SDHHRA QUARTERLY MEETING
The San Diego Hospitality Human Resources Association held its 4th quarterly meeting on Thursday, September 28, 2023. The event was hosted at the Hyatt Regency Mission Bay Spa and Marina, and keynote speaker, Jessica Mattly, shared her insights on inside-out leadership.
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The session focused on the importance of self-awareness and emotional intelligence and was incredibly thought-provoking as it made me question what kind of leader I want to be in an organization. Before attending the event, I set personal goals for myself, which is important because it allows me to focus on what I hope to gain and achieve from the experience.
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With the goals I set, I was intentional in my interactions and truly made the most out of my opportunity to connect with like-minded professionals as a college student. I was also holding myself accountable for my progress in ensuring that I took the necessary steps to develop my professional career.
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I left this association event feeling inspired and equipped with practical strategies to become a better leader both inside and outside of the workplace. Overall, I thought that this event was valuable because it is relevant to HTM301, a course about service leadership development and I look forward to attending more of these types of meetings and connecting with others in the hospitality community.
Goal 01:
Network with at least 3 HR professionals at this event.
Networking is an essential aspect of professional development, and attending events like the SDHHRA quarterly meeting provides an excellent opportunity to connect with others. For a student like myself who has never been to a formal networking event before, I was nervous but also very excited to expand my professional network, learn new things, and potentially open doors to new career opportunities. To make the most out of my experience and get out of my comfort zone, I went in with the goal of networking and introducing myself to at least 3 other professionals who attended. But to my surprise, I got to have meaningful conversations with even more individuals. I was very happy to become acquaintances with Ally Marion, Dawn Myers, Jessica Steenblock, Jessica Mattly, Kristina Basso, Briana Chung, and Efren Lira.
Goal 02:
Reach out to at least two HR professionals a week after the event was held.
Following up with those you network with is an essential part of leveraging the connections and insights that you gain from an event. That is why one of my goals was to reach out to at least two HR professionals after attending the quarterly meeting. I wanted to continue the conversations I started at the event and deepen the professional relationships I made, so I reached out to Dawn Myers through LinkedIn and Kristina Basso through email to express my gratitude and thank them for being so kind to me. In addition to that, I also reached out to many more individuals who attended the event through LinkedIn and grew my connections on that platform.
Goal 03:
Within two weeks of attending the meeting, I will identify at least three areas of improvement in my leadership style and develop an action plan to address them.
Identifying areas of improvement in my leadership style was a goal that I made and I wanted to utilize the resources and tools provided by Jessica Mattly that were given to me as an attendee for this networking event. Reflecting and learning is a critical step for me to take in order to develop my skills as a leader and individually. During the workshop session, something that I learned that touched my heart is that leadership starts from within. I have to ask:
1. Who am I? Who do I want to be?
2. How do others experience me?
3. What actions and behaviors align with who I want to be?
This translates into three focus areas where I can improve on. The first is choosing my professional brand. The second is educating myself about self-awareness and emotional intelligence. And lastly, creating a legacy through intentional leadership.