Connections

[CEOforOneMonth] - Week Two

Connections - A word that could allude to friendship, professional network, or family. During Week Two of my C1M journey, I made connections that constitute all of the above.?

I was scheduled to shadow Eileen Sweeney, President of Adecco North America, and her team in Canada. However, my flight to Toronto was canceled the morning of! This left my work mom, Laine Gandy, and I scrambling to find other accommodations. We jumped through hurdles like waiting in the airline's two-hour call queue, frantically searching for online bookings, and finally getting in touch with a representative only to get hung up on. Hoping to speak to someone directly, I went to the airport but you could imagine my shock when I saw the airline’s kiosk deserted. I proceeded to aimlessly walk desk to desk, asking about available flights to Canada. After a few calls with Laine, we managed to book an evening connecting flight from Baltimore to Chicago, then Toronto. The catch was that I had an extra five hours to kill - talk about a day in the life of a CEO!?

I landed in Toronto a little after midnight and hopped in an Uber. I was in no mood to talk but reluctantly indulged in conversation with the persistent driver. The more we went back and forth, the more I appreciated learning about this stranger’s life.

My driver was a 30-year-old man named Kelvin and here’s what I learned from our time together. He's originally from Grenada, a small island country in the Caribbean known for its spices. He lives alone in Toronto but hopes to one day move to New York City. The hustle and bustle of the Big Apple appeals to him socially and professionally. Based on our Spotify blend playlist, we have very similar tastes in music and one of his all-time favorite artists is Kanye West. Mentioning that it was my first time visiting Canada from the US was a perfect segway for Kelvin to talk about his aunt actively serving in the US Navy. I listened to him recount tales of her deployment overseas until we were interrupted by his grumbling stomach. He gladly took my offer of pretzels and Biscoff cookies saved from the flight and expressed his thanks. As a token of his appreciation, he even drove by Toronto’s attractions such as the CN Tower, Nathan Phillips Square, Scotiabank Arena, and Ripley’s Aquarium at no extra cost - don’t worry, I wasn't swindled into paying for a longer ride! I was grateful for Kelvin’s kindness because I had actually missed a group dinner at the CN Tower 360 Restaurant from traveling. We made sure to exchange contact information before parting ways, and just like that, a stranger had become my friend.?

My second genuine connection was with Canada’s C1M Candidate, Raneem. Although we spoke on the phone prior, nothing compared to our time together. We hung out in the office, joined a client call, and had a lovely dinner overlooking the sunset at an Italian restaurant. Raneem was born in Palestine but grew up in Qatar. She independently moved to Canada to pursue an education while applying for citizenship. The idea of living alone quickly turned from excitement to loneliness. That's why Raneem had peace of mind knowing that, “something else was breathing,” in her home when her sister moved in. She just graduated from the University of Toronto with a bachelor’s in Chemical Engineering but wants to pursue a career that merges her expertise with business. So by virtue of conversation, a fellow C1M candidate and competitor had become my dear friend within a day.

The rest of the Canada team was just as wonderful. When I arrived at the office early, I was greeted by Doug Hamlyn, Vice President of Adecco Canada Finance. He showed me around and introduced me to some folks. Needless to say, Canadian hospitality is unmatched! Everyone from Janelle Bieler, President of Adecco Canada, to the members of her team welcomed me with open arms like family.

In lieu of these events, I learned that the key to making genuine connections is authenticity and transparency. A concept that's seemingly obvious, yet difficult to execute. It means being unafraid of judgment, rejection, failure, or any other fears associated with being unapologetically you.

Had I not shared the story of spraining my ankle before the Candidate Fitness Assessment and getting rejected from the Naval Academy, I would have never learned about Kelvin's aunt. Had Raneem and I avoided the emotional conversation about being the eldest daughter of an immigrant family, we would have never learned about our shared values from playing the same role. Had I lied to Doug about being anxious on my first day, he would have never shown me around to help calm my nerves and familiarize me with the office.

What makes these encounters so special is authenticity and transparency. But as society grows comfortable working from home in professional tops and pajama bottoms, it seems like we've forgotten what a genuine connection feels like. So here's a reminder that you learn much more about a person within five minutes of meeting them over an hour on a virtual call. I find myself cherishing face-to-face interactions professionally because my employment experiences have been mostly remote. Given the changing times, I don't think I'll ever experience a 9-5 where you make small talk by the water cooler and it saddens me a little.

As much as I want to say, "Get out there!" I recognize that the pandemic is still very prevalent. If you're not comfortable or in the position to make those in-person connections, go the extra mile and adapt. Fix your hair and turn on your camera, call to ask how friends and family are doing, text when you're recalling a fond memory of someone, or reach out to colleagues outside of work.

There are a million ways to connect with people and doing it remotely will just take extra effort. Hopefully, my reflections from this week reminded you of the importance of creating meaningful relationships and maintaining them (recruit and retain as Adecco says)! Above all else, don't forget to be unapologetically you along the way.?