academic
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An awareness of identity-related issues
Difference Matters
Why did I choose this tool? This book served as the foundational text for a course I took in university that changed my life. It was the most vulnerable and open classroom experience I have had at university, and it was with people from a wide variety of backgrounds. I liked how the book defined different dimensions of social identity…
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An awareness of identity-related issues
Reflected Best Self Exercise
Why did I choose this tool? Some of my friends who have done this exercise at the University of Michigan school have said how this has changed their life. I believe one part of understanding our identity is understanding the things that we do well and how other people identify us. For example, I don’t normally describe myself as a…
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An ability to be empathetic
The Ability Model of Emotional Intelligence
Why did I choose this tool? I had disliked the popularized version of Emotional Intelligence; something about it seemed as if it were missing the point, putting too much emphasis on “positive” emotions. When I came across an article for Salon magazine by Annie Murphy Paul talking about how Goleman’s version differed from the original put forth by Salovey and…
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Communication meaningfully with others
Competing Values Framework
Why did I choose this tool? Having worked under Jeff DeGraff, one of the original creators of the framework, I personally saw the power of this model of thinking. It helped teams through innovation and change management and provided a simple and clear way to differentiate team behaviors and how those created tension and complementarity. It is a framework that…
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An ability to listen actively
Semantic Primes
Why did I choose this tool? Semantic primes have helped me in most aspects of my life since discovering them in 2012. I studied intercultural communication for my bachelor’s degree and I had been looking for a simple way to find common language across cultures and this has been one of the most impactful tools. I built iFeelio, a reflection…
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