Manuela Lucas

Reflection – Visualization

Challenge

I recently graduated from an MBA program specialized in international trade. It seemed a logical step  after studying international relations. The outcomes also seemed logical at first: get a job at a company  that actually exports.  However, there was one tiny mistake in my chain of logical steps: since I was a  kid I always wanted to create.

No matter where you looked at my childhood memories or my teenage years, I have always felt the  need to express myself through creative ways such as garment design, furniture design or writing just  to name a few. How could I redirect my career to make it more fulfilling without wasting all those  years that I invested on my education?

Selection

I try to look situations as opportunities needed to be found rather than problems encountered. That  is why I chose visualization: I needed to activate my brain in a way that would allow me to envision  different paths for my own future. Visualization is that tool that help us define ideas, feelings -and in  this case, aspirations- to help me gain a better understanding of what path I needed to follow in order  to meet my dreams with the lessons I had already learnt.

Application

I decided to draw a horizontal line in a blank page: one side of the line was where I was, and I drew a  dot on in saying “beginning”, on the opposite side I drew another dot stating: “My goal: a new  beginning”. On the first side I started to write down all the different skills that I already acquired  through the years, and on the other side I wrote all the aspirational skills that I longed to have and the  regular activities that I envisioned myself doing every day in a creative job.

In the centre of the paper, I wrote a simple question: what kind of possible professional outcomes  does international trade lead to? Surprisingly enough, there was not a single outcome, but a big branch  of possible applications where a background in international trade was fare more relevant than just  my initial thought of export/import activities. What was even more interesting is the fact that that  question provided a connecting bridge between my two opposite dots.

Insight

The result of the visualization tool was a career focussed on strategy and innovation, for instance, as  two professional fields where I can express my creativity while my previous experience in international  trade might prove quite handy. It was also very interesting to see what skills of my ideal job failed to  connect with the initial skills I already had, since that pointed to the weaknesses my background had  and also showed an area for improvement. Through courses such as this one, I am filling the gaps to  help me become a better professional in a field that fulfils my creative instinct.

Approach

Ever since I used the visualization tool, it has also proven to be very useful for the design of my CV. I  make the same exercise with the position I am applying to as my goal. What visualization and design  thinking to a larger extent has taught me is to analyse a problem, or a question without a clear  right/wrong answer, in a wholistic way, so the outcome I present as a solution is far more effective  and is making me a happier worker.


Manuela Lucas Reflection – Visualization Challenge I recently graduated from an MBA program specialized in international trade . It seemed a logical step after studying international relations . The outcomes also seemed logical at first : get a job at a company that actually exports . However , there was one tiny mistake in my chain of logical steps : since I was a kid I always wanted to create . No matter where you looked at my childhood memories or my teenage years , I have always felt the need to express myself through creative ways such as garment design , furniture design or writing just to name a few . How could I redirect my career to make it more fulfilling without wasting all those years that I invested on my education ? Selection I try to look situations as opportunities needed to be found rather than problems encountered . That is why I chose visualization : I needed to activate my brain in a way that would allow me to envision different paths for my own future . Visualization is that tool that help us define ideas , feelings -and in this case , aspirations- to help me gain a better understanding of what path I needed to follow in order to meet my dreams with the lessons I had already learnt . Application I decided to draw a horizontal line in a blank page : one side of the line was where I was , and I drew a dot on in saying “ beginning ” , on the opposite side I drew another dot stating : “ My goal : a new beginning ” . On the first side I started to write down all the different skills that I already acquired through the years , and on the other side I wrote all the aspirational skills that I longed to have and the regular activities that I envisioned myself doing every day in a creative job . In the centre of the paper , I wrote a simple question : what kind of possible professional outcomes does international trade lead to ? Surprisingly enough , there was not a single outcome , but a big branch of possible applications where a background in international trade was fare more relevant than just my initial thought of export / import activities . What was even more interesting is the fact that that question provided a connecting bridge between my two opposite dots . Insight The result of the visualization tool was a career focussed on strategy and innovation , for instance , as two professional fields where I can express my creativity while my previous experience in international trade might prove quite handy . It was also very interesting to see what skills of my ideal job failed to connect with the initial skills I already had , since that pointed to the weaknesses my background had and also showed an area for improvement . Through courses such as this one , I am filling the gaps to help me become a better professional in a field that fulfils my creative instinct . Approach Ever since I used the visualization tool , it has also proven to be very useful for the design of my CV . I make the same exercise with the position I am applying to as my goal . What visualization and design thinking to a larger extent has taught me is to analyse a problem , or a question without a clear right / wrong answer , in a wholistic way , so the outcome I present as a solution is far more effective and is making me a happier worker .