Organizational Leadership - Personal Watershed Event

MY PERSONAL WATERSHED EVENT

Elizabeth Ibarra

OLCU 615: Organizational Development and Change

Prof. Kristin Plapis

Brandman University

Introduction

It is difficult to select an important watershed event that impacted my life as an individual; especially when you are half way through your life and had accumulated a mental historical record of the things you want to remember or forget. In retrospective, I think one of the events I consider more important in my life is moving to California. It has already been twenty three years since I started this adventure and I have to say, time went by a little too fast for me. I have now lived more years in this the United States than in Mexico which helps me appreciate the transitional process I had to experience in order to reorient and redefined myself in order to appreciate both cultures. I think transitioning from one culture to another is a difficult and slow process; however, I believe my background has had a strong influence in my family, my friends, and people around me since I can see things and situations from two different perspectives and backgrounds. I am hoping to continue to gain and experience more watersheds throughout the course of my life and as a new American, and hopping to have the necessary tools and awareness to appreciate the experience and welcome new beginnings.

Situation Analysis

When I was 20 years old and living at home with my parents, I decided that in order for me to keep my sanity I was going to move out of my house. I didn’t know how or where, but my decision was made and there was no turning back. I remember feeling the anticipation of sadness and melancholy from time to time when I was offered to move to California with a family member. I didn’t know how to explain it to my friends or my family because none of them had ever moved or decided to challenge the status quo in any way. All I knew was that things were never going to be the same because I was...