Apr
28
Written by:
Renee
28/04/2008 9:27 AM
I met with Barbara Warren, head of Nida's Corporate Program, today. Nida has a strong Women in Business Program that partners Girls on Top. The session was on communication and presentation skills.It was inspirational (and fun) to do a session that was informed by drama skills and "play" to hone habits of communication. I got 3 key things out of the session.
1. Being authentic and true to yourself must be at the heart of everything we do. It makes a huge difference to how we engage with people
2. To let go more. I for one hold myself back, I maintain a controlled outer appearance that is not quite as connected to my passionate inner being as it could be.
3. Preparation and rituals have a major influence over what is to follow.
It always surprises me that it can be so hard to be authentic and true to one self. But in different situations with different people we plays roles and often we find ourselves behaving in ways we think others want us to rather than really being ourselves. I've learnt that being authentic requires an understanding of what you really stand for as a person and the courage to always project that.
I certainly challenged in being authentic, particularly in a work environment. So it was great to be reminded of this simple truth.
Another thing I had never thought about was rituals. In response to my arrival with a coffee... Barbara commented on how important rituals are to us... and that especially on the trek it would be good to have an understanding of what preparation/rituals I need to do each morning to make sure I have a good start to the day, as much for myself as the rest of the team. I had never really thought about what an impact all those morning habits - the 0.5 L of water, the cup of tea, the order of getting ready - might have on how the rest of the day unfolds. Until today, that is, when I woke up late, left the house in 20 mins and had to go straight to a meeting sans the water, tea, any sort of order and food. I felt thoroughly depraved (although had the good sense to question myself and laugh... I was being a bit spolit, it's not like I would have to work very hard to get access to all these things).
Post-meeting and attending to my basic requirements, I noticed I felt more human with every mouthful. It did highlight to me, however, the importance of giving ourselves the space to "potter" when required in order to be able to present the best possible you to the rest of the world.
See more about Nida's Corporate Performance program here: www.nida.edu.au
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