Carmen Guzman has been a noteworthy leader in the HR space. Having initially studied Law in Spain and then pursuing a successful career in the USA and across Europe working for multi-conglomerates in all forms of industries, Carmen has held a number of managerial positions at both the local and international level. Prior to joining HSBC, Carmen worked for Barclays in Europe, Lloyds Bank in the UK and since 2019, has been leading as the HR Head of Commerce Banking with HSBC Ring-Fence bank in the UK.
Griselda Togobo from FL sat down with Carmen for an open discussion; here are seven key takeaways from this thought-provoking interview.
Be Brave:
“You need to be positive and think simple about life. I have done many things in my life. I have started from scratch, many times. For me, it’s just thinking about what I’m good at, being brave and just going for it. Try to find goals and objectives that inspire you, be confident and just go for them.”
Stay Positive:
“I’m a fighter and I have a lot of resilience. Even if I’m not feeling great, there are other people who are going through worse things. And my situation cannot be so bad compared to other things. So, I will have a moment to think about my negative situation and then move on and make it right. There is no point in getting stuck in your negative thoughts, it’s always better to reflect and try to find something positive in every situation. Everything happens for a reason. So, if something happened to me and I have to deal with it, then there is something I have to learn from this experience.”
Be Different:
“You have so much to give and so much to bring to the table because you’re different from everybody else and you have to embrace this difference. I think you have to influence people to think differently because if we all think the same, we will never evolve.”
Know Your Team:
“I always say that in business one individual is nothing without the rest, without the team. Team effort is very important in every organization. That is why I always take time to get to know everyone on my team because every team member is different. I need to understand who they are and learn as much as possible about them as individuals. This helps me to understand their skills and capabilities and make sure that everybody gets what they need. So, I have to make sure I dedicate my efforts to make it work for my team. It’s about them, it’s not about me.”
Be Honest:
“Always try to send positive messages to people around you. If you cannot find anything positive the at least be very honest and transparent – people will appreciate that.”
Have the Right Attitude:
“I think that attitude is everything. What I like most is to develop teams. And I always say, give me whoever, I just need the right attitude. I just need people willing to be positive, willing to care for others, willing to have the right behaviours. I will teach them everything. But it’s all about attitude and choices. Whether you choose to come to work and be happy, or you choose to be unhappy. Whether you choose to help or you choose not to help. So, it’s all about the choices you make.”
Take Care of Yourself:
“My well-being is very important to me that’s why I never work on a weekend. This is ‘me time’. I’m dedicating 10+ hours to work every day, which I think is quite enough, but I will never read any emails, not even my Blackberry on a weekend. I need these two days for me and I use them. I can be transforming and restructuring the world, but I won’t take anything home. It’s my space. It’s my moment.”
Watch full the episode here:
Don’t miss out! Don’t miss out on the next webinar. Join the global community of women for your FREE monthly dose of motivation HERE
Start your 14-day FREE membership trial with Forward Ladies here: https://www.forwardladies.com/join-us/