My ITLP Essay

I like a strong challenge. Though I'm not always the standout who tends to offer one. As I continue my development it is clear that I want to rely upon past experiences and my gut-feel to maintain reassurances and control. Having been in the organization for more than a dozen years, I routinely offer a verbal challenge to what I label as "legacy thought". Upon further examination, I find that quite often my direction looks quite a bit as if it is following a similar path.

Finding new paths often means hiking in new areas. Proving the zest for challenge exists becomes the new paradigm with such a change. I'm interested in finding value in achieving validation with my new peers and gaining more confidence in the idea that long term institutional significance can be achieved for those who seek to drive change.

Communications are crucial to moving forward and I've learned that being a leader and succeeding means many things. Not always leading, trusting your folks to do what they think is correct and taking criticism as a constructive by-product of communications have all played an important part in my development to date.

I possess good analytical skills and have had success as a facilitator in complex projects. I'm a good listener and have a solid understanding of several levels of organizational function. Not surprisingly I harbor opinions on how to achieve change and seek others to commiserate with to make it so.

From talking with others who have attended ITLP I have come to expect this program represents an opportunity to help me realize how to see beyond some of my less useful assumptions and learned behaviours. I'm interested in participating and hopeful to help develop the group dynamic towards both learning and fun.