Spotlight Interview with emerging leader: Kristina Mejo

Professionals who are entrusted with the training of others seldom have the opportunity to upskill and acquire new knowledge. That is why we were thrilled to have Kristina Mejo, Senior Regional Liaison and Policy Officer at the International Organization for Migration (IOM) Regional Office for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), on the last edition of the UN – Emerging Leaders e-Learning programme (UNEL-e). In this spotlight interview, Kristina, who also delivers training within her organization, gives Aida Ghazaryan (UNSSC Learning Portfolio Manager) a trainer’s perspective on the dynamism of the UNEL-e programme. She expands on how the style of training and programme elements have helped her to internalize, and apply her leadership training.

Aida: Kristina, tell us a little bit about yourself and your career journey in the IOM.

Kristina: I was born and raised on the West Coast in the United States. I was blessed to have the opportunity to travel growing up. In my third year of University, I studied in Geneva, Switzerland, which provided my first opportunity to learn about the international world of work through internships. Having the opportunity to pass by the United Nations everyday was formative. It encouraged me to further look into life and work with the UN. Before joining IOM, I worked for NGOs, the Peace Corps, and ICRC. My journey at IOM has spanned across four continents and 16 years working in the different thematic areas of the Organization. In my current role with IOM, I serve as the Senior Regional Liaison and Policy Officer at the IOM Middle East and North Africa Regional Office. My portfolio covers a variety of migration policy frameworks, UN Reform, external donor liaison and regional coordination, and supporting the IOM missions and presence in the MENA region. I joined in August 2017 after serving for 2.5 years as IOM’s first accredited Chief of Mission in Burundi. In Burundi, I coordinated the mission’s activities which included a robust humanitarian portfolio, promoting Labour Migration programmes, counter trafficking initiatives, migration health and border management programmes.  

Aida: Could you tell us what you found extraordinary about your learning experience on UNEL-e?

Kristina: I have had opportunities to take different courses and trainings over the years. This said, this was the first training that had a strong focus on Emotional Intelligence. Each presenter came with unique stories, ways to impart their messages, rich learning resources, and dynamic and live presenting skills. In addition, I tremendously appreciated having a “learning buddy” and having the opportunity to work/exchange constantly in small groups during the sessions. As a trainer myself for different thematic topics, I began to use some of the excellent training techniques I learned in the UNEL-e, in my own trainings. It has been quite exciting to see how they made an immediate difference, and were positively received.

Aida: Which aspects of the UNEL-e did you find most helpful to address your areas of development and how has this contributed to your leadership development milestones?

Kristina: I believe ultimately it was the 360-degree assessment with the coaching that truly helped contribute to unpacking my leadership goals, and  me seeking to identify how to further work towards my leadership development milestones. This opportunity provided a wonderful chance to receive reviews from an external perspective, and get  valuable feedback and through the expert lens of the coach. Overall, this allowed for positive reflection and has enabled me to better define future goals.

Aida: The UNEL-e programme focuses on strengthening and developing leadership behaviors outlined in the UN System Leadership Framework (UNSLF). Have you embraced any new leadership behaviours, practices, skills and competencies that you learned on the programme? How are these helping you with your day-to-day work?

Kristina: Thanks to my excellent coaching sessions, I now prepare for each meeting at the start of the day. This helps build on two leadership behaviours, firstly that my key points will get across, and secondly that I am clear in communicating and giving  direction . I also continually encourage colleagues to take the lead on different areas of work that I oversee. This is in an effort to empower others, to create a space to learn, to try new things and to refine our collective leadership skills.

Aida: What are some of the challenges you have faced as a woman in leadership, and how has this training helped you develop, or, alternatively, has changed your perspective?

Kristina: As  women in leadership, there is a much higher level of attention to everything we do. One has to work extremely hard to always stay ahead, provide clear leadership, and support the team at large, at all times. The training helped me better understand the role of emotional intelligence, and what I used to think was my “gut instinct.” It further helped me better understand and unpack the many resources and tools, such as reviewing what are the key needs and values. The ability to lead through emotional intelligence and to recognize the critical importance EI plays in our day-to-day work has been fundamental.  

Aida: What were the most memorable lessons from the UNEL-e programme?

Kristina: I believe the most memorable session was on speaking and presentation skills. The team from ‘Ergo; Ego’ introduced and  helped us try the ‘Communication Code’ to find our best qualities so that we can influence our environment as leaders with “greater conviction, clarity and courage”. The ultimate goal is to  tie these skills  to the behaviours outlined in the UNSLF. The team from ‘Ergo; Ego’ served as our communication coaches, they helped us use our presentations as a tool to make our ideas be heard, seen and remembered. I use these simple and powerful tools every day when I speak “in front of the camera” in my various online meetings and events.

Aida: Would you recommend this training programme to other emerging leaders? Why?

Kristina: I would highly recommend this training programme as it provides a wide diversity of learning materials, such as the online course curriculum, reading resources, and  questions for participants to reflect on each week. The  peer-to-peer exchange link is helpful for  aiding one’s understanding of the different work dynamics and commonalities that exist across the leadership realm. The focus on emotional intelligence opens the door to new insights on the workplace. This is done from a unique perspective that  builds on  misunderstood or unrecognized elements of the world of work . Moreover, the communication skills I gained are extremely helpful.