"Our Need to Communicate is Universal...The Way We Communicate is Cultural."
- Cecy Kuruvilla
As Market Senior Director of Diversity for Sodexo's Education market in the US, I have had the pleasure of working with many progressive professionals and I've learned much about diversity and inclusion. Sodexo’s diversity and inclusion initiatives have propelled it to the top and I am glad that I was part of that journey. As I prepare to transition into my new role with Sodexo India, it seems appropriate to look back on this chapter of my life in the US.
Reflecting on my 35 years in the US, I recall wonderfully joyful, playful, poignant and challenging experiences that tested my core identity yet helped me understand that I am indeed one of God’s creations. I came to the US with expectations of great adventure and possibilities - it has been all that and more! Being a woman and seeking to create my own “model” that transcends gender and the “looking glass self” has probably been the most challenging and revealing of life in the US. Setting aside some of the blatant encounters of racial and sexual prejudice that my bi-racial daughters and I have faced, my greatest learnings have been around the cultural nuances that permeate my bi-cultural and sometimes tri-cultural existence in this society.
Of course I have learned much in the 35 years- however in the interest of space, here are a few lessons that have helped me in my life and career.
I find that humor and food are perhaps the best connectors to the human spirit-being able to laugh at myself, enjoy a good joke and some of the finest cuisines of the world are pleasures that I will always carry with me.
I realize that change is inevitable- so why not embrace it and love what it does for you- strengthening you and preparing you for the adventure!
Creating teachable moments when I can- Sodexo’s ‘three second pause’ that equates to taking a deep breath is an incredible tool that helps me share insights with others in a respectful manner.
Forgiveness is a virtue worth developing since I live in an enriched, diverse and increasingly challenging world fraught with potential for faux pas and misunderstanding.
I look forward to the next chapter in my life going back to my roots in India
where it all started…
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Cecy Kuruvilla is a Market Senior Director of Diversity (MSDD) overseeing all diversity and inclusion initiatives for Sodexo’s Education Market which includes Campus Solutions and School Services. Cecy has enjoyed an expansive career in Sales, Marketing, Operations, Human Resources, Organization Development and Diversity spanning 30+ years with organizations like AT&T, Johns Hopkins University, Freddie Mac and Kuruvilla Associates. She joined Sodexo over 4 years ago in her current role.
Cecy has accepted an assignment with Sodexo India focusing on Executive Talent Development and Women in Management Initiatives starting in January 2011 and she will be sharing her experiences with us on this blog.
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Coming this week:
To all of our Environmental Services/Housekeeping professionals we applaud your accomplishments and want to express our deepest thanks for 'making every day a better day' for our patients, residents, families and staff - not just September 12-18, but all year long.
We'll celebrate National Environmental Services week as we did last year with a series of guest blog posts from our Health Care team. Tune in tomorrow with our first of four blog posts!
2 comments:
As a prior colleague of Cecy Kuruvilla's and as a diversity consultant/coach myself,I am thrilled to learn that Cecy can now take her extraordinary skills and talents to Sodexo India. Sodexo is obviously an on the ball way ahead of the curve best practice company. BRAVO!
Eleanor Walker
Starting out as a diversity con- sultant under Cecy's direction, I was fortunate to become friends with her. She is a prime example of how important it is for us to welcome immigrants into the USA because she has definitely left something good and valuable that is beneficial to numerous persons, some whom have never met her.
I am excited and thrilled that she is able to realize her dream, and hope that one day, I'll will be able to visit her in India.
I am already missing her even though we have not had many visits since leaving New Jersey.
Great job, Cecy, and thanks to Sodexo for helping to make your dream come true.
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