37. Get in the "growth zone" with Cindy Rocha

Embodying change: Transforming power, culture and well-being in aid organisations

Join host Melissa Pitotti as she welcomes change advocate Cindy Rocha for a morning conversation filled with insights on embracing vulnerability and stepping out of comfort zones for transformative personal and professional growth.

Highlights:

1. Defining Embodying Change: Cindy explains how real change involves putting oneself in the 'growth zone' — a space beyond comfort that necessitates learning, unlearning, and relearning.

2. Navigating Change and Discomfort: Discussing the discomfort that accompanies change, Cindy illustrates how adapting to new situations is crucial for development and progress.

3. Impact of Technological Evolution: They delve into the accelerated pace of technological advancements and its effects on society and individual adaptability.

4. Transformation through AIESEC: Cindy shares her transformative journey with AIESEC, highlighting the organization's role in fostering international understanding and leadership skills.

5. Applying Lean and Six Sigma in Humanitarian Efforts: The conversation turns to how Lean and Six Sigma methodologies can streamline operations and improve efficiency in humanitarian contexts.

6. The Critical Role of Mental Health: Cindy and Melissa discuss the importance of acknowledging and supporting mental health in the workplace to ensure a healthy, productive workforce.

Listeners are encouraged to reflect on how they can push beyond their comfort zones and embrace change both personally and professionally.

Follow Cindy on LinkedIn to continue the conversation and gain more insights into making impactful changes. linkedin.com/in/cindyrocha

Cindy Rocha has spent the last 15 years creating bridges between different sectors and managing programs to create positive change. This all started while she was a college student in Sinaloa, her home state in northern Mexico, and joined AIESEC, an international student association present in 100 countries. Founded after the 2nd World War with the mission of "peace and fulfillment of humankind's potential," AIESEC is a youth-led organization that facilitates international understanding through exchanges and leadership development programs. While those opportunities are readily available for students in the Global North, that was not the case in Cindy's local context. She worked for AIESEC at the national, regional and global level, joining AIESEC International, a multicultural team leading a network of more than 60,000 volunteers worldwide. In her final AIESEC position, Cindy was appointed Director for the Africa region, and became the first woman in that role in 60 years of organizational history. After AIESEC, Cindy has held a variety of jobs in the social impact field: She worked in corporate responsibility and process improvement for a multinational company, then as a UNDP consultant to engage the private sector in projects around the Sustainable Development Goals in Mexico, transitioned to the nonprofit sector in a disaster response organization, and currently focuses on mobilizing philanthropy to strengthen the ability of communities to withstand disasters and recover equitably when they occur.

Tune in next time for more inspiring stories and practical advice on the Embodying Change Podcast!