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Positive Introduction
In beginning your
MBA program
, you have the opportunity to share a part of yourself
that you would not typically talk about with a stranger. It is called the “Positive
Introduction.”
The activity is one of the more effective means
of connecting with colleagues. When a
new group of people begins to connect with one another, they typically ask the types of
questions that orient them to each other. Typically, these questions ask about their
families, where they are from, their jobs, et
c. The Positive Introduction is a comple
tely
different way to introduce
yourself to others. One note of warning, it is not quite as easy
as it looks! In order to prepare to write your Positive Introduction, take a moment to go
through an exercise. Think ab
out your past, focusing on the following kinds of
experiences:
One when were you at your best;
One where you felt joyful about an event, or achievement, or a time you were so
engaged in what you were doing you lost track of time; and
One that had profou
nd meaning for you.
Think about which single experience shows you at your best and illustrates your
strengths. You should focus around one moment in time
—
what lead up to it, what
happened, and what followed. A Positive Introduction typically includes a pr
esentation
of the person, his or her background, and then a story with a beginning, middle, and an
end. The end brings it all together by summarizing the transition between the
experience and the learning and how this translates into a strength. For exampl
e, you
might tell a story about how you never saw yourself as a leader, but were placed on a
team at work that had difficulties getting along. You found that if you listened and
paraphrased back, you could get dialogue going and as a result, the team was a
ble to
work together. Your strength was the ability to listen and to clarify what others have
said. When you did this, you found the team would listen to you and follow your lead.
You will have a great deal of opportunity this week for individual reflecti
on and sharing
of ideas. Have fun with the activities, and do not hesitate to ask your Instructor
questions.