Sunday, Monday Fun Days

Today's a two-fer-one (because I got caught up watching the sunset over Manhattan yesterday - but you'll hear about that in the next post).

Since it's still Week Zero, we can lump together a coupla days without too much difficulty.

Professional Development:
1. The Leadership Compass - Helps you to identify where you fall on the spectrum to guide your interactions with others.  Do you like big picture or the small details?  Are you quick to action or slow to get going - considering all the options first?  I'm an east, which means I'm a big picture thinker...but that I may be slow to action, a little iffy on the follow-through, and a bit absent-minded with details.  Yup, sounds about right.  Check it out for yourself: http://www.lwvsc.org/files/leadershipcompassactivity20110917.pdf

2. Direct Conversations - Given that my emotional intelligence quotient indicated my lowest subscore in assertiveness, this PD session was pretty crucial.  How do you attack a difficult situation with your coworkers and stakeholders in a way that continues to build relationships but solves the mission?  We used KIPs (Key Interaction Principles) including empathy, challenge, inquiry, encouragement, help, and adaptation.  Key in my mind: discover your purpose for the convo - does it serve a greater end or do you just want some sort of emotional victory?  Finding the unemotional core of the conversation makes it easier for all involved.

3. Managing Up - This is my first ever big kid job, meaning I've never worked hours or dealt with supervisory relationships.  That said, TFA is totally spoiling me with its emphasis on professional development, lack of office "politics," and copious feedback in all directions.

4. Personal and Professional Excellence - TFA does these great professional reviews in conjunction with their standards of excellence that encourage me to "begin with the end in mind," asking what it would look like to do my job in a way that embodies TFA's core values of transformational change, leadership, team, diversity, respect, and humility.  Sort of feels like a Colossians 3:23 moment, huh?

5. Personal and Professional Alignment - My heart is with TFA, but my life isn't devoted to TFA.  (It's devoted to the Lord.)  So, my goals for the summer don't just fall during working hours, and my mentors have encouraged my coworkers and me to set accountability partners and plans into action.  Questions for reflection to this end: What does it look like to be a professional?  How do you develop skills?  How will I learn about education policy?  What do I know I need?  What routines do I want?

My Work...(also my play):
As I mentioned, this is my first time "on the clock," and it really began in earnest on Sunday afternoon with Crystal and I cranking out some inventory.  We have some crazy things, being Transportation and Special Events.  It was fruitful and daggone fun to jam to some early 2000s and count, categorize, and record the quantities of everything and its brother.  Waste not, want not!

Since then, we've created rental car packets, tracked down driver's license scans, filled in parking permits, assigned primary drivers, made directional signage, and created welcome banners.  Excel's been explored, trees have been pulverized, email were drafted, playlists were utilized, rulers were traced, and markers were squeaked, all in the name of "One day, every child will..."

I love my work.  For the coworkers, the mission, the empty checkboxes filled at the end of the day, and the view of the Manhattan skyline from the 3rd floor of the student center where Crystal and I worked in the afternoon.  Yup, I love my work.

My actual play:
1. I have a NYC and Queens public library card!
2. I visited a delightful Jewish grocery store (and purchased quite well-priced raisins and frozen mango).
3. I've pounded some miles - 6 miles slow with a remarkable coworker who filled my noggin with juicy thoughts and great lookout locations and 5 miles in the morning with a great gaggle of chickadees who love to create art and community.
4. I dropped in on my first truly New York bagel joint with a real, live native New Yorker, aggressive (but loving) accented customers, and a bagel literally nearing the size of my head.
5. I'm making friends with the Starbucks guy - a dangerous descent.

Weirdest moment of the day:
Crawling in bushes to retrieve the Post-it note that wanted more than anything to be litter!  It found its proper home in the recycling bin in due time.

Monday's sunset

Sunday's sunset

Person of the day: Nick Nist, my running buddy.  You really don't know what you're getting yourself into when you agree to go for an hour-long run with yours truly.  But Nick blew me away with his toe shoes, religious story, thoughts on the American dream, trips with his girlfriend, and perspective on American regional identity.  I hope he's prepared to put in some serious mileage on those brand-spankin' new toe socks.

Sunset: Sunday: Viewed mid-conversation between dorm buildings.  Monday: Viewed à la Nick Nist from a beautiful lookout (where I'm writing this blog post) on St. John's campus.  We stood on the wall, watched the sunset over Manhattan, and discussed the world.  One of the best sunsets so far.