the Career Path Expressway™. Please share it with a friend, and subscribe to the blog to receive future postings. My regards to you, and safe travels as you approach emerging or other markets in today’s global economy.
© Daniel A. Cabrera, TopExec.org, All rights reserved, 2008
Mr. Cabrera has 20+ years of doing business in Latin America. He is fluent in Portuguese and Spanish, has a wide network of contacts in major industries throughout the region, and offers consulting, sales, business development, management and other expertise to firms looking for an edge in Latin America and other emerging markets. His office location is in the Fort Lauderdale/Miami area of Florida, USA, and gateway to Latin America.
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