Preferred Levels and Projects

Written already about my preferred Paths, Visionary Communication and Leadership Development.

Which Level I enjoyed most? Level 1 with all its projects, but most the Research and Presenting, as I am a researcher in my heart. Each Path, I found something I did not know about and wanted to understand better.

Level 3 with all the wonderful and divers Projects, was a delight each time also, all 12 projects.

Did you notice, a Level I said nothing about?

Then, I have to add the Write a Compelling blog,  and the Questions and Answer Session from Level 4, and one I discovered through Pathways: the Moderate a Panel Discussion from Level 5. 

All these projects are present in all path you can choose. They are MY preferred Projects, it does not mean that others do not prefer different one's. In the Visionary Communication, Develop your Vision, did teach me a lot also.

There are great Projects in every Path, I am sure you will find your preferred one's next year, if not yet. With you a wonderful end of year, or if you are already there, happy new year!

My old blog, my new blog

To be able explain how to create a blog, I had to create one. For the moment, it is a French blog, similar to this one. Path is translated by Toastmasters as "Parcours". I had to find a title, but the title can be changed, the web address not. Many things can be changed, others best remain as decided at the beginning. 

I did not like the Red background, chosen by me at the beginning, and changed it to green. Green is ok, but not this bright green. I can of course, change it any time. Later on.

I do not like either, the red blog titles. I had to see how they look. Happy, once I found how I want to arrange the Look and Feel of my blog, I can forget it and concentrate on the text, and images I want to add at each post. I wonder if I will be ready to write English and French every day, but at least I can try for 8 French posts from January? This time, I could make them in "order". How a newcomer needs to experience and get advice.

I found the post from 1 January this year! But no picture as good as this one for the 1 January 2019 post. 

So I went to lookup my Flickr pictures Gallery, looking what did I publish at different 1st January through years.

Went all the way back to 2005 when I begun Flickr and Blogging, but the first pictures I feel I would like to show are from ten years ago, when I was yet in France. I took some pictures while waiting for a reporter and also in her presence. She published them in a Regional weekly magazine, January 2008.

Well, was it before? I was looked of course as old and they spoke about me taking photos and blogging at the respectable age of 73 ! By the time it was published I was 74 but I do not like "4" that is the reason I tell that I am 85 years old, which I will be only in July really.

44 for or 1944 was the year I had to leave home, we had to hide, and more important when my cousin, classmate, friend, the same age then me was killed in the Holocaust. So I got an aversion for the 4.

Besides, women are allowed to change a bit their age, are we not? I was not 77 when I begun standup comedy, but 76, and I told I am 77 for a few years! Till I got past 80. "I am 77 years old" seemed more sexy to me.

Next year, January 2009 I was already in London, and went to see the new year parade. Took a few very nice pictures of kids and clowns, and musicians, but this is the picture that become more popular on my photo site. Simplicity works!

The telephone boots are now only for tourists, and memory, some have "here web" on them so they serve in new ways.

In 2008 from July and 2009 to July, I went to every festival, before being absorbed by Toastmasters meetings and duties. Telling personal stories, listening to others become more important to me and went less out.

Here is the kid, they were playing Dickens Christmas characters, so happy to pose! One of my preferred portraits from the 2009 January parade. 

I went year after year till 2013, anyway, before I broke my leg. Now, I will leave others to go, sunshine, rain or snow.

I am out there through my old pictures, telling my old stories, old memories remembered. There are so many!

I wanted to add at this post many pictures taken, telling how to create a new blog - then got distracted. Sometimes, it is not bad to let the words and images come as they want. 

I discovered, I have created more then 20 blogs, some private only for family, some in Hungarian, French (ten years blogging), some with only photos or only videos. All in the past but they are there. This blog's best feature is that it can be read through any device.

The Theme is called Live on Blog and see how it is seen on a computer or a Mobile. In plus, going all the way down, it can be seen even on a mobile like "live on blog" then the search box and the archives can be also viewed.

And yes, I created this post middle night because I forgot the one from Sunday... But I will schedule it to look as 11 pm yesterday, so to have my every day blog, and write a bit later on to finish the year, "day by day".

User Interface Improvement. Tiny? Important!

The most annoying feature in the user interface, that did not go into my automatic muscle, was that we had to HOVER UNDER the titles that seemed buttons, for the real, grey buttons under them to appear.

I was enchanted to discover, I just had to go over the Home (or Tutorial and Resources) titles inside Red and under, the Home on White, which is the Real button did appear! Reminding me where to go.

Before, by mistake, I did click on Home, and it happen to me often, nothing happened. Now look what happened, when I did or even, later tried and just hovered over the Home inside the red.

It may seem to some as a tiny improvement, but for me it is a big step in the right direction. Thanks to the new team listening, they begun to tackle, one by one the annoying features.

Now I am sure, we are going in the good direction! It will take time, and alas we discover the new features by chance almost, they are not announced on TMI site.

What we do with Home? we go back to the root inside Base Camp, so we can change path if we have more then one active. 

What we do with Tutorials and Resources? We have a lot of short wonderful information in them. I really suggest anyone who did not go in their discovery, to spend some time there:  you will gain time and understand better how Basecamp works also. 

Check Compatibility, we need not often, at the beginning, and sometimes as the system we use on our computer changes on us. 

Today, 29 December, I am happy with this tiny improvement, which for me it is huge! As I go over the Titles, under them where I have to click appears!

Me and my audience

 I fall in love ten years ago. An enduring, reciprocal love. In love with audience.

In love to share my stories, in love to offer workshops, in love later to make laugh. The important is the exchange we have, the feeling I have and, yes, do succeed most of time to get.

It is a wonderful feeling, even when sometimes just before it begins the butterflies are in my stomach. Once we are together, it is magic.

Yes, I need more health, care to be healthy for next year. Will try. But if any resolution for next year, and I do not usually take, is to be more often with audience again.

So this is more a wish, a desire, but I know, it is up to me to go our again instead of staying too much in my bed, home, alone. Even if I do go and assist to many meetings online.

Seeing this picture, I added on my front on Facebook, and adding it to the front, is to remind me, that all the paths I did and do, going now not higher but deeper, are great. But now, let me try go out, in many different ways and places, to meet again my beloved audienc.

It will be soon ten years I really begun with my first Icebreaker as Mystery speaker in Croydon. And, even before that in a Table Topic answer in Greenwich at Meridian Speakers. And spend more time doing instead of reading. Never too late, init?

"Then and now" on Lorraine on Change

Lorraine Taylor, come and told us a story of Change, that we all could think about this end of year.

What was, what is?

What changed and what not?

What we welcome as remaining same?

Many questions we can also ask about ourselves, after listening to her telling us about her life! I for sure, will do write down my own "remained same and changed" list. Listen to her below. Told as guest speaker at Witty Storytellers.

Visionary Communication Level 4 Communicating Change: Now and then, Lorraine Taylor

Stories have been here for ages and will remain, the impact of stories do not change! The impact of personal stories are even stronger. The importance how we tell them remains too. And so many other stuff! 

Human nature perhaps changes, but so little bit! We feel that everyone and all things change around us and on our appearance, and of course they do. Our hair goes from almost black to white, from smooth to wrinkled, we grow up and have children then grand children who from tiny begin to grow and then one day we look up at them. Inside, we change a lot less and even at old age we may feel very young. 

Change is here and it is normal, necessary, but also the things they remain constant. Let us embrace both. 

How 2018 went?

26 December, year by year, I write and speak to my mother who died about 60 years ago. Most of the time, I also buy her Cyclamens, the flowers she asked me when I was 26, the last year before she was operated and died.

It took me then six month to realize my loss, and begin to cry. Crying did not help much. Writing to her in my diary, year by year does. I tell her what I know she would have liked to hear, all the accomplishments I had, all the good things that happened me during the year. She lived almost through me, wanted to know all to the tiniest details. 

It is difficult to live with someone listening so much, it is difficult for that to not have it later.  

Let me try to tell here, for you, this time, what happened to me this year 2018. A lot happened! I still live alone, in a quiet apartment on the top floor without elevator. My broken let still bothers me, and my health did not improve a lot. Most important, I can live alone! I can care for myself and what I need. I am using, mostly my head, but I still bring myself breakfast in bed, and lunch, often in the living room, near my computer. 

From January to December 2018, I offered 15 awards to many different clubs as they needed. From Level 1 of Dynamic Leadership in January to the remote access DTM Masters, Virginia, then to Yakina Toastmasters in Oragon. In March, after launch d91, to Lewisham Club in London, and another launch in May to Witty Storytellers Online. These last two were finished in Base Camp long time before, waiting for the districts of the clubs to be launched. Later, an award to Firebirds Collective and one to Global Trainers Online clubs, when I felt they needed a nudge. My Distinguished Toastmaster went of course to my Witty Storytellers.

With 15 awards this year, I could have had a few triple crowns, I did not get, at least in my hands as I was never present at the District meeting, as my awards were in four different Districts. Here is a triple crown, I asked to be send, I got a digital copy of one of it. It is enough for me to see and know I did deserve them.

Before Pathways, I did not even dream to get a triple crown, I got in all 14 Awards from 2009 to end 2016, never three in one Toastmaster year.

But awards? Would really my mother be interested in them? I do not think she would have been a lot. 

More interested in the projects I completed and what I learned from them, with the wonderful people I met during the year, with the efforts it took me to be, first Pathways Ambassador and visit 10 clubs in three Areas in February, then Pathways Guide and go so far, online as Kenya and Tunis. And get 100% Pathways involvement in Witty Storytellers Online, as we were all dual, at least, already before the launch in district U. I got to know also wonderful other Guides and hear their stories while we went all over the world in special places where they are not yet Districts. 

She would have enjoyed hearing stories I learned, people I met through the Facebook group Pathways Discussion Forum. Most of all, as she was the one offering my first diary and always encouraged my writing, she would have enjoyed me telling her with detail about this blog. What I write about, who comes to visit and lives comments, from what part of world and through what different devices. And that so far, I had almost 100,000 visits, from May last year. How much joy, writing day to day brings me. 

"From Christmas to Christmas" Icebreaker video, Christmas Eve

This is my 8th Icebreaker given Christmas Eve. Brian spoke about him as Santa Claus, from his childhood to now. Krishn, with great body language of a book he likes.

Each of my Icebreakers was very different! Some better, some less. But I did all of them with pleasure!

Usually my screen sharing works better, but I did want to share few. I learned, that it is better to share one kind, or should have closed the app that shows a picture, and then only opened my blog to show a picture from yesterday morning. We learn as we go. It would be a pity to do only one Icebreaker!

Stories told as Icebreaker - to improve on. 

Three of us spoke and the forth offered us Table Topics and General Evaluation. We listened with friendliness. Gave feedback also, on how we could improve with friendliness. Bellow, the round table feedback of my Icebreaker speech. 

Being with pals who understand and accept us, so important! Christmas Eve even more.

I was not alone Christmas Eve, I was with three other Toastmasters pals. Future President, from 1st January, the Past President from last year January, and Vice President of Education of Royal Road Toastmasters, till end of December. Very important, I converted one of my three pals to Blogging! He told me, he will begin early next year, to learn and write also a blog! 

Also important, since then, I told so many Christmas stories to myself from my life! And when I finished them, I told how much blogging changed my life, a few times!

Wishing all of you happy festivities or if not the feeling of being not alone, as I felt yesterday evening. Come online, if not yet, begin Pathways, we all improve together as we go along. 

From Christmas to Christmas, Diary to Diary, Blog to Blog

It was in Budapest, Hungary, when I begun to live for many weeks in a cellar. Hiding from Nazis and from the Russian tanks shells falling around. It was Christmas 1944, at age 10 ½ that I received my first diary.

"I am happy tonight, even if we are in war."

Then I described the gifts I received. This blue and white small diary and a pen to write in it was between my gifts.

Next day, last time outside on street for three month with my dad "some bombs come but no one died". I did not add, I have seen a dead horse on the corner of the street. But I still remember. Diaries, and stories are created and we write, tell what we want into them. True to the feelings, not "all truth, nothing but the truth".

My first diary finished Christmas 1947: I lived again in Cluj, Transylvania that become again Romania. I looked at my mirror, and was happy I grew bigger. No more child, an adolescent!

I have never stopped writing diaries.

Whenever something was important to me, sorrow or joy. At 60, I decided to translate all my diaries, mostly from Hungarian, to French and publish them. That is how I discovered Blogger: an easy way to publish them myself.

Here are most of my diaries, slowly, all translated and published - in French. I also published, my first diary only in English. So much work! But the others, can be also translated through Google, in an English more or less good.

First, I wanted to publish them through an Editor, but realized that Diaries are kept in the cellar of the shop. So why let them disappear? A website? I could not create.

I was so happy to discover Blogger! blogspot! I could create more then one blog! The first one was for my diaries, the second one, parallel, for my day to day current life. Il y a de la vie après 70 ans, There is life after 70, got half million hits through writing morning after morning for ten years.

I also wrote Competent Communicator, about telling stories, giving speeches and standup comedy. And finally, May last year I come back to blogging through this blog.

From diary to diary and blog to blog, I arrive to this Christmas!

She is a Toastmaster, or was a Toastmaster, in one of my London Clubs. When, a few days ago I was very upset, as my usual provider for whom I paid to next day free delivery, decided "no delivery for a week".

I am alone! I will have no meat, no bred, no margarin, no fruit all Christmas time, that I spend alone! I wrote about it in Facebook. And here she comes and offers to make my shopping and bring it home.

They came two and got me even in plus, some British Christmas cookies! And warmth and friendship too.

How long did I not have such a wonderful "real bread" either! She discovered Zoom and different backgrounds, and I met her friend, he was also my Santa 2018 ! Photos on my Facebook page.

In a few hours, I have to tell a new Icebreaker, online, all the way to West Canada shores, and here is my story. From Christmas to Christmas, from Diary to Blog, all the way to this Christmas Eve.

Whoever says "we do not want other Icebreaker"? We always have something different to tell!

I could tell, only from this blogpost, at least three different tales, Icebreakers!

One with my Christmas 1944 and all around it, and my first diary and what I wrote in it. One with how I discovered blogging to publish my diaries. And yet another with this year Santas arriving with food and warmth and friendship to my apartment, the day I needed them most, the day I felt more lonely.

What was good for me? What did I learn?

“May I ask..? What was good for you, on this journey and what did you learn? 

Lotsa love and congratulations from South Africa!” 
Brian V More

Can his question be answered, inside a short post? 

What was good for me on my journey, and even what I learned, all of them are already, mostly in this blog articles. 580 articles. I cannot ask Brian to read all of them, at once. Here, I will try to concentrate them. 

I have recently told some of it through my latest stories, speeches told online. Not so easy, as there were many great things along my twenty month journey, so far. 

The most important were all the great toastmasters I met and continue to meet. Those who helped me, those with whom we helped each other mutually, those I helped. Those who offered an advice, a feedback, and those who send me a note with whom much my help was useful for them. Those who created useful tools and shared them, those who let change be inspired by what they creat d, those who improved on the tools I created and shared. Those who wrote about our encounter and those who let me write about them. All those with passion to get Pathways going, knowing, expanding.

Becoming more then ever a part of a Tribe, bigger tribe, more global tribe.

As Pathways rolled out, from Region to Region, different Toastmasters come to my blog and later, to the Pathways Discussion Forum I moderated from day one. As it happened I was able to find ways to counsel and help, and get to know yet others. 

I learned from Toastmasters and I learned from the Projects in my paths. 

While I loved most from the five paths finished so far, the two I used for the DTM application. Visionary Communication, all about change management and the Leadership Development, mostly organising events. Of course, there is more about them and myself, and how to, i discovered on my way through them. 

The last project of Level 1 in Visionary Communication, Research and Presenting, determined all I did from then on. I decided to research what I was interested in then: the Transition to Pathways. Transition combined with Pathways Education system. In my way. Not only reading, interviews but also experimenting. Living it. As I know a real research is done. 

After so many paths. levels and Projects, blog posts and workshops, I am still continuing doing the same that started with this Project. Research with experiential doing, reflections on it, never ended. We are still on to the transition that I was open to, and experienced embracing and leading it in some ways, with all its ups and downs along the way. 

I did it my way, as a Frank Sinatra song says.

Through my third finished path, Leadership Development, I did MY WAY a lot more, personalized my paths and my projects "more my way". Together with the second Pilot District, 27 from Virginia USA, chief ambassador Paul E. White, one of the most fabulous Storytellers I ever met, him, through web, we decided to create together, and each using our teams, a Storytelling Event, in about six month time. An event, combining 15 onsite Storytellers and online Storytellers. In plusWe decided, to give a theme, a direction to our path, different for him as to me, to the theme of Personal Storytelling and how important and lingering it can be. 

Paul begun his Icebreaker with the fascinating story of his birth and survival. mine was told in a family surrounding of our common ancestors, my great grandmother childhood. We continued, sharing our stories and preparing the Storyswap festival prep with each other. Fascinating times and memories! Successful interesting event. 

Those were some of the learnings and joys. Tomorrow I will try to tell some short tales about some of the projects that were were useful and / or delightful to me along my paths.

I did not do THAT : the letter with the DTM Plaque

I am still very happy the beautiful golden Distinguished Toastmaster plaque arrived. 

But... or And?

I did not open the letter that come with it, till today. 

So?

That is not what I did, not me! Not for a Pathways DTM !

Do you see and read what I do in the second paragraph? 

"You have completed both the leadership and communication tracks" 

I did NOT I did NOT! I did not complete any tracks! I completed two paths instead. The date of the letter is 22 November 2018, it would be time for the letters, even if they come from far away providers (mine come from Maryland) should be refreshed, a new text added. Is it so difficult to replace a phrase? 

I understand that they are not many working at the headquarters  and there are many documents to upgrade and change. Still, it grates when we receive a letter like this.

Even more, when I did not have in 2016 my second DTM because I decided : no more leadership track, no more CL manual completed by me ever! I am very proud the two tracks are no more there in Pathways, and we learn a lot more in the paths where they are blended. When one can not separate them any more, other then an a legacy letter.

DTM plaque arrived!

My Pathways DTM plaque just arrived! Dated, 23 November. Golden, shiny, beautiful!

My Pathways journey begun the 25 March. 20 month. All my work inside those very busy month. I feel, I am allowed to be happy, to celebrate it, to tell! Indeed, never too late to learn, to do, to enjoy.

The journey had many ups and downs and impatience pushed me farther and faster, but mostly wonderful people, clubs, regions, helped me. And yes, my confidence got a new boost too. I learned, I enjoyed and as I continue my journey, my paths and projects, I am allowed to stop a few hours and celebrate, am I? I am sure, you celebrate with me!

My first DTM I worked for it from 2009 January to 2013 July. Fast, because I had a very bad experience with finishing education in my youth. I felt, I should not let anything happen this time. It did not even if I had to postpone my HPL project with a year. My VPE and committee member said "you have already begun!" so I had to begun something else, even if similar. Storytelling workshops, no more in the club but in all the clubs of the Area I was then Area Governor. Of course, I had to finish also the AG work. 

This time, I did the Leadership roles all over the globe! 

Club Coach in Vancouver Island, Canada. Club Sponsor, in Global Trainers Online. Pathways Ambassador, visiting 10 clubs in and around London, UK. VP Education in my Witty Storytellers Online club. 

As for the two Path I have selected, from 5 finished, I begun in Virginia, USA to speak and went to an Oregon club also Remote access, was member at some time in seven clubs, most online or remote access. Of course, during my visits, later Virtual Training, Pathways workshops, helping non chartered online clubs, I spoke also for Guides in Australia, gave panel in New Zealand, and Reflected on my first path in Philippines. A very busy and wonderful journey! 

While celebrating my Pathways Distinguished Toastmaster plaque, this end of year, I am looking forward to learn, do, reflect more next year. 

Full day! great meetings and banana cake

I have no photo of it, but what a wonderful banana cake my grand daughter makes! And the hugs!
Afternoon, an interesting meeting, more about it another time.

Awards are great but come and then go, connection with people remain. That is the most important that Pathways did bring me.

As the Pathways get launched from Region to Region, other and other pals! Some remained and we chat, others read this blog.

No, not yet 100,000 hits, but by the time it will have 1 year since beginning, the number will be reached.

How and when we get the Mentor program?

That was one of the questions asked in the Pathways Discussion Forum. For me, it had happened so long time ago to arrive, the first time at least to Level 3 that I did not remember any more. Of course, I jumped to the Tutorials, then Launched the video.

The video explained fast and clean "how to access the Pathways Mentor Program and where we will find it, as we arrive at Level3. 

As for me, after doing the first two parts of it, did stop for the moment at the 6 month part and decided for the moment to archive the program.

When I will find a "match" a real one that I find we can work for six month together, I can take it back, read again. Finish it.

As for the answer, it came in this page, the Pathways mentor Program comes up in the Suggested Education rectangle, where usually is nothing, near the my education transcript rectangle, where the latest paths, classes, etc are showed. The one I do not use any more. I am too used to click on "My Education Transcript" blue square. 

What I realize more and more, that we should LOOK with more attention what we got, before we ask questions in the Pathways Discussion Forum. It is great to help others, but it would be best to teach the members to rely in themselves. Ask only when really they can not more find answers!

Where to find answers? Reflex: Tutorials! Resources!

It is true, it takes time to get used to it: the very useful Tutorials and Resources has to be accessed hovering on the name then under it, and a click on the grey text on white appearing. With time, I still hope, this will be changed. But it is worth the effort to go!

What we do find there, once we get to it? 

• Tutorials 

   - Tutorial Quick Reference Guides as 1 incorporated now with the Icebreaker ! 
   - Tutorial Videos, short and very well done too

• Evaluation Resources (forms) in many languages available from all the projects ! and fillable all
• Resource Documents are all those used in plus of manuals of Project descriptions (ex. Outline)
• Project Descriptions of all the Projects
• The Navigator for Basecamp in many languages
• Frequently Asked Questions (a few answers) and
• Base Camp Glossary

Today, as someone did the Active Listening, and there was a discussion, what is involved in it, the Project Description come very handy and I found it, copied it and could show.

Of course, in plus Active Listening begins with A and was at the top. Still, I had to click then Launch it for the description to open. Very well explained, after I did and I could copy and paste the description in a chat so all could see what the TT Master in this Projects has to do and how, explained by an example. 

And here are some of FAQ explained

With time, we will have more of them. I find funny but probably useful too, to see "using Resources on Base Camp" explained inside the Resources! As I see, there are more then one place where Base camp Verification and Approval is explained. 

I have to admit to you, did not yet read all what is available yet, even if I begin to have to have the reflex to use the Tutorials and Resources more and more often. 

Taking time to discover what is available may save us a lot of time!

Read, Do, Reflect : again and again about Teams

In three of my four path I work on now, create a "Team" or work with a team was before me. I almost got confused by them. Each has its different slant, but all are around how to approach working with a team. Sharing goals, solve a problem, collaboration, in one of them, still have to give a speech about how it went. 

Invite a small team. I did. Meet. OK, done. Apply to small scale project. Done. 

I had two different projects and teams at the same time.

One was my team for the DTM project, flexible in time. The first milestones were reached, meetings done, a page created. Alas, I did not listen there enough either: have a relatively small time so you do not overuse them. I believed, as we 'have the same dream" we collaborate, and we could lead, each on our turn. I lead, got the DTM Project finished, one milestone with 8 story swaps or Table topic stories about Pathways was reached. Now, it was turn to others from my team to lead. I did not figure out, December is not best time, none of them ready to take over. 

My dream and project continues. I could do it alone? Not well, as making it known more broadly depended to continue longer but most important, on skills I do not have myself. 

Another project, with only two others, speaking French, went better as collaboration goes as we had specific date. They come next day too because it was needed. Great collaboration because very limited? Important was that it went well. 

For the projects, most of them at least, those not inside level 5 required where six month is needed at least, we read "limited time" we read "small group": did I read it well? 

Well, from now on, I will know. I did experience it. Fixed time is better. Not use too much of the team members time and energy is preferred. Cut the long time goals into smaller, manageable parts. Lesson learned. For next time. 

That is how we learn and grow. Far beyond a speech or a role, the new Education program, Pathways is a wonderful tool to teach us new skills. 

What is not supposed to be, is having too many path at almost same but slightly different projects! Here what I had before me! Plus, finish the DTM project and be club President.

1. Motivate a team, for a project then speak of your experience in the Motivational Strategies Level 4. I will gather a team for a Humour Workshop in my club. Motivate them and create the meeting, then describe how it went later. 

2. Create a small team and a meeting and describe how it went in a meeting, for Leadership Development Level 3. Done, in French. 

3. Successful Collaboration, done also, for my DTM Project and beyond. But I think, I still have to describe the team experience, after my reflection about it. So, this one is only "almost done", from the Team Collaboration path. Beyond the "teams" the projects after that will be different from path to path. Electives, I do choose. Less confusion.

Finally I bought Strategic Relationship, no 'team" problem there: I have to prepare an Icebreaker, which will be about what I did last year and my intentions for 2019. Preparing for it, I discovered an improved Icebreaker linked to Tutorials! (see yesterday's and perhaps even tomorrow's blog article).

New, really? Discovered yesterday in Icebreaker

My three "old" paths I was working on where all at Level 3 or 4 now: it was time for me to pick up a new path and begin, the 9th time, an Icebreaker! I was rewarded. I discovered a feature that I have never seen in it before. 

Your Assignment is one of the first pages in any project. Here I discovered a "Directions" and when clicked under it "Printing your Project" - download and print and then in Burgundy color, View Printing a Project and Resources. 

Of course, clicked on it!

Jumped up the Base Camp Tutorial Quick Reference Guide's 4 pages to read one after other. Linked inside the Icebreaker page! How long did I dream to have similar features! 

That is how is shows on my iPad using all the space. In a tab, as I usually want it.

On my Macintosh, it arrived as a popup on middle of my page. 

In both cases, the important is that for the first time, I have seen a Tutorial, indeed they are all short, clear and good, coming inside a Project, on a page where it was needed. Explaining things to newcomers.

On next page, it explained how to jump to the Evaluation page where you find the Print and download the Project's Manual and Evaluation and other resources.

And at the end, showing the Your Evaluation page where we find the Print, through which we can also save.

All four pages coming up seamlessly and flowing from one to the other. 

If it continues like this, explaining to each other will no more be needed or less and less. The only problem: why are we not told there is a new feature?

I discovered this in the Strategic Relationship's Icebreaker, but went back, opened some Icebreakers I already finished: it is there also now. It is almost so, now I begun doubting: is it really new or was always there? 

Some things depend on us & Managing Difficult Audiences

When I begun Pathways, I thought all the problems I had were because of its user interface was awful, and they should have done it better. I could not get used to some of its features, till my son did not come and showed me, how easy it is to Open a window bigger, how I can as my Safari browser to open every popup or link in a NEW TAB. It changed my life and my view of the Base Camp!

Some things did depend on me! 

These I show you here are new discoveries, I made only yesterday. 

I do usually make my main window a bit smaller then the whole screen of my Macintosh, to see some pictures and some main folders at left and right. I also look at the content of all text with bigger letters, then I do not have to use my eyeglasses. 

Here it is what happened yesterday. I opened a project, my next one: Managing Difficult Audience and begun to study it.

Click on Begin brown button (or magenta?) worked to take me to the next page.

No problem.

The problem begun at the next page!

Here is what I found. The introduction was there. And now? How I go next? 

Then suddenly I remembered! My son told me to use CMD - and Cmd + to make what is inside the window bigger or smaller. This time I needed to use cmd and - to get this:

The arrows leading me at the beginning and at right to the next page appeared! and at the bottom the select to move to another section too. 

The left and right grey arrows work well to take us from page to page, till we arrive to the Self Assessment - Before (and After) where we have to move with More or Next! Aie!

Then what it that Select to move to another section? Many month I did not understand or use this one. But then I realized, that in almost all Projects those section lead to same pages available in all. Lead us there directly!

Here are the sections! Beside Introduction to jump back to the beginning, Your Assignment tells us what we are supposed to do, explains our tasks. Assess your skills-before, are questions to ponder where we stand before we begin to be able later to compare where we arrived when we have done all the tasks. Competences, personally I do not care for, but I was told they are very important for the corporate world. 

How to manage a Difficult Audience is specific to this Project, where I am supposed to have a role play and interrupted by 4 or 5 role player toastmasters. After Complete your Assignment, is a page called always Your Evaluation. 

Indeed, I can download or Print my Evaluation form for the project there. I do not use if for it! 

I use it to ask Print my Project, then save the PDF to my computer. 

This is what I get and when my ink and printer work well print it in plus saving. 

Managing a difficult audience is a fun project! I prepare 7 minutes and have 15 minutes in all as I am interrupted. Judged not how or what I delivered, but how well, professionally I handled the interruptions. Here is the special page I will give the VPE to distribute, without me knowing it the roles played my my fellow members. Each has the right to interrupt me, once but at any moment of my speech.

I have already done this project once, it was a lot of fun as some members played really well and with enthusiasm their roles. Arguing, chattering, interrupting. As to me, used to Standup Comedy after 77+ appearance, learned to handle well the hackers!

After that arrives Assess Your Skills-After, very important to answer to all questions and NOT use the right big arrow till all where answered and the SAVE come out. Once I saved that one, I also signal to my Base Camp, I did complete ALL the Tasks of this Project.