Perspectives
Recent Stories
Taiwan-China Tensions: Revisiting Family Heartbreak
I was in high school when I found my father sitting at the desk in my parents’ bedroom, face in his hands, sobbing. It was the only time I’d ever seen my father cry. He had been separated from his family for 40 years, when he became a teenage refugee, from China to Taiwan…
Self-Gratitude May Just Improve Your Performance Review
Many professionals undervalue their contributions because they think they’re not enough, but self-gratitude comes from our wholeness and allows us to recognize and own our contributions to our work, which will surely help with our performance reviews.
Separation Anxiety
Tomorrow my Alyssa leaves for NYC for 8 weeks. I sit next to her as she naps, excited for her adventure ahead, all the while
Covid Life – Recluse, Re-Emergence and Ritual
…The day finally arrived this Memorial Day weekend when the four of us and Popo dared to venture out together to visit my father and brother in New York, the first time in over a year. It was cold, windy and wet, but my 87 year old mother determinedly walked to her husband’s gravesite and read the poem she wrote for him that’s etched on the tombstone. We lit incense, bowed in respect and ran back to the car as lightning and thunder reverberated through the skies. After all the sadness, loss and separation, we returned to each other through this family ritual, marking the passing as well as the continuation of our shared journey.
Catching My Breath in Drowning Waves of Death
2020 Ahmaud Aubery Breonna Taylor George Floyd Protests Black Lives Matter Awakening of America to what has always been for black people in America
Passion and Purpose in Our Work
Passion and purpose in our profession. Is it plausible? Is it realistic? Is it worth pursuing if my work pays well? I always say yes
At 50: A Retrospective on Choosing Motherhood over Corporate Leadership
Yesterday morning, being Mother’s Day, my husband and kids asked where I wanted to go to celebrate. I told them I just wanted to stay
5 Key Steps To Making a Career Switch
We are making career switches at a faster rate than any other generation. It’s a good thing in my opinion because it means we can
How Implicit Racism Lurks in Corporate America & Why Disruptive Talent Innovation is a Must to Achieve Talent Equity and Maximize Talent ROI
As protests mounted around the country after the horrific witnessing of George Floyd’s death at the hands of police, American’s eyes were opened to the
Spring into Your Dream!
Welcome to my first video blog were I talk about taking steps toward your dreams!
NECINA Career Conference Keynote Speech, "Crossing the Cultural Chasm to Super Charge Your Career"
Judy Shen-Filerman speaks at the NECINA Career Conference on January 31, 2015. As the keynote speaker, she discusses the mentality and cultural competence that it
Choosing the Path Forward
At this time of the year, when the American calendar has started the new year and the Chinese new year is imminent but not yet
Who Has the Time for *$&# Gratitude?
Like all habits, the habit of gratitude takes discipline, practice and patience. It has taken me years to develop into a person who can appreciate the small things in life that gives me joy. My husband will be the first to assure you that my five-alarm fires are still alive and well in my life. For sure they are still there. But with practice, I’ve counterbalanced that natural tendency to worry with a newly developed tendency to appreciate. And as a result, I truly believe I live a happier life, a more effective life and hopefully, a life that extends more positivity to the people with whom I interact in the world.
A Longing for Cultural Belonging
Some twenty years after his death, as I do work in intercultural and leadership coaching, I understand his life through a different lens. I see now that my father yearned to belong at work. He wanted to be more than just a systems specialist. He wanted more than to just clock in and bring home the check. For all the hours he spent at work, he wanted to be part of the community – sharing, talking, engaging – more than the perfunctory, “how was your weekend” pass-by glance. I look back and realize that my father’s work existence must have been quite lonely.
Is Passion Misunderstood?
Over the years as a coach, observing myself and my clients, it’s become clear that passion can be misunderstood. We generally think of passion as overt, provocative, bigger than life. Somehow we believe our passion can consume us if we are not alert. It can lead us to wayward paths. It’s almost irresponsible. Yet I’ve observed passion to be deep, mature and patient.
BusinessWeek: International Students Struggle to Turn MBAs Into U.S. Jobs
By Julian Sparks July 24, 2014 Students from abroad who study at U.S. business schools often struggle when it’s time to land a job. Increasingly, B-schools set
HBR: "Adapt to a New Culture – but Don’t Go Too Far"
by Andy Molinsky | 8:00 AM July 15, 2014 One of the most popular pieces of advice that people receive when operating across cultures is, “When
Businessweek: Why American B-School Students Can't Stand Teamwork
By Cory Weinberg June 06, 2014 (Corrects spelling of Darden faculty member’s name in fifth and sixth paragraphs.) When business students are instructed to comb through case
The Freedom of Personal Accountability
Life is shared, whether at work or at home. Nothing can be done independently of others or our surroundings. So in this interconnected living, it’s plausible to put responsibilities on others when things get tough. At some point, things always get tough. Sometimes it’s the other person. Sometimes it’s shared. Sometimes it’s really ours to own. Question is, do we discern? Do we take the time to be present with what’s going on so we can process what happened and understand our emotional response to the situation? If you stay present to a situation, you will realize that taking responsibility is always an emotional choice.
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