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On August 7, 2008, Accenture teamed with the Cincinnati chapter of the National Society for Hispanic MBAs (NSHMBA) to host a panel discussion focused on “Developing a High Performance Mindset." Six Hispanic executives participated on the panel, including Accenture’s Jay Zerbe, Utility Industry Managing Director. Jay shared his thoughts about building and maintaining relationships. Another panelist, Tillie Hidalgo Lima, talked about goal setting.
Tillie is the President/CEO of Best Upon Request, a company that Accenture played a key role in helping to “put on the map.” Best Upon Request is a privately held minority-owned and woman-owned national concierge services firm headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio. Nellie Borrero, director – Global Inclusion & Diversity at Accenture, recently took some time to interview Tillie. Tillie offered advice for professional women and spoke about how networking, goal setting and stepping out of one’s comfort zone can be critical to one’s success.
Read highlights from the discussion.
- Did you have women in mind when you and your husband started up Best Upon Request?
Best Upon Request helps give back time through its concierge services. Between travel and work, executives – in particular, female executives – are often challenged to manage not only work but also the entire household. One of our goals is to help them, and in helping them, to give them back more time!
- What role did Accenture play in helping you start up the company?
When my husband first started the company, Accenture was one of our clients – they helped to put Best Upon Request on the map.
- How have networks and relationships helped shape your career?
When I became CEO of Best Upon Request five years ago, the only things holding me back were my own limiting beliefs. My husband – my first mentor – encouraged me and saw all that I was capable of. In 2002, he also introduced me to a woman who has been my coach and mentor ever since. I have found having a mentor to be so valuable. The YWCA motto captures mentoring best: “lift as you climb.” I learn from others as they learn from me – mentoring up and down. It involves not always providing answers, but asking the right questions to help others reach solutions.
Working in a very conservative region, networking was an area about which I was particularly nervous. Again, my own limiting beliefs made me wonder: what am I doing running a business when I was trained to be a pharmacist? I joined Vistage, a CEO peer advisory group – one of my first steps out of my comfort zone and it has been vital to my success. I had to step out, put myself into situations where I knew I would be uncomfortable, and get through “the panic zone” to succeed. You grow most when you are at the edge of “the panic zone.”
I encourage the leaders in my company to get involved. Since employees are geographically dispersed, they have learned how important it is to network where they are. I find that if you take every single relationship and think, “What can I learn from this?” such as a best practice or a better approach, then you can grow personally and professionally.
- What helps guide your approach to work and life in general?
I rely on the Five Fs, which I learned from my parents. They are: faith, family, friends, freedom and fun. I also believe in celebrating your successes. Take that defining moment in your career and celebrate when goals are met -- this applies to celebrating accomplishments of others, too. If I treat internal customers (my team members) with value and respect, it creates a “pay it forward” concept, which they will extend to our external customers.
Remember to take care of yourself. Women – Hispanic women, in particular –are often raised to be such givers. If people take time out for self care and rejuvenate themselves, they will be able to give even more. I have three daughters and I teach them and others to take time for themselves. To set that example, my girlfriend and I take vacation every final Friday of the month to go to the spa, go shopping, bike ride, etc. We use our Fun Final Fridays to refuel and re-energize so that we can return to work and life and do even better.
- How did you get involved with National Society for Hispanic MBAs (NSHMBA)?
Jessi, my daughter and our director of communications, is the member of NSHMBA, and she really sparked my involvement. What I like so much about NSHMBA is its focus on lifelong learning.
- During the August 7 NSHMBA event, you talked about goal setting. Has goal setting been critical to your success? How do you encourage professionals to hold themselves accountable for the goals they set?
Goal setting has definitely been critical to my success. I have professional and personal goals, and I look at them every day. Share your goals with others to seek accountability outside of yourself. Be intentional and share your goals with someone who is going to inspire you and be a cheerleader. Doing affirmations creates a mindset of achievement. One of my affirmations is: “I manifest my dreams with ease and grace.” You need to believe inside of you that these things will happen – be open to receiving it.
- How do you strike a balance between the two – professional and personal?
It is not about work-life balance any more, but rather work-life integration. I encourage my team members to take advantage of and support flexibility. I allow for and build a trusting environment – that is what integration is really all about. Not all of my employees have the option to work from home, so I have to find other ways to allow flexibility. In particular for women, it is okay to sit out for a while at some points in their careers to take care of children or elderly parents or even pursue higher education. Be comfortable in knowing there is a time for everything and do not feel guilty about it.
Tillie will be honored with the NSHMBA Brillante Award for Entrepreneurial Excellence at the NSHMBA conference and gala on October 11, 2008. Read more about Tillie and her accomplishments. |