MM Leadership Reflection Paper 3 by Leader Rachel Lopez

Hello Prof. Jorge,

Here is my reflection paper about my passion.

What is your passion (what it is that you love doing)? How it is reflected in your work, daily life, and life's journey?

I was filled in awe having another self reflection on what I'm passionate about. I enjoyed doing spontaneous things. I love travelling, mountain climbing, spelunking, boxing, running, eating, modeling, helping others, praising God and so much more. My passions were so diverse that I find it hard to quantify which of these I could say my real passions are.

Then something struck in me, one-third of our lives were spent at work and I've been in Microchip Technology for 3 years now. For someone who easily gets bore, it gives me introspection on why I'm still here and how it perceives on my daily life. Microchip Technology is a leading provider of microcontroller and analog semiconductors for embedded solutions worldwide. Currently I'm a Test Lead for a New Product Development for 16-bit microcontroller integrated circuit. I guess I found my niche here and what I'm passionate about:

1. Debugging

Debugging is a common word for Engineers. It's finding solutions in every instance that has a mistake. Every day at work I always find myself digging in Test Cases. Not to become technical, it's a case where you test your product in an environment that it should functions according to its specifications. It isn't always straightforward because familiarization of the products on how it functions tests your debugging skills. It requires thorough evaluation and scientific basis. I find pleasure every time I was able to solve these cases.

Debugging improve my analytical skills on how to narrow factors affecting my life journey. It took me a lot of time and considerations before I end up taking Master of Business Administration instead of Master of Science in Electronics. I've asked several persons, done research on the difference of both and evaluated my career objectives. I want to learn on how my company functions as subsidiary of Microchip Technology. I want to go deeper on the business functions and have a broader view of management. Having both technical and managerial skills will help me implement new practices and new systems on an engineering-based field. I will learn how management works with technology to make a business operates. MBA also offers a greater flexibility in terms of career enhancing my leadership, communications skills and collaborations with others. It will be a great addition to my technical skills for an easy transition to a higher management role in the future. My aspiration of becoming an entrepreneur in the long run also adds to the considerations. Debugging helps me to go into details, analyze and narrow it down to meaningful decisions in life.

2. Continuous Learning and Teaching others

I love to challenge the status quo, every time I develops test I see to it that it should work across platform and will be the easiest approach for everyone. Since technology is continuously evolving, my passion for learning aligns in it. Thinking forward, I want us not to be left behind with the automation our world now has and be able to apply all the learning I have.

There was a time when the test case I've received from Design Engineer couldn't work to the tester I'm using. I discussed to him the problem and possible solutions but it couldn't work to his design environment. Not to be stuck up and to be able to deliver in time, I dug into their environment. I was able to simulate the test case I need and made it worked to the tester. The Design Engineer appreciated the effort and he was able to update their environment with the test case I have. We are no longer on the same project but we still discuss things. We still help each other on the difference between testing environment we have.

Everything I've learned, I usually share. I enjoy doing presentations on Test Cases I developed.  I look for opportunities to present these in our group's meeting and share it to my counterparts in Thailand, India and Chandler. I also extend my teaching beyond my group; I find pleasure every time I was able to help others.

Our company experienced loss of a million dollars due to customer returns. The product they have received wasn't program as it was supposed to be. I need to step up with the issue and be able to develop a guide on how to effectively create program specific for this. I trained my group and extended it to other groups here in the Philippines. I travelled also to Thailand to train there. Those who are in Chandler refer to the guide and test program I've developed. I've been the go-to person for this and I enjoyed teaching them and extending the knowledge I have. We haven't received customer returns regarding this up to now.

The time needed to test our product is a Key Process Indicator of management. In order to contribute to this, I've developed a template for a certain test which is 300% faster to the usual. I was able to present this and most of my peers started using it. Those Chandler guys who have been here in Microchip for 10-20 years started to communicate with me and became interested and used my template. I felt delighted that even those who are beyond seniority became fascinated to the ability I have in teaching the expertise I have.

I want to extend my debugging and teaching to those who are not my workmates and those interested to the current field I have. I'm really passionate on sharing my ideas that I'm open to those who seeks for help. I still have constant communication to my former workmates and friends. I still find time to lecture them with the knowledge I have. Extending my awareness now with the business side will help me enhance my communication and leadership skills, as I transition to a higher level management position and influence more people.

What is the new learning? What is the relation to what I already know? What have I done, am doing, will be doing for this topic?

As I progress with my own leadership journey, what I've learned with Chris Lowney's Heroic Leadership would relate to what I'm passionate about:

1. These passions inspired me to believe more in myself. I have the knowledge that I could impart to those people with same passions as I have. I may have taken MS in Electronics but I chose to take MBA instead. I know my strengths the same way I know my weaknesses are such as communication and collaboration with others and being a MBA student could improve both. Self-awareness is to overcome oneself and to order one's life.

2. As I constantly seek for better solutions to a problem, I want to free myself with prejudice. I deal with people in multicultural environment where everyone has their own ideas which sometimes contrary to what I initially have. Just like an indifferent Jesuits "poised like a scale at equilibrium", I need to have my balance to consider all strategic alternatives on troubleshooting the problem. As a Test Engineer, I need to work with Product, Design, Application Engineers and Architect. As Test Lead, I need to recapitulate all ideas to produce a test program suited to the functionality of the product under test. I'm looking at my test program as template for new projects. Ingenuity is to make ourselves indifferent and the whole world will become our house.

3. For St. Ignatius Loyola, leading was about helping others "run at full speed". I'm passionate in improving myself in order to develop and inspire others to realize their potential as well. I find opportunities to share the knowledge I have. I'm willing to share my expertise even to those who are not part of my team. I find pleasure every time there are people seeking for my mentoring. Whether they are in the Philippines, Thailand or Chandler, I tried to cater them with presentations suited for them.     Love with greater love than fear.

4. I'm still an ongoing process of a leader and probably sooner I could turn my passions into aspiration. I want us not to be left behind with the technology that the world has to offer. I want to be in the business side in the future harnessing the technical knowledge I have and explores home automation. Not everyone has the luxury of home space especially those who couldn't afford and some are not able to realize the free resources they have. I want technology to works in a little space and cater everyone needs of comfortable shelter. By applying the technical knowledge I have, I want to incorporate motors and controls to furniture that can shift corresponding to owner's needs with a simple touch. This vision will help me share my passion for continuous learning through innovations and inspires other. Heroism is being self motivated individual with "magis" to do more and turns aspiration into a reality.

Just like what I always hear, "When you live with your passions, you live a smarter and better life".

Regards,

Leader Rachel Lopez