Online Retreat Experience

For many years now, I have been doing an online retreat every Holy Week. When I was still single, I used to attend the silent retreats at the Sacred Heart Novitiate.

This year for me is different. This Holy Week blessed me with wonderful messages from the Lord. For that I am thankful.







Now I know the meaning of all that I have been going though in my life now.

Gen X-er meets the Millenials

It's been 6 weeks since I started working and there are 3 Millenials under my team (good thing, I still have a fellow Gen X-er). It was a bit of shock, after stopping my corporate career for more than 3 years. Though I consider myself still a techie-- I'm no match to these creatures. I admire their multi-tasking skills.



Amazing. They have a work deskstop... but they bring their own laptops. They have I-phones and Blackberries. The desktop is for work, the laptop is for Facebook and Twitter (they are allowed for monitoring) and they carry around their I-phones in case there's a need to text, google or research on something.

It irked me at first, but then it turned into admiration. Though I am still quite adjusting how to manage the Millenials, I'm glad to be learning from them.

Sometimes they don't understand me. And now I feel so old because of the generation gap. I have my own laptop and I-pad. But I only use it to email and for presentation.

Here's an article I have found on: http://humanresources.about.com/od/managementtips/a/millenials.htm


Managing Millennials: Eleven Tips for Managing Millennials
Seven More Tips for Managing Millennials
By Susan M. Heathfield, About.com Guide

The millennials joining your workforce now are employees born between 1980 and 2000, or 1981 and 1999, depending on the author. Unlike the Gen-Xers and the Boomers, the Millennials have developed work characteristics and tendencies from doting parents, structured lives, and contact with diverse people. Millennials are used to working in teams and want to make friends with people at work. Millennials work well with diverse coworkers.

Millennials have a “can-do” attitude about tasks at work and look for feedback about how they are doing frequently – even daily. Millennials want a variety of tasks and expect that they will accomplish every one of them. Positive and confident, millennials are ready to take on the world.

They seek leadership, and even structure, from their older and managerial coworkers, but expect that you will draw out and respect their ideas. Millennials seek a challenge and do not want to experience boredom. Used to balancing many activities such as teams, friends, and philanthropic activities, millennials want flexibility in scheduling and a life away from work.

Millennials need to see where their career is going and they want to know exactly what they need to do to get there. Millennials await their next challenge – there better be a next challenge. Millennials are the most connected generation in history and will network right out of their current workplace if these needs are not met. Computer experts, millennials are connected all over the world by email, instant messages, text messages, and the Internet.

Eleven Tips for Millennial Management

- Provide structure. Reports have monthly due dates. Jobs have fairly regular hours. Certain activities are scheduled every day. Meetings have agendas and minutes. Goals are clearly stated and progress is assessed. Define assignments and success factors.


-Provide leadership and guidance. Millennials want to look up to you, learn from you, and receive daily feedback from you. They want “in” on the whole picture and to know the scoop. Plan to spend a lot of time teaching and coaching and be aware of this commitment to millennials when you hire them. They deserve and want your very best investment of time in their success.


-Encourage the millennial's self-assuredness, "can-do" attitude, and positive personal self-image. Millennials are ready to take on the world. Their parents told them they can do it - they can. Encourage - don't squash them or contain them.


-Take advantage of the millennial's comfort level with teams. Encourage them to join. They are used to working in groups and teams. In contrast to the lone ranger attitude of earlier generations, millennials actually believe a team can accomplish more and better - they've experienced team success. Not just related to age, watch who joins the volleyball match at the company picnic. Millennials gather in groups and play on teams; you can also mentor, coach, and train your millennials as a team.

-Listen to the millennial employee. Your millennial employees are used to loving parents who have scheduled their lives around the activities and events of their children. These young adults have ideas and opinions, and don't take kindly to having their thoughts ignored. After all, they had the best listening, most child-centric audience in history.


-Millennial employees are up for a challenge and change. Boring is bad. They seek ever-changing tasks within their work. What’s happening next is their mantra. Don’t bore them, ignore them, or trivialize their contribution.


-Millennial employees are multi-taskers on a scale you’ve never seen before. Multiple tasks don’t phase them. Talk on the phone while doing email and answering multiple instant messages – yes! This is a way of life. In fact, without many different tasks and goals to pursue within the week, the millennials will likely experience boredom.


-Take advantage of your millennial employee’s computer, cell phone, and electronic literacy Are you a Boomer or even an early Gen-Xer? The electronic capabilities of these employees are amazing. You have a salesman in China? How’s the trip going? Old timers call and leave a message in his hotel room. Or, you can have your millennial text message him in his meeting for an immediate response. The world is wide, if not yet deep, for your millennial employees.


-Capitalize on the millennial’s affinity for networking. Not just comfortable with teams and group activities, your millennial employee likes to network around the world electronically. Keep this in mind because they are able to post their resume electronically as well on Web job boards viewed by millions of employers. Sought after employees, they are loyal, but they keep their options open – always.


-Provide a life-work balanced workplace. Your millennial employees are used to cramming their lives with multiple activities. They may play on sports teams, walk for multiple causes, spend time as fans at company sports leagues, and spend lots of time with family and friends. They work hard, but they are not into the sixty hour work weeks defined by the Baby Boomers. Home, family, spending time with the children and families, are priorities. Don’t lose sight of this. Balance and multiple activities are important to these millennial employees. Ignore this to your peril.


-Provide a fun, employee-centered workplace. Millennials want to enjoy their work. They want to enjoy their workplace. They want to make friends in their workplace. Worry if your millennial employees aren’t laughing, going out with workplace friends for lunch, and helping plan the next company event or committee. Help your long-term employees make room for the millennials.

By Internet research counts, 75,000,000 millennials are preparing to join or joining the workforce. These are desirable employees. Make your millennial employees happy in a fun, yet structured setting, and you are building the foundation for the superior workforce you desire. You are developing the workforce of your future.

As always, when I characterize a group of employees based on age, or any other characteristic, some employees will fit this description; some employees will fit part of this description; some employees will not fit this description. Yet, I believe that, if you heed these tips, you will steer your organization forward, more times than not, with a positive approach to managing your millennial employees.

Our New Electric Fan Looks Like Art

Yesterday, my boss showed me her new Vortex bladeless fan that she ordered from her friend. It looked like an art piece.

And I'm cutting my long story short. I brought home the fan and my boss just ordered a new one for her.

Cool.

The Charm that's called Willing Willie

There's something that I simply do not understand. Willie Revillame has been into too many controversies yet he ends up soaring really high in the showbiz industry. He's just one of the most influential media figures in this generation. And that's quite disturbing for me.

I tend to hold my opinion when it comes to products, politics, religion, and individuals whenever I blog. But right now I'm just so disturbed after a few friends posted this video on their Facebook walls.



As a marketer, I made a choice not to support companies nor any medium that I think disrupt the values of people. Call me too narrow-minded, but TV shows in a media plan for a brand campaign are just plain demographics and figures in terms of ratings/ viewership. Even before the Ultra stampede, I made an effort to tell our media planning company to remove Wowowee at any of the brand campaigns assigned to me. Maybe I'm lucky because I am able to find other shows to fill in the "numbers" gap to achieve the desired total ratings for the media plan. Or maybe I did not handle a megabrand or, say, a mass-based brand. But for me it's a choice. Willie is just too charming for the masses, but that does not mean he's the only way to reach them. Now that I'm in the field of education (fortunately, with no budget to afford a TV campaign), I sense the responsibility to support the students to become leaders with the best ethics possible. Hence watching Janjan in the Willing Willie segment crushed my heart.

Whatever your opinion about Willie, let it be. Time and again, this guy has managed to escape his egotistical, and sometimes stupid, ways. Not even a major network can put this fool down. So all this hullabaloo may reach the same sad ending.

Now as an individual I'm just doing my part not to become another number to his success. His shows are banned in the house. Whenever we can, we do not support any of the products that advertise on his show. There are just too many shampoos, deodorants, and liniments around.

Besides, I would rather watch the news.

Rediscovering an Heirloom Recipe

I had the privilege to attend a workshop yesterday called Discovering the Filipino Palate at Enderun. The program was initiated by noted author and New York-based restauranteur Ms. Amy Besa and Enderun Extension.



I almost did not make it in the workshop because hubby and I had our blood tests and his annual physical exam. Though I was very tired that afternoon, what caught my interest was Ms. Besa's passion to relive Filipino cooking techniques, such as the use of the palayok, bamboo and banana leaves.

There was no cooking session, but the event concluded with a tasting feast of simple Filipino vegetables and seafood with an assortment of condiments and fermented foods, such as burong isda and atcharang kamias.

I went home with a full stomach but felt the urge to look into my family's heirloom recipe for TIDTAD or the Kapampangan's version of dinuguan. Whenever we go home to Sta. Rita, it's always what I request from my lola. Somehow, tidtad reminds me of my childhood, having spent the first 8 years of my life in Pampanga. I have tried tidtad in restaurants, but my lola's version will always be my favorite. She used the palayok and the classic lutuan with panggatong. Never the stove with gas.

I got this recipe from my aunt, who does a version which is almost close to that of my Lola Flor and Lola Maring. When my cholesterol level is back to normal, I will ask my mom to cook tidtad with me.

TIDTAD NI LOLA
1. I-adobo ang liempo meat, garlic, pepper, salt, bayleaf, and vinegar using a stock pot. Let it boil and then set aside.
2. Saute garlic, onion and the inadobong meat. Just let it boil, adding a little water.
3. Add cubed blood of pork. Start mixing once it boils again.
4. If there are remaining pork's blood, strain to break it into small pieces. Add into the pot.
5. Add vetsin and patis to taste.

Yet to do this on my own. But I'm really inspired. Tidtad is my comfort food. If I do this really well, my late lolas will be very very proud.

When God Closes a Door, Somewhere He Opens a Window

Hubby always tells me -- Let go! Snap out of it!

It's been 8 months since I lost Lira, my 2nd daughter. And 8 months since I neglected my flourishing business. In my mind, they were born together. It was last February 2010 when I learned that I will be flying to the Netherlands to be a part of BiD Networks Women in Business competition, a vision that I have been eyeing after Rags2Riches won the grand prize of the BiD Challenge in 2009. By end February, I got pregnant. Last July 17, Lira died at 22 weeks of my pregnancy. My business died with her.

Today, my major retailer decided to pull out my product from their store because of its poor performance. I know why. I stopped marketing it. I stopped being aggressive in making it a global brand. But also today, I got an email from BiD, my sponsor in the Netherlands. My business has been upgraded for matchmaking to investors. One very high end resort also just sent me info on their order of the product. I have a mix of emotions now.

When God Closes a Door, Somewhere He Opens a Window.



Lira, my angel, tell me where to go. I want to snap out of this loss and move on.

Dining Chair Slipcovers

Our dining chairs are made of mahogany wood. Noticed though that there were scratches from buttons of pants, nail marks, etc. and they're barely 3 years old. Repair of one chair costs PhP2,000, according to our supplier!

So I decided to ask our ever reliable mananahi (sewer) to make slipcovers from good quality canvas that we got from Larry's, Buendia. The buttons are made of wood that are available in Divisoria. Carolina's do not have them. Throw pillows are spare pieces from our sofa, all from OUR HOME.

Our house feels much brighter, unlike before which was quite dark due to the mahogany hue.