Food for Thought

My mentor sent me a few articles to read after our last phone conversation. I just re-read one and found this great quote about communication:

"You can’t communicate with someone you don’t respect. The word “communication” comes from the same root as “community” and “comity.” The word literally means “to make common.” The more you amplify your adjectives, the more you erode even the possibility of coming to common views with."

Especially today with the lack of communication happening between political parties, I think it's important to communicate with each other using facts and a respectful, empathetic dialogue. As I learned last week while researching the topic of Effective Communication, empathy is one of the most important factors in a meaningful conversation. The conversation could be about anything, but letting that person speak uninterrupted, with the feeling that they are being listened to and understood, can change the discussion from hostile to peaceful.

As the newest form of healthcare in the United States is debated, it is crucial to speak to others openly and with credible supporting facts to back your opinions or claims. Healthcare is built upon empathy and making huge investments into saving and helping people. I think we all need to remember that as we head into our futures. We all need to work together to come to a middle ground, where everyone can agree on the best quality of care for the largest amount of the population.

"Two" Presentation: Effective Communication

Today Jess and I presented on the topic of effective communication. I think it went really well. We had some fun activities this time and had a lot of discussion. I also felt more comfortable presenting this material than any other material I’ve presented recently, which might be due to the fact that I knew the information well, but it is also because I feel more comfortable with the people in the class. It’s cool to actually know your audience well and be able to prepare something specifically for them. I’ve never really been in a class where I know all of the people in it, so it is a different experience than any I’ve had before while presenting. I also felt confident and I think that is partially due to the fact that I didn’t read off of the slide notes as much as I usually do while presenting.

Overall I had a lot of fun with this topic and even learned some new things! I learned a lot about the importance of communication especially in hospital settings. I knew that it was incredibly important to the smooth running of any facility, but I didn’t realize how influential different types of communication can be in each situation. I learned a lot about the appropriate use of each type of communication and how to be a more effective communicator. This information is definitely something that I will be able to implement into my personal and professional life. Thanks to all my peers for being so interactive!

Busy Day. Busy Life.

Today, I had two interviews for internships this summer. I’ve been thinking about them a lot and I think they went really well! The first interview was in person and the second was over the phone and while they are both used often, I have realized the importance of actually going to meet someone in person at the facility. The two interview styles are so different in terms of the experience and, I think, how much you value the conversation.

Before even going to the first interview I had already pretty much decided in my mind that I did not want to intern at the hospital. However, once I got there, met the woman, and had a meaningful conversation, my opinion completely changed. I am now seriously considering taking this position, even after being so set on not doing so.

The second interview was over the phone, and before speaking to them I was already seriously considering any position they were willing to offer. Afterwards, my opinion completely changed AGAIN. My attitude was definitely influenced by the outcome of my first interview, but I did not expect it to affect me so profoundly.

Although I think both opportunities would be amazing for the summer, I really don’t know what I am going to do anymore! It’s simultaneously exciting and scary that I have to choose between two remarkable prospects, seeing as this will almost definitely impact my future. Either way I know I will have an awesome experience. I’m excited for the future ☺

Another Perspective

Having done Logan and Shayna's pre-work for their presentation today about personality, I found it very interesting what results I have received from friends and family who I had take the MBTI test answering the questions with me in mind. I had previously considered doing this just out of curiosity, but I didn't want to be a burden and make someone do something for me. However, now that it was required for class I didn't see it as an issue.

After having one of my best friends that I made college take the test, I found her results not too alarming. She got INFP as my personality type, rather than the INFJ I get every time I take the test for myself. This puts me as a Mediator instead of an Advocate, both of which I can relate to in different ways. She may not know exactly how I think in certain situations, but I trust her evaluation and think it is interesting that my perception of myself and her perception of me differ so minimally.

Next, I had a group of my closest friends from childhood take it for me, one of them being my sister. Two of them also got INFP, one got ENFP, and the last got INFJ. The two Mediator results were very different in terms of percentages of each trait, but that they both got the same personality type was not surprising. My sister was one of those people, and I value her input highly because she has known me my entire life. The INFJ result was also not a surprise, but the ENFP was quite different. His reasoning for this result though was this:

"You take into consideration that other people may feel uncomfortable in social situations and will be more apt to start conversation for them because you know how hard it is."

I think that this is a very true reasoning, and in some situations I am willing to take the initiative. But generally speaking, I am very introverted. I really liked how different this result was though, because it really opened my eyes to how differently other people perceive your personality, which relates to my last post about how others see you in the workplace. I think it's cool how all of this is connecting as this section of the course comes to a close.

*My mum also took this; she got ENFJ, and the result was only E by a difference of 2% (51% E, 49% I), so she was the closest to my actual personality type.*

FOCUS! (I can't)

Focusing can be very difficult sometimes, especially with next week being spring break and with all of the mounds of work and exams that need to get done before we get there. Trying to stay focused while keeping our heads down and plowing through this next week has never been so difficult. This semester has been one of the most stressful ones I have ever experienced, and I am sure it will not be any easier when we return from break.

Going through this week now has made me wonder about my future in any workplace. I wonder how I will be able to stay focused when, or if, I become a professional in the healthcare sector. There are so many questions heading forward, now more than ever with the current administration, and I am sure by the time I become a professional it will not have fully recovered from the next 4 to 8 years... Other than just those obvious questions coming from the upcoming change, I wonder a lot how I will react in pressing situations, or where there is a conflict that I need to address.

I know that my personality will play a part in those situations, such as being empathetic and conscientious. But how I view my actions and how others do are inevitably different, and I wonder how my actions will be perceived by the people around me and how that will affect my professional career. I'll see in the future, I suppose.

*This post really has no direction but is just showing what I have on my mind about my future, again, proving that my ability to focus is slowly disappearing.*