100 Days on the Rocket Ship
I have never considered myself one for business. My business classes in school felt like drudgery and I was always happy to leave at the end. I have also always been passionate about development and this informed my opinions and choices when it came to my career. Joining Gumi was saying yes to a change of pace, and no to the nonprofit, strictly development research route. I said yes because I was genuinely curious about it. The excitement came after.
My welcome to Gumi was a sprint for the Integrated Marketing Communications Team that houses my role as a Knowledge Associate. It was an introduction to what Gumi was about, where it was going, and how I and the rest of the team were going to set about making it happen. Flight instructions for the rocket ship I had just boarded if you will. It was grueling, and to be honest, after the first day, my brain was probably in shock. The rest of the sprint was a bit easier as I adjusted to the new information and figured out how it applied on the voyage. Being a part of that strategic process started me off on the right foot to owning the role.
One of the things that I appreciate from my first 100 days is consistently learning from experience that Gumi is an honest company. We do things right. Honesty in interactions, in practice, in the big projects and products, and the everyday stuff. One of the most honest things to learn is that we are a team, not a family. I find the bent toward calling organizations families leaves much room for dysfunction. We are a team. One that works together to achieve our vision as an organization, while also keeping in mind that our people are our primary constituency, and having an unforgettable experience as we go about driving innovation in Africa and soon in….
Development is my one word when I think of my work. Being at Gumi has given more definition to it, Knowledge for Development. I have a front-row seat to see, nay, a spot on the field to contribute to the private sector as a formidable force in making economies work better and translating the results into a better existence for people and communities.
Our Pilot Cosmonaut says a lot of insightful things (which we, unfortunately, do not get to attribute to him). I believe the current favorite is that organizations must be cannibalistic, actively killing and rebirthing themselves if they are to stay relevant and successful. I believe this applies to not just all kinds of organizations, but also individuals. In the context of building a career and or chasing a passion, we must be willing to kill off, birth, grow, and adapt. And then do it over and over as we build whatever it is we are building.
That is what 100 days and beyond will be like for me.
