'Define what matters most to you'

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Define what matters most to you

Pui Chi Li, Head of Marketing for the Middle East and Africa at Xerox, knows how to balance work and life

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Published: Fri 29 Jun 2018, 12:00 AM

Last updated: Fri 29 Jun 2018, 2:00 AM

How do you usually start your workday?
I start certain mornings of the week with a circuit training class. Other mornings, I wake up and immediately start our family routine of getting everyone ready for the day ahead, be it for school or work. As mornings are busy, I normally start preparing the night before, listing out what needs to be done, and prioritising certain activities. This helps me to start the day positively and on the right foot.
Describe your work in a sentence
I provide the marketing team with support and strategic direction to best contribute to the business objectives.
What is your favourite thing about your job?
To be part of this transition from the physical world to the digital one - it brings new challenges and opportunities which make every day feel fresh and exciting. Creating this environment for my team is one of my top priorities when it comes to people management. Empowering them and giving them the space to grow and exercise their creativity enables us to get the best out of people.
What advice would you give your younger self, if you could?
Be brave! Now that I think of it, there were times when taking a chance would have resulted in a real opportunity for self-development for me.
What has been your most challenging experience to date and how did you resolve it?
The transition to a working mother has been one of the greatest challenges to date. Prior to having children, I had total control over time allocation - I could travel for work at short notice and work late at the office as and when needed without much consideration. It has taken time, but I have become more disciplined in terms of time management to ensure both work and my family gets the attention they need, to plan both professionally and personally, and to accept assistance when offered.

How do you maintain a work-life balance?
Knowing what is important to you is the first step to achieving a good work life balance. My priority is and will always will be my family - this clarity helps me focus in the work place. Using the right tools helps me make better use of my time so that I can be a present mother and a strong contributor to the workplace. I also ensure that I carve out small pockets of time for myself to refocus and assess.
Any advice for youngsters just getting into the professional arena?
Understanding the field you're working in is critical and spending time interacting with customers is the best way to achieve this. My advice is to spend time with the full spectrum - from large corporate customers with printing facilities all the way down to the smaller print houses who run on a shoe string budget because each represent a learning opportunity on how to add value to the customer.
You also need to define what you want and what matters most to you; go into the details and understand the different elements involved in your work. This will form your core values, which will drive everything you do to achieve your business goals. Women in the workplace frequently take on an amicable persona and lose sight of their own goals. Thus, having a clear goal in mind will help you overcome these challenges.
A fictional character you think would make for a good role model -
and why?
I recently watched a Toy Story short film with my children and came across a character named Combat Carl whose motto was "Combat Carl Never Gives Up, Combat Carl Finds a Way". While this character has a small part, his motto really struck a chord in me. Life is hard, sometimes we will face challenges and fail but we should not give up and we should find a way.
What is your greatest dream, professionally?
To lead an organisation in an ethical and socially responsible way, where we make contributing to the international community a core of what we do. Being healthy financially is simply a way of delivering this ethos.
- Staff reporter


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