About Me
Born in San Francisco, I was raised in Israel, where I did most of my schooling, up to a masters in Biochemistry. Working at UCSF for 4 years, interacting with breast cancer patients, I learned that life is too short to sweat the small stuff. I also learned how to research anything, and find even more solutions to the challenges I faced.
I am extremely determined, and clearly goal-oriented. Give me a goal and watch me learn what I need to know, contact a multitude of experts with different perspectives, find solutions that address all the issues, and provide answers to all the questions raised.
I was self-employed for 5 years, providing services to businesses. I maintained web sites, worked in retail, and developed many networks. While processing welfare applications, I gained a renewed appreciation for the blessings in my life and demonstrated that I could leave all the hardship I was dealing with every day at the office, and go home to enjoy the opportunities life presents to me.
If I had to choose one life-lesson to mention, it would be that the answer to any challenge could come from an unexpected source. That is why I pursue many different directions until one provides the answers to my current goal.
I am currently employed at PG&E. I love having permanent work - I love my team, making a difference, and doing the right thing. It might be time for me to move on to another position at PG&E, but I want to make sure it is a good fit, that I will work well with the team and that I will continue to make a difference.
Renaissance Soul
or
Scanner: Plate spinner and Wanderer
"Renaissance Soul" is a term coined by Margaret Lobenstine and "scanner" is a term coined by Barbara Sher to describe people who have an insatiable curiosity, love to learn and do new things, and seem to be "jumping" from one thing to another. This goes along with an extraordinary propensity for learning and modifying your world view. Barbara Sher describes many subtypes, and through reading her book "Refuse to Choose" I have identified myself as a "Plate Spinner" and a "Wanderer."
As a plate spinner I have multiple interests and I keep coming back to them, keeping all the “plates” in the air simultaneously. The clearest manifestation of this is that I have returned to the interest in foster youth; and I am back to the networking circuit, reconnecting with people I haven't interacted with in a while. The quest to chart an educational path to my ultimate career (the one I will have when I grow up) is on hold, but I have been knitting and actually finishing projects.
I participate in Israeli Folk dancing, volunteer at the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival and usher at the Aurora Theatre. Exploring my Judaism (including reading the torah (the scroll has neither vowels, nor punctuation, so you have to memorize the music) is waiting for the right opportunity. If you are part of a group you think I would enjoy, please email me. Going to West coast Live is currently on hold. Did I mention I have been enjoying spending time with my teen age daughter?
Being a Wanderer is about being interested in a specific aspect of everything. For me it is: what is the challenge? So, for instance, I discovered that the challenge in sign language is developing the dexterity to move your hands fast enough to be fluent. I discovered that you can have an accent in sign language, too, which I think is fascinating. While I am not interested in mastering sign language, when it relates to business and people, I tend to be interested in possible solutions, all the way through implementation.
For example, When I performed a traditional job analysis for the Educational Director at my synagogue, and discovered that the position includes 130% effort, using 3 distinct skills sets - educational, managerial and administrative - my immediate reaction was to try to carve it up so that we could end up with manageable effort, for which we could find a mere mortal who could successfully perform the 100% position we could afford.
I am interested in business and management. After I completed my masters in Biochemistry, when my son was still a newborn, I took some Open University classes. I thought that one day I might pursue a business degree. I was fascinated by the quantification of human, emotional activities (such as shopping) in Microeconomics, and learned things in Social Psychology that I still use today.
I looked for work managing staff but was probably too young and inexperienced. After 4 years at UCSF, I was hired at a medical device startup. I started thinking about the field of decision making – which I learned about from a Stanford project in patient decision making regarding their care at the Breast Care Center at UCSF – as it pertained to clinical research in medical device startups and pharmaceutical companies.
My second position at a medical device company focused on introducing compliance with international standards into existing research studies; the 5 direct reports, medical and psychology students, were mentioned during the interview as an aside. I worked at creating a team using team building exercises and excursions, and continued to use those skills in my position at UC Berkeley. I enjoyed team building and coaching my employees; but I also enjoyed figuring out how to make the operations work better for everyone.
This led to an exploration of Management Consulting, Organizational Development and Performance Improvement, another facet of business. While each of these terms has different meanings to different people, I have found at least one for each that resonates with what I would like to do.
In conclusion, almost any topic can pique my interest. Once I understand what the challenges are, I address them with skills I enjoy using. And for me, that is the essence of being a scanner.
I worked in Social Services - merging my interest in people and helping them, and my propensity to master rules-driven programs. I discovered that knowing I help someone each and every day gave me the patience needed to work in an imperfect environment.
I have experience in:
- classroom training and individual coaching
- administrative and employee management
- organizational work
- performing research, analysis, data gathering
- computer applications
- and much more, as befits my scanner personality!
I communicate extensively, and err on the side of asking too many questions, rather than assuming the answers. I am very effective at figuring things out, and therefore need minimum direction. I am sensitive to priorities and know when to ask questions to make sure I am always on the same page with my client/employer. You can always view my online resume.
I enjoy working in environments where the question is "How can I do this?" rather than "Can I do this?" I want to be involved in efforts where you can measure the outcomes, and provide excellent service to your clients. As the non-profit sector gravitates towards working in a more business-oriented atmosphere, with well-articulated goals and measurable results I find myself more and more comfortable in it.