Guest Author: Pam Santos
Kasama, in Tagalog, translates to together, as one.
Southland Data Processing has a large representation of Asian American & Pacific Islander (AAPI) employees on our team, and while this gives us a unique opportunity to celebrate our AAPI culture and share it with our colleagues, SDP also emphasizes the importance of the company being together as a family.
This has been true of my personal experience as an employee within the company, and as we sit in the middle of AAPI Heritage Month, I felt it was important to take note of the value of teamwork in running this organization–or any business–together as a collective.
Teamwork
Teamwork is unique to an organization. But teamwork is comprised of so much more than just the individual members who keep the business functional. It’s also comprised of communication, love, support, and transparency. Teamwork is made of laughter, camaraderie, and the feeling of accomplishment.
It takes significant effort–no matter what the goal is–and in beautiful moments, teamwork can foster a family.
With respect as a core value I believe to be important in the AAPI community, I have appreciated this shared theme in Southland Data Processing during my time as a member of the SDP Team.
SDP’s motto of being a family has really shined over this past year, especially with creating a safe place for us to talk about the struggles of being a minority. – Larissa Lorenzana, HR Audit Assistant
Many AAPI communities have a collective mindset, and as families move forward, they make a point to consider each other in their decisions and actions. I very much see this mindset in the internal functions of SDP, within individual departments as well as the company as a whole. Ultimately, the support system that SDP creates with one another impacts the livelihood of our employees.
A Shared Mindset
As a company, Southland Data Processing strives to create moments of connection with one another through safe spaces. The resulting energy that is created from such a strong team bond can only be reflected positively toward our clients as we create connections with them, too.
Our support for one another creates a genuine experience for any employee. One of our company mantras is, “we help each other regardless of role, position, title, or tenure.” This shared mindset of working together and growing together is visible, prominent, and a strong factor in why our performance with clients remains unrivaled—especially over this past year.
We are always kasama, no matter the situation, and this is the beauty that lies within our organization. Our togetherness is rooted in the foundation of the company and can only move forward towards success for any goals we set for ourselves.
Being a part of the AAPI community at SDP has really helped me to feel welcome in the office and perform to the best of my ability. Being a student and working full time brought on many challenges for me, but I never felt alone or helpless thanks to the SDP family!
Even from day one, I constantly had team members checking in on me, offering to help where they could, and asking for updates on my school endeavors. Thanks to them, I was able to thrive in both areas because I knew they always had my back and were genuinely rooting for my success. – Ethan De Guzman, Accounting Specialist
Happy AAPI Heritage Month 2021
Happy AAPI Heritage Month to all the folks that identify within that community. The ideals that this team holds reflect the collective identity of our people while also building a strong foundation for the whole company. We are family, kasama tayo (we do things together), and this is just one of the aspects of Southland Data Processing that makes our kingdom special.