Questions and Answers

Questions and Answers

Spending Life

What aspects of your life, at this point, are most satisfying?

Being able to provide a stable life for my family and see them happy has brought me bountiful satisfaction. I have also struck a good work-life balance which ensures that I spend quality time with my loved ones.

In what achievement, or commitments, do you take humble pride?

I once worked with a refugee agency where we arranged their settlement in the United States. Seeing many of these people settle in the country, get jobs, and lead good lives has been a great achievement. Securing jobs for these individuals was tough but I am happy to see most of those I worked with settle and become successful.

What changes could you make now, to feel better about how you are spending your life three months, three years, or three decades from now?

I have witnessed close friends struggling with the problem of prescription pills addiction. I believe that I can step up and help these individuals since some of them have found themselves in contravention with the law. The opioid crisis in our society is alarming and I believe I can partake in its reduction by starting with my friends.

Have you ever experienced a Sisyphean crisis, where all of your work felt pointless and endless? What did you do climb out of it?

Working with refugees can be tough at times. I remember there are several instances whereby we settled some refugees in jobs that could support their livelihoods before they could learn English and seek better positions. However, I was disappointed to find the rate at which these individuals lost their initial jobs. The main issue presented by the employees was their poor communication. Hence, we had to find other jobs for these individuals which was demoralizing since I felt that the efforts we put in securing these jobs were futile. As such, I had to secure more sustainable means by collaborating with the locals who were ready to help these individuals as much as they could.

What can you do to help others who are stuck?

I would ask them to reflect on their achievements rather than center on the failures. There are always times when one is bound to feel helpless and efforts seem futile. Hence, the best action to take is to reflect on one’s achievements that will serve as a necessary motivation.

How do you celebrate the purpose in your work?

First, I avoid piling pressure on myself to allow me to work conductively and be productive. Besides, I always make it a point to be engaging with my colleagues since I get some helpful insights from them. These two actions help me in celebrating my work’s purpose.

Ode to Candor and a call to Action or Ethics-Action

When is candor particularly challenging for you?

Challenging the opinions of my superiors has always been a major challenge for me. This happens because I remember one time when I voiced my opinion against a top manager and it did not settle well with him. Since then, I have always found it challenging to pitch conflicting ideas to my superiors unless I am asked about my opinion.

Can you recognize these challenges and rise to these occasions?

Yes. When in a meeting and want to challenge the opinions of a superior employee, I always refrain from doing so during the session. Instead, I try to pitch the idea to them when they are free. However, it still remains a major problem to do so.

When you did, what happened?

I received a warning letter and almost lost my job for giving an honest opinion about a project that I deemed would fail.

From Obligation to Opportunity or What Can Criminal Justice Learn from Business

What stories can you tell about business or organizations leaders who go the extra mile to honor relationships?

Leaders who honor their relationships with their employees provide a sustainable work environment. In my workplace, the leaders often spend their tea breaks and lunches mingling with employees and even go the extra mile of buying everyone lunch on some occasions. As such, employees have an easy time presenting their woes or propositions while engaging with the leaders.

Do you look for these positive stories and share them?

Yes. I like sharing these stories with new employees in the workplace so that they can feel motivated as they start their journey in the organization.

What examples from your own life illustrate the ethics of opportunity?

While working as a project coordinator in a refugee agency, I ensured that I allowed some employees to work from home once a week especially those who had young children. Besides, I sent simple surveys about the company's progress and those who responded would be allowed to leave earlier by two hours on Fridays.

Tough Times: Taking the High Road

Do you do business informed by a clear set of values and principles?

Yes. In every position that I have ever worked, I ensure to set my principles and values that align with those of the organization. Under no circumstances do I compromise these values and principles since they act as my guiding path. These values and principles have allowed me to attain my objectives in every position that I have held.

Is it hard to uphold values and principles when times are tough? How do you face those challenges?

Yes. Upholding values and principles is hard during tough times. During such challenging times, I seek the perspectives of others and assess how I can integrate them to measure up to my values and principles.

If you work in the public sector, what specific ethical challenges do you face in “tough times?” How do you address them?

Having worked in the public sector, I found that the remuneration was not as attractive as the private sector. Therefore, I had to take up an extra shift with another company which really cut back on my family time. As such, I decided that I would work the extra hours during the workdays but dedicate my weekends to my family.

Who was your mentor?

My mentor was my sophomore year college professor. I had learned a lot from her since she was a very outgoing individual who not only ensured that we stayed motivated to learn in class, but also acted as a moral guider. She was dedicated to her work and never let any student feel disappointed in themselves due to their performance. Her outgoing personality, work ethics, and commitment are just some of the major virtues that she upheld.

What do you learn from them, how do you apply it in your work?

One major lesson that I learned from my mentor is the concept of dedication even in hard times. I remember vividly a time when she was going through tough times at home but she never let the situation hold her from delivering what was expected in class. Besides, I learned the essence of being timely in whatever I do. As such, I have applied these two key lessons in my workplace. There are several times that I have been going through tough times but I have always ensured to deliver the best in my workplace. Besides, I am always time-conscious in the workplace to ensure that I do not inconvenience other employees.

How do you stay connected with them?

I always stay in touch with my mentor mainly through email. However, in the age of technological advancement, I also contact her through social media especially WhatsApp and Facebook messaging.

Have you ever thanked your mentor and teachers for the contributions to your life?

Yes. I always make it a point to be thankful to my teachers and mentor at any time. These people have been a great influence to my life and the least I can do is to show my gratitude. If it were not for them, I would not have been successful as I am today.