This is a long awaited post for me! Hello fellow bootcampers!
My name is Lauren Rodriguez and I was part of the Changemaker bootcamp training earlier this year with the fabulous @renee, @natalie and @anna341bc. Over the last couple of weeks,@anna341bc and I have been practicing changemaker bootcamp exercises on our own at the lovely Jazz Café in Downtown Berkeley (sometimes there live music!). We practice on Fridays- a great day for the both of us and meet half way between our homes in El Cerrito and Oakland. We decided to practice together for various reasons. For me, it was that I had reached my yearly professional development training budget at my org, having recently gone through Rockwood’s Art of Leadership.
My bootcamp project is geared around a research publication project for my organization, having been tasked with conducting the initial research and analysis. And my goals are to practice my critical thinking, synthesis and interview skills. Having this project in mind, practicing with Anna has been a great experience. Anna and I are both women of color and our workouts have been a very safe space for me to open up about parts of my professional growth aspects that I want to work on. Elements of our bootcamp sessions have been tailored to discussing issues that are particularly relevant and challenging for us as we work out such as identifying power/group dynamics in the room. We have also created the space to share stories about some similar struggles and have practiced having difficult conversations throughout our work-outs.
One of the biggest learning edges during our initial work outs with Anna has been to practice and weighing the pros and cons of having a difficult conversation with my management team at work. Anna and I both bring a racial lens to our work and this has been incredibly empowering for me. I am having this difficult conversation on Friday. Thanks @marie for sharing your difficult conversation since the theme is overlapping and it was helpful to read what works for you to build up that courage!
A reflection so far is realizing how much more confident in my work I have grown since the last bootcamp round. In the first bootcamp round, I voiced a concern about being the “youngest person is the room”. Working with Anna has really helped me understand the value that I bring to the table and become more confident in my skills as a researcher- and having faith that I AM capable! For me, working together in a pair has a deep value since you get to dig deep earlier.
I hope to post every week of our work ours from here on out! Thanks to all of you for sharing your experiences and tools! Reading these have been very beneficial to me!
Eugene Chan, 
Natalie, and 
Dana are discussing. 
Eugene Eric Kim, 
Renee and 
Jessica are discussing. 
Lauren, and 2 others are discussing. 
Dana 1:50 am on February 13, 2014 Permalink | Log in to Reply
This is the question I’d want my bosses to ask me:
1.What’s the one thing I could be doing to make your life/ job easier?
I could go on a tangent about all the different areas I need more support and clearer communication in but this makes you focus on the thing that’s most prominent in your mind. And it sounds nice – like you are taking ownership of your piece to the puzzle and you want to help them.
Natalie 2:46 am on February 13, 2014 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Dana beat me to it. I think she nailed it. I like “one thing” questions because they almost force the person to come up with something. And if there’s a list, it gives them the opening to begin the diatribe. You could also ask for input on what they consider to be the most effective management approach for them personally, or to think back on the best supervisor they ever had, and what made that person so great.
Eugene Chan 6:48 pm on February 13, 2014 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Great suggestions! I had a question along the same line, but not for 1 thing, That is a better question. So thanks @dana and @natalie!