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Members of the Executive Development Committee 2019/2020 posing for a photograph

APEDE Executive Development Committee 2019/20

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On August 13, the 2019/2020 Executive Update and Business Management Commission of APEDE – Panamanian Association of Business Executives was installed, chaired by Fátima Ribeiro and Nestór Altuve as vice president.

One of the activities of the Commission is the organisation of the “Future of Work” Forum to be held on Wednesday, October 30 from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. to 12:00 p.m. at the Sheraton Hotel addressing the following topics:

  • Global perspectives on the Future of Work and position of Panama
  • Talent in the digital age
  • Work – new challenges and opportunities
  • Development of human talent – key to the sustainability of companies

Participate and support developing awareness of global trends and the lack of skills at different levels (digital, technical and soft) in Panama and the importance of aligning skills with the era in which we live and with the digital transformation.

The challenge is to maintain, as people and as organisations, an inquisitive attitude, open to change and exploring new opportunities.

Investing in human talent generates opportunities and competitiveness; not investing is a cost for organisations and society. It is possible to arrange it and be successful, with obvious results and benefits.

Poster for the Leadership and Team Development seminar at QLU

Leadership and Team Development Seminar and Workshop

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From August 19 to 22 I will be facilitating a Seminar Workshop “Leadership and Team Development” at QLU – Quality Leadership University in a dynamic and co-creation process.

The challenges of a global, complex, changing, diverse and hyperconnected world demand that today’s leadership be different. The basic principles remain, but the way of leading changes. We no longer see the leader as a superior being, focused on the task and providing structure and direction, we see him as a facilitator who is involved in dialogue and the participation of everyone. 

Create value for all stakeholders, working with systemic conflicts, being members of multiple teams and working virtually are some of the challenges organisations currently face.

I will share, among others, knowledge and practices from my learning with Dr. Marshall Goldsmith and Dr. Peter Hawkins, professors, authors and coaches recognised worldwide for their work on leadership, team development and value creation in organisations.

Accede here to more information about the programme.

a hug,

Fatima Ribeiro

Fátima Ribeiro with Marshall Goldsmith

A day with Marshall Goldsmith

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On Friday, May 10, I traveled to San Diego, California, for a learning-filled Saturday with Marshall Goldsmith, author of several best sellers worldwide, considered the #1 Executive Coach in the world and among the top ten Business Thinkers in the last eight years.

The invitation to participate from a group of 22 excellent professionals from various countries came to me a few days before and I was filled with enthusiasm to have the opportunity to work directly with a person whom I deeply admire.

The programme, which included a workshop, skills training, and a reception at Marshall Goldsmith’s home, exceeded my expectations.

A co-creation of learning about the leadership of the future; he feedforward as a fundamental tool to implement behavioural changes, recognised by the people around us; best executive coaching practices and a special space dedicated to female leadership.

The atmosphere and energy were extraordinary, in harmony with learning and sharing experiences. A great generosity from Marshall Goldsmith, his team, his wife and all the participants.

The workshop was filmed and will be integrated into the documentary that is being produced about the work and legacy of Marshall Goldsmith, which will be available later in 2020.

Being a better person and a better professional is a constant learning process. In this growth process we can ask ourselves, daily or weekly:

Did I do my best in?

  • Have clear objectives
  • Work to achieve my goals
  • be happy
  • Finding meaning
  • Build positive relationships
  • Be fully committed

“Life is Good.”

a hug,

Fatima Ribeiro

 

See also my article on Future Leadership

Books on leadership and professional development, including How Women Rise

Poster for the Communication: A Key Leadership Skill workshop

Communication: A Key Leadership Skill — Panama, 13 June 2019

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The global corporate world increases the value it attributes to the management of the human factor in both its self-reflective (knowledge and self-management) and social (relationships and well-being) dimensions.  Every form of communication (relational, attitudinal, spoken or written) becomes a key element for the integration of business management with talent management.

Communication is a fundamental human skill for the development and sustainability of interpersonal and organisational relationships that are based on a shared culture and individual codes of behaviour.

Effective communication (multidirectional, intentional and authentic) streamlines planning, enhances results, promotes motivation, consolidates culture and also supports the development of processes.

The leader’s ability to manage himself and generate collaborative and stable environments between talent and teams, enhancing everyone’s performance, thus has an important impact on the creation of value and the sustainable development of organisations.

In this context, together with Veronica Z. Herrera, expert in Self-knowledge, Interpersonal Communication and Assertiveness, we developed the workshop “Communication: Key Competence in Leadership to be held on June 13 in Panama City.

In this workshop we will be addressing topics focused on:

  • Discussion of global models of self-management and interaction aimed at building effective multidirectional relationships.
  • Within the framework of Emotional Intelligence and Collaborative Leadership for talent and team management.
  • Understanding of 2 key concepts: Empathy and Assertiveness.
  • Practice of 3 key interaction skills: Listening, Asking, and How to say NO.

Join us and benefit from promotional conditions until May 31.

Contact me here.

Fátima Ribeiro

Communication workshop programme: Key Competence in Leadership

Cover of Competitividad Ejecutiva magazine dedicated to CADE 2019

Published in Competitividad Ejecutiva

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Article: “Why participate in CADE?”

Published in the Magazine Competitividad Ejecutiva – Page 7

CADE – Annual Conference of Executives is the annual event with the greatest projection of APEDE – Business Association of Business Executives.

CADE 2019 will take place from April 10 to 12 at the Sheraton Hotel in Panama City, with the name “Is Panama your future at risk? The route is everyone’s commitment.”

For two days, the “Country Vision 2050” is presented, an important effort by APEDE, the entire Private Sector and strategic allies of organized civil society, who met for several months to achieve a shared vision for the benefit of the comprehensive development of Panama and on the last day we will have the opportunity to listen in person to the points of view and proposals of the presidential candidates.

I invite you to participate, contribute, disseminate and invite participation in CADE 2019. More information at 204-1508 or at cade@apede.org

Article by Fátima Ribeiro about the reasons for participating in CADE

Fátima Ribeiro leading a women's leadership workshop in a training room

Women’s Leadership: Reflection and Action in Practice

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Women’s Leadership Workshop: Reflection and Action, 1st edition

At QLU – Quality Leadership University on March 20 and 21, 2019

2nd edition scheduled for the week of June 24 to 28, 2019

Thank you to all the participants for your commitment!

 

Fátima Ribeiro and participants of the Women's Leadership workshop: Reflection and Action

A panel discussing practices in leadership training

Sharing best practices on leadership development

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Thanks to ALIAT – Latin American Association for Innovation in Learning and Talent Development for organizing the Learning Workshop “Sharing best practices on leadership development” with this interesting Fishbowl Methodology.

An excellent sharing of experiences and learning accompanied by excellent professionals.

ALIAT represents a framework in my career as a Coach and it is with immense pleasure that I collaborate in its activities. It was at the beginning of the association in 2016, in one of its first monthly meetings, that I met the representative of INCAE Business School in Panama, who introduced me to INCAE’s executive training programmes, the school where I completed my first Executive Coaching certification in December 2016.

 

Poster for a workshop on good practices in leadership training and Fishbowl methodologyFátima Ribeiro with participants of the leadership training workshopFátima Ribeiro and participants show materials in the leadership workshopMaterials and work notes in a leader training session

Message calling for ethical leaders committed to sustainable development

Ethical Leaders Committed to Sustainable Development: Are You In?

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Article originally published in the Competitividad Ejecutiva Magazine – Page 14

 

Reflecting on what is currently happening in many of the countries of Latin America and the globe and on the evolution of technology in an increasingly volatile, uncertain, complex, ambiguous and hyperconnected world, “VUCAH” in its English acronym, I believe that the greatest threat to our society is not accelerated technological evolution.

The greatest threat is the decrease in trust in institutions and companies, the greatest threat is the existence of insufficient leaders, who believe, who practice ethics and values, who have leadership characterized by transparency and generate trust, who assume their “leadership contract.”

Technology brings challenges of adaptation and digitalization of processes, alterations of productive structures and different business models, challenges of training the workforce and identification and development of talent, challenges to educational systems and challenges of altering public policies, but in itself it is not a threat.

It is indeed an opportunity for development, productivity, efficiency and better living conditions. It is an opportunity if we are predisposed to change, to leave our comfort zone and face challenges with tenacity and vision, as a society, as a company and as individuals.

The most developed societies were built based on trust, on cooperation in respect for human rights, on the belief that, if you make an effort, work and collaborate, you can improve the quality of life.

Example and hope for a better future are strong motivators to action, to give the best of ourselves.

That trust is eroding; in many Latin American societies, institutional quality indices reveal low institutional quality compared to the most successful countries worldwide.

According to data from the World Bank, in an IDB presentation at the 2018 APEDE Economic Forum, the institutional quality of the countries considered successful is an average of 6.1 compared to a value of 1 for Panama. In the 2018 competitiveness index, Panama globally ranked in the position 64 in 140 countries and, in addition to the above, it is in position 80 in the corruption index.

Expectations on leaders are increasing and social problems in the world are more complex. Leaders are currently more exposed to scrutiny from the media and social networks. Society looks for leaders who assume their responsibilities, who can face challenges and lead change. Leaders who are an example to follow, who, from their companies, from their organisations or from public service, work to make our world a better world.

Vince Molinaro, in his book “The Leadership Contract”, a guide to being a responsible and trustworthy leader expresses:

  • “Leadership is a decision: make it”
  • “Leadership is an obligation: assume it”
  • “Leadership is hard work: be strong”
  • “Leadership is a community: connect”

When the leader assumes these four components and lives them daily, he will be an example, a model that others will want to imitate. The leader will be clear about his obligation to create value for his stakeholders, You will have the courage and resilience to do hard work. The leader will work on building trust and a culture of leadership.

Are you ready to take on your leadership contract?

 

References:

  • Book: Vince Molinaro, “The Leadership Contract – A Guide to Being a Responsible and Trustworthy Leader”
  • Conference at the APEDE Economic Forum on November 8, 2018: Carlos Garcimartín, Chief Economist of the IDB, “The reform of the state for efficient public management and its impact on the country’s competitiveness.”
Two professionals talking in an office

Developing Your Leadership Potential as a Woman

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female leadership

In my article “Female leadership in Panama” I briefly describe the conclusions of a study developed in Panama on “Women in business management: gaining momentum in Panama.”

Among the measures aimed at overcoming the dilemmas and internal contradictions that women face when reaching positions of responsibility, the study identifies mentoring programmes, coaching and career development plans.

Coaching helps identify beliefs that may limit a woman’s professional and leadership growth, and break habits that hold back progress in her professional career, such as a promotion, a successful salary negotiation, or a career change.

The 12 habits that stop you…

In my coaching processes I use, among other tools, the 12 habits identified in the book “How Women Rise” by Sally Helgensen and Marshall Goldsmith:

  1. Reluctance to claim achievements
  2. Expect others to spontaneously notice and reward your contributions
  3. Overvaluation of experience
  4. Just build instead of building and leveraging relationships
  5. Do not enlist allies from day one (allies, mentors and sponsors).
  6. Put your work before your career
  7. The perfection trap
  8. The desire to please
  9. Minimization
  10. Too much
  11. Rumiando
  12. Let your radar distract you

These habits often appear together. For example, the habit (1) Reluctance to claim achievements often appears accompanied by the habit (2) Expecting others to spontaneously notice or praise and reward your contributions.

Others that can be found together are the habits (3) Overvaluing experience and (6) Putting your work before your career and the habit (7) The perfection trap.

Plan of action

If you detect some of these behaviours or habits in yourself, the suggestion is that you establish a strategic plan to implement changes.

Align your objectives with your purpose, start with one, maximum two habits, which you fragment into small habits or routines, be specific and concise in your actions and define a time limit to implement them.

Recruit professional help such as a coach or someone committed to your development and who also wants to implement changes and establish “peer coaching”, promote your objectives, ask for feedback, listen, thank and implement changes during the course of your action plan.

In a coaching process, purpose, objectives, objective and subjective reality, visions and options are worked on in an integrated manner and an action plan is implemented.  The action plan encourages the implementation of actions, accompanied by the development of relationships and feedback, which allows the desired changes to be implemented by measuring their effectiveness.

Our beliefs shape our resistance to change, our responses help shape our circumstances, and our behaviours shape how others respond to us.

Organisations can implement coaching processes that support the development of female leadership, or professional women can choose to individually contract a process that contributes to their professional development.

References: Book “How Women Rise”, break the 12 habits holding you back from your next raise, promotion or job, Sally Helgesen y Marshall Goldsmith.

 

 

 

A professional leading a team meeting in a glass-walled room

Women’s Leadership in Panama

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Reality

Panama occupies the position 43 in the world ranking in 144 countries of the World Economic Forum’s Gender Parity Index, but 71% of companies do not have women at the highest management level.

According to the study “Women in business management: gaining momentum in Panama”, the percentage of representation of women in management positions varies by level and becomes narrower as we rise in level.  In the supervisory ranks, we have a level of representation of women of almost 37%, at the mid-level 34%, at the senior level 22% and at the top executive level only 8%.

The difficulties for women to be in management positions (CEO or member of the Board of Directors) increase with the size of the company, reiterating that large companies have the lowest representation of women in senior management positions.

The lesser presence of women is felt in areas of operations and research and development, with women in Panama occupying more relevant positions in areas of marketing, sales and human resources.

90% of companies agree that women lead as effectively as men, but different barriers were identified in the study, the first related to a lack of general or line management experience and the second to stereotypes about the role and skills of women, which seem to reflect a contradictory view with the first statement.

Other important barriers identified in the study were women’s limited availability or time flexibility to travel, lack of support to combine work with relationships/family, and leaders’ lack of commitment to the advancement of women.

In the study’s focus group, women identified the main obstacles as: the dilemma between family/career balance, the organisation that is not very conciliatory, and spaces of power that are not very inclusive.

70% of the companies surveyed declare they have a balanced and inclusive culture, but only 30% of them recognise that, with the same skills and professional qualifications, women find it more difficult to reach senior management positions.

There are limitations such as social conditions and an exclusive corporate culture and there are limitations imposed by the women themselves due to personal beliefs or family conditions.

Important benefits obtained with the implementation of diversity and gender equality initiatives in companies are recognised in the surveys, the most relevant being: the increase in business results, including profitability and productivity, the increase in the ability to attract and retain talent and the improvement of the company’s reputation.

It is important to promote and disseminate these important benefits, promoting successful good practices and working with different actors jointly to reduce the identified barriers.

Among the measures aimed at overcoming the dilemmas and internal contradictions that women face when reaching positions of responsibility, the study identifies mentoring programmes, coaching and career development plans.

 

Coaching supports change

The coaching process is key to identifying beliefs that can limit a woman’s professional and leadership growth, and to breaking habits that hold back progress in her professional career, such as a promotion, a successful salary negotiation or a professional change.

In the coaching process, objectives are identified, objective and subjective reality is reflected on, options are generated and an action plan is implemented.

The action plan stimulates the implementation of actions, accompanied by the development of relationships and feedback, which allows the desired changes to be implemented by measuring their effectiveness.

The coach accompanies the professional in their executive and leadership development and the process can be implemented at the initiative of the company or directly with the professional who is committed and responsible and wants to enhance their professional career. The key indicators or KPI’s They are established case by case. In the case of processes contracted by an organisation, it includes evaluations of leadership growth by the stakeholders or interested parties selected as significant to the process, being a measurable and quantified process.

In my article “Are you a woman? Develop your leadership potential” You can find more information about female leadership development.

 

References: The study “Women in business management: gaining momentum in Panama”, promoted by CoNEP – National Council of Private Enterprise and ILO – International Labor Organisation, and prepared by Stratego and Enred Panamá.