By Isabelle Myeisha Cembrano, Aboitiz Scholar – UP Baguio
Culture is everywhere and every single day its meaning evolves. At Aboitiz Equity Ventures (AEV), we strive to constantly redefine it by engaging in conversations, much like through the AEV Connect held last July 17.
SMA introduced a new concept to define our company culture using the “Strength of Three”: Accountability, Create value, and Think Strategically. He explained how our culture is continually changing, and every time it does it demands even more from us.
In my internship at AEV, I’ve learned that success is not just about accomplishing tasks. By adopting the “ACT” mindset, it has helped me keep up with the fast-paced environment of a corporate office as I learn and unlearn new knowledge from the culture of my fellow A-People.
Accountability
In my onboarding meeting with my supervisor, Gail Quintos, she was upfront by saying how I had the liberty to arrange my own timeline and internal deadlines. Having this set-up taught me to be accountable for myself and keep my word, even for the mundane tasks I do.
Some of the ways I can personally stay on track is by keeping a planner and making a checklist of my to-do list for the day. Through this simple habit, it makes a huge difference in how I execute my work and in the quality of my final output.
However, learning is never without having a few lapses here and there (i.e. missing deadlines a few minutes past, overlooking minor details and miss-prioritizing certain tasks). The important thing I’ve learned is that it matters more on how we respond to the situation in order to avoid making the same mistakes again.
Practicing the value of accountability, we must handle even the most uncomfortable situations with grace. It is important to be proactive in receiving constructive feedback, especially since it can contribute to our growth both personally and professionally.
Create Value
Having these new learnings should also reflect on how we move forward with the performance we give at work. It is equally important that we open ourselves to learning new things on the job and figure out how we can use our new and existing skills together to drive genuine improvement.
In my line of work, I was able to create value by integrating my firsthand experiences into the content I write and design.
A perfect example of this would be the opportunity to be able to write my own series of articles for Aboitiz Eyes. Under the mentorship of Cristi Biyo, she encouraged me to apply my personal learnings from Aboitiz in writing while simultaneously guiding me on how I can retain my own voice as I share it with others.
Likewise, my supervisor, Lorenne Anacta, also makes sure to include me in conversations with the team by asking me about my personal input on our projects. I learned from her what it truly means to be a team player who collaborates with everyone since she has always highlighted how important it is to have a fresh perspective from time to time.
Once we have found ourselves included in these conversations, it is now up to us to have the initiative to voice out our ideas and think out of the box. In this way we can impart new knowledge to others even as we collaborate with various people from different walks of life.
Think Strategically
Now to effectively live out the “ACT” mindset, it is important that we also look inward as it manifests into the vision we have for the bigger picture.
To think strategically means to look past immediate day-to-day tasks to understand how the members within a team work together in order to contribute fresh ideas to the bigger picture, including the company, our families, and the entire country.
This mindset aligns with SMA’s vision as to how the future demands continuous growth and that cultural evolutions are essential to stay competitive in the industry. After the AEV Connect, I learned how to be more mindful of how intentional I work and the ideas I share because of the individual power we bear to create a larger, meaningful change.
Ultimately, my greatest takeaway is that my journey as an AEV intern is about far more than just completing the target hours in my internship, for it is more of a journey of how I actively evolve myself, my culture, and my mindset to equip myself for the demands of the future.