This is my journey in...
To Sir Kamrul H. Tarafder the president,
to my second family, all ASA personnel and staff, and my friends whom I would like to address.
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| From Left: Maam Ruby, Sir Kamrul, Me, Davie Kim, Sir Tah & Maam Mylene |
to my second family, all ASA personnel and staff, and my friends whom I would like to address.
It’s an honor
for giving me this opportunity to share and blog with you all my life and my ASA
Microfinance journey.
Allow me to start my message by dropping this quote of
Robin S. Sharma, “Leadership is not about a title or a designation. It’s about
impact, influence and inspiration. Impact involves getting results, influence
is about spreading the passion you have for your work, and you have to inspire
team-mates and customers.”
I came to ASA
together with my co-applicants, all with different backgrounds, life
experiences, skills and perspectives. We were drawn together through a common
ideal, the desire to explore our own thinking and capability in the context of
having an effort to extend what the community needs, financially.
Honestly, before
I decided to pass all the requirements to apply to ASA, I was quite lost. Lost,
in the sense that I still do not know where I’m heading. I still don’t know in
what path God leads me the way where my capability fits and to what office that
I could be able to work proficiently which my skill conforms. But, I was
convinced by my mother to pursue what I am planning, which is to pass all the
requirements and to take the training and interview that ASA prepared for the
applicants. And luckily, I passed the tests and all the requirements that
qualifies me to be an official part or staff of ASA Microfinance.
I started as a microfinance officer. And it’s not easy,
because it needs you to have more strength, physically, it needs you to have more
patience, socially, and it needs you, you yourself, all the time and anytime
when ASA needs you the most.
I can’t hardly imagine that I’ve reached this far
because the moment that I started to fight my own battle as a microfinance officer, I’ve had
encountered difficulties especially in the first place I do not know how to
drive a motorcycle. Maybe it’s just a simple and basic difficulty but along the
way, to what I thought that driving skill is a problem is definitely and not
actually a big problem, because being away from my family was literally one of
the problems when I started to this company.
Imagine, my first area to where I
will be assigned and also my first field work was in the middle of an Island,
at Dinagat Islands. At that time, I was thinking if I could really survive to
that situation. But, as time goes by, the area where I am assigned to is
basically getting closer to the land that I’m no longer needed to ride a
lantcha. Like, from Dinagat Islands to Surigao Del Norte to Cabadbaran City to Butuan City and to Misamis Oriental.
But before jumping
to the place where I am right now. I will just share with you a short story of
my journey before I became as an Area Administrator (supervisor they called). It’s kinda’ not easy though.
Because when you are assigned to a higher position it definitely adjacent with
big and greater responsibilities. And that responsibility includes handling
with care to your clients.
Because if you would not give them enough amount of
patience and respect maybe there’s no anyone who would engage to be a client to
ASA. By falling to the quote I mentioned as I formally started my message a
while ago, the second sentence was started with the word “impact” that says it involves getting results. Along the way of my
journey I’ve received a lot of results. It’s either, negative and positive
results.
Respect, patience, perseverance, hard work and wisdom brought impacts
to my career and into my life as a part of this growing family. It indeed
showered me a lot of learning, knowledge and blessings in my life and even to
my family.
With that, it gives me courage to be strong when it comes to making
each branch that I’m handling to be acknowledged and be one of the outstanding
branches around the region. It may not be that easy in action but as what I’m
seeing we are all working together towards a resilient ASA family that on the
other hand, also keeps me going and staying because of the full and plenty
amount of trusts and love that have had given to me not just from my
subordinates but also to all of my supervisors.
With that, the influence, which is the second word
emphasized by Robin on his quote, that I was able to carry and convey to my
hardworking team or branch members was definitely a wrap. I know the feeling of
being so weary but still need to be up because there are still things to be
done before that day ends. And I also knew, how hard and tiring that job was.
But what I am lucky of in my reliable members is that I have been positively
influenced by the people that surround me. I am able to absorb the message of
what they are implying to me which is to have a good output in each and every
task that is given to me. It may sometimes unreachable in dealing with the
clients but still at the end of the day I choose to went and stay at home.
Which means, on myself definition of this is that, there’s no need for me to
strive hard to push myself to that line where pressures are underneath because
my endeavor or should I say my team’s endeavor is literally caste out the
vibes that we are genuinely serving even if how hard, tiring and challenging
the demand of our work was.
For the last word of Robin, INSPIRATION. For all of my doubts along of my journey, for all of
my weary when it comes to leadership, for all of my sacrifices and struggles
and for all of my success are not been that possible to pass the challenge
without those people who always give inspiration to me.
Inside of it, I am now became Licensed Professional Teacher.
To my heads, who always
there and keep reminding me what is righteous and how to be rightful and just
you really are a blessing to me. Because I cannot surpass those down moments in
my life without your enlightenment on how to be good leader. In fact I couldn’t
be happier, luckier and grateful without you because even on my own life’s
desires you remain constant to inspire and support me to continue what my plans
are.
Above all, to
all the supervisors who invested their trusts to me, for giving me an assistant
branch head, micro-finance officers and Branch Managers to help me in avoiding hassle transactions, to all who adjust and
understand me even at my worst especially those times that pressures slowly
consuming my patience, everyone, thank you. Thank you because you are the
reason why I keep on thinking, planning and aiming for the success. I cannot stand firmly alone for this far without you, you are also
imparted big contribution for this success.
To end my
message, let me share how Chris Hadfield give emphasis to his quote on
leadership,
“Ultimately, leadership is
not about glorious crowning acts. It’s about keeping your team focused on a
goal and motivated to do their best to achieve it, especially when the stakes
are high and the consequences really matter. It is about laying the groundwork
for others’ success, and then standing back and letting them shine.” Because
the quality of a leader is reflected in the standards they set for themselves,
where there is no vision, there is no hope.
by:
RONA C. CASINGINAN, LPT
Former Area Administrator
Thanks to Engr. Joy Codilla Casinginan
Researcher I
LiDar
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Hi Rona. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and journey in ASA. You trully inspire us of what you achieved in your life now. Continue to depend and trust in God because He has many more surprises in your life. I am grateful of knowing you personally. Stay safe always. Praise the Lord.
TumugonBurahinThank you Ninong sir Blaire, you inspired me a lot, especially is supporting morally and Spiritually.
Burahin