Learning from the insights of others

We may be living in a milieu where individuals are constantly expounding ways to be politically correct. But truth be told, many organisations still perceive diversity in the workplace to be non-discriminatory, instead of it being key to staying competitive.

However, Banjo Castillo knows from experience that learning to build rapport with people from all walks of life is one of the most important skills you can master as a member of the 21st century workforce.

“As humans, we normally focus a lot on our differences and that’s why we tend to fight,” says Banjo, who was the 2019 SMU Executive Master of Business Administration (EMBA) Class Valedictorian.

“But when you work in a diverse group, you’ll see there are common values. People tend to want the same things in life — to achieve something purposeful, love their families and do the best by them, and achieve success within their capabilities and situations. Having realised that (through the programme), it’s easier to connect with them.”

And the Filipino-born citizen of the world would certainly have had personal experiences with both colleagues and classmates from around the globe. During his 18-year tenure at consumer goods giant Unilever, Banjo had travelled regularly to almost 30 different countries, and worked closely with several multicultural and multinational teams. Although it was hectic, the experience gave him valuable learnings; he learned to appreciate the differences among his team members, while at the same time realising that at their core, people are all the same.

Building new perspectives

In 2019, Banjo graduated with not just an EMBA, he was also a scholar who made the Dean’s List. And he certainly didn’t take the process of selecting the right business school lightly. In fact, he visited several schools and even sat in on classes to get a sense of each institution’s learning culture.

“I sat in the classes at other schools, but the cohorts were too young compared to that of SMU,” recalls Banjo, who added that the locations of the SMU EMBA global segments also appealed to him.

“I wanted to learn not just from the professors, but the classmates as well. And given the relatively junior classes of the other schools, it was not going to be as interesting as SMU’s.

In terms of curriculum, the EMBA and MBA subjects in the other schools were almost the same. But when I looked at the EMBA subjects of SMU, they were unique to the MBA ones. Furthermore, when I sat in the classes at SMU, I also thought the discussions were more interesting and felt I was learning a lot from the class as well as the teachers.”

At SMU, over 60 per cent of students are at the directorial or C-suite level, and boast an average corporate experience of 20 years.

Banjo, who first joined Unilever in 2001 as a management trainee, rose through the ranks to become a General Manager, having honed his skills in the eight different roles he had taken on in the 18 years he was with the consumer goods behemoth. He is currently the General Manager of Dole Packaged Foods in the Philippines.

The programme enabled him to interact with and learn from various knowledgeable professors as well as classmates from a variety of nationalities and professional backgrounds. In other words, it was a chance for him to “sharpen his saw”, he says. “Through the EMBA, I learned more than just specific subjects. My perspective was broadened as I understood the synergy between different topics and departments, and that helps me tackle problems more effectively.

Two of his classmates were particularly memorable — a general from the Singapore Armed Forces, and a former executive director for Goldman Sachs. The former offered an interesting perspective during a class on negotiation tactics because of his training in dealing with terrorists, while the latter had in-depth expertise when it came to corporate finance and stock valuations.

Banjo took his learnings to heart. “One important tip was to look at the small print and their explanations when reading an annual report. Because that’s where any deviations are reported, and you can see how certain things are being interpreted,” he recalls. “Also, don’t skip the foreword, because that’s where you can compare what the chairman and vice-chairman say, and spot any misalignments between those leaders.”

Investing in relationships

Of course, it’s easy to pay lip service to the promotion of diversity. But walking the talk can only happen when you really invest time in getting to know someone. Embracing diversity has not only helped him in his career, but also proved invaluable while Banjo was furthering his studies at Singapore Management University.

As a self-proclaimed introvert, Banjo admits that creating meaningful connections was no easy feat. However, he has risen to the challenge and developed his own methods of building rapport with the people he interacts with.

“It is important to know yourself first — what is it you are good at, and play at your strengths,” says Banjo, who has also worked in Japan for Unilever; helping it grow its traditional and e-commerce business for three consecutive years.

“People think I am an extrovert because I always ask them out for lunch. But I do make plans for it, and actually schedule spontaneous interactions to make an effort to meet with certain people. Every week I say I want to get to know two team members whom I haven’t chatted with. They would think it’s random, but it’s actually planned — because I recognise it is hard to make that first step to connect as an introvert.”

Because he thrives in one-to-one interactions, Banjo would invite colleagues to join him for coffee, or even chat during a walk.

“I gradually found common topics to talk about with each of my teammates,” he says. “I think once you connect with them as individuals, they start to trust you. They know you as a person, and I think that connection lasts longer than an authoritative one with an individual they only see as a manager.”

And there was no better place to be immersed in lively interactions with one’s peers than the SMU EMBA programme. While Banjo did admit that the volume of reading and homework was rather intimidating at the beginning, he thoroughly enjoyed the residential sessions of discussions, networking, talks and group work.

“The sessions itself, the weeks you are together, they really fly by because they’re so enjoyable,” adds Banjo.

“Even though it was hard, I certainly learned a lot and gained plenty of lifelong friendships. Earning a degree from an institution as prestigious as SMU was just the icing on the cake.”