Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Sandi Vidal. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Sandi, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Let’s jump to the end – what do you want to be remembered for?

I recently lost my father rather unexpectedly. He was 85, so it wasn’t that unexpected, but it was still quite a shock. As I put together his obituary, I was challenged to share his life and legacy in just a few paragraphs. My dad had a CV of over 33 pages of publications, awards, and accomplishments as well as a loving family he left behind. For my legacy, I want to build into my children the desire to give back to the community they live in, to be kind to others, and to love their families.

I work in an industry that is focused on helping people leave a legacy in the community through their ongoing philanthropy. I am tasked with helping to deploy some of those funds into the community to create change and solve complex social issues. I love what I do and the opportunity to work with many smart and creative people.

I hope I will be remembered as someone who cared. Someone who wanted to be part of things that are bigger than me. Someone who listened, learned, and loved. A creator of solutions, a lover of life, and an explorer. To me, life is an adventure and I want people to say that I embraced that adventure fully.

Sandi, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I started off in Human Resources and landed a job as an Executive Director of a nonprofit after serving on their board. I helped to grow the nonprofit during the recession and was able to secure many grants including Bank of America’s Neighborhood Builder Award. In 2015, I was recruited to join the Commission on Homelessness and then was given an opportunity to move over to the Central Florida Foundation.

In my time at the Foundation, I have worked on many initiatives including homelessness, disaster relief, and working on social justice and poverty solutions. I co-created the Thrive Framework which is based on the global sustainable development goals (SDGs) and focuses on 5 areas including economic stability, healthcare, education, community and social connections, and livability. I am proud of the work we have been doing in the community to solve complex social issues and work on systems change for solutions.

I think what sets me apart is my approachability and willingness to help others. I encourage my team to be accessible to nonprofits and others in the community who are in the space of helping others. I enjoy public speaking and teaching others what I know. I am a continuous learner, and enjoy working on solutions.

How do you keep your team’s morale high?

My advice for managing a team is to teach them everything you know. Lead from behind when it makes sense and from the front when it doesn’t. Be accessible, be honest, and provide growth opportunities and helpful feedback. Encourage your team to explore things outside of their comfort zone. Give the team credit!

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

When I first became a supervisor, I was still in college. I had no idea how to lead other people, but I did know how to get tasks done. Every day, I would hand out assignments and the work would get done. I always got high praise for how much was done and how well it was done. I thought I had it all together.

Then,

A coworker told me that no one there liked me. After the shock wore off, I asked why. He told me that I never asked anyone what assignments they wanted to do, never said thank you, and took all the credit.

He was right.

I decided that day to make a change. I started by apologizing to everyone, asking them which tasks they wanted to do, and talking up their great work to the manager. They were so much happier, and I was no longer disliked.

People wont always tell you what you are doing wrong, but when they do, it is important to listen and make changes when necessary.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://upstreamswimmer.com
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandividal/