Significant Career Lesson From A Senior Manager FP&A At The Bouqs Company
Alice learned the importance of speaking up, which initially was a challenge as "in the beginning" she would stay silent, hesitant to ask questions, however, feedback encouraging to speak up and instances where holding back led to foreseeable negative outcomes taught her that "speaking up is better than not speaking at all" and can positively impact the company. This lesson was significant because overcoming the fear of speaking up allowed Alice to contribute more effectively and prevent potential issues, underscoring the value of voicing concerns and opinions.
Communication Skills, Professional Development, Self-Advocacy, Problem Prevention, Workplace Impact
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Alice Choi
Senior Manager, FP&A
The Bouqs Company
Occidental College
UCLA Anderson MBA
Economics
Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG)
Finance
Honors Student, Immigrant
Video Highlights
1. Importance of speaking up: Early in her career, Alice hesitated to ask questions or voice disagreements, fearing they were insignificant. She learned that speaking up can positively impact the company and prevent potential issues.
2. Overcoming fear of asking 'dumb' questions: Alice initially compiled questions for her manager, but she received feedback to ask them immediately. This highlights the importance of overcoming the fear of asking questions and seeking clarification promptly.
3. Real-world consequences of silence: Alice shares an experience where her silence led to a negative outcome that took months to resolve. This underscores the potential repercussions of withholding valuable insights or concerns.
Transcript
What is one lesson that you've learned that has proven significant in your career?
The number one thing is to speak up. This is something I wasn't great at in the beginning. I would usually stay silent, and if I had questions, I felt they were too dumb to ask.
I'd save them and compile a long list of questions for my manager. The feedback I got was, "Alice, you can ask these questions right away, after the meeting, instead of compiling a whole list."
Also, it's important to be able to speak back. If someone says something alarming that you disagree with, don't hold back. Speak up because what you say might make a significant positive difference for the company.
I've had experiences where I held back because I felt nobody cared. As a result, what I foresaw actually happened. It took months for everyone in the company to undo that issue.
Had I spoken up then, I'm pretty sure we wouldn't have had this problem where everyone spent so much time on it. It's something that even if someone tells you to do, you might not end up doing because it's so hard to start. But keep in mind that speaking up is better than not speaking at all.