30 Sept 2017

Level 2 again : Aie! Which box I am in?

On any path, Level 2 even if useful to go towards understanding our Leadership and our Communication styles and the importance of Mentoring, is my less favourited level.

I should not have rushed yesterday to finish my level 1! But I did had a speech in my pocket and it was asked "who else wants to speak". I had also my presentation prepared. At the end, the feedback was that my story would have been even better without it.

So, no presentation pictures next time.

Why do I not like very much level 2? The two first projects take a quiz then try to put me in one of the available boxes. 
This time I came out again as "Initiating" even with higher score as last time. While some of the characteristics I did recognise from the description, yes I like communicating through stories the others not at all: I was never "gregarious" for example. I like listening to others, not only talking. We are all more complex: why put us in a box?

When I looked on Google about Communication styles, other kind where mostly listed: those who communicate through images, others preferring sounds, others with movement. While those are also categories we have more or less, I understood it better.

But finally, the important is to communicate well with others and find a way to connect well with those who do it different as us. 

Here are five "elder" whom I met not long before, spoke to, connected. SEEN them.
Communicating with people just met : elderly here from all over the word. Photos Julie K.

And here are 5 young whom I met in different places, some many years ago. Connected to them too.
Connecting through generations is not as difficult: we have to appreciate each other

So while connecting is not difficult for me, at least from when I become 43 and lived in USA, speaking about it not so easy. In this is also my grand daughter 11 years ago and the young wonderful woman who followed me 4 years ago and made a film about it and graduated with it in College. But the other ones and a lot more, I just met while walking or traveling. Paris, Ireland, London.

Here it is : I FOUND IT ! I will speak about how to Connect while photographing people on street you never met before. Tell a few stories about what is important and why I think it works for me.

As for leadership style, I have to write it down and improve it, but I will tell about the first time I had to lead in my work as I was named Laboratory Chief. Not easy, but learned: give each what is best in. Of course, we have to adopt to the Situation. Later one, when I founded a company... yes, but that will be a story for another path.

I never had an official mentor even if many helped me, so not so easy to speak about "when I was a mentee" : perhaps now, I have one who helped me a lot and continues to do so. 

This are the three tasks of Level 2. All levels and all projects make us think and then create. Even at Level 2!

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