September has been a time where my skill of professional communications are being put to the test. Throughout this month, six days to be punctual, I have been volunteering and working at the fair for the organization of where I perform my mentorship hours. Without a doubt, this has been one of the greatest and most meaningful actions I've performed during my entire mentorship and possibly this entire year. I had the opportunity of communicating and telling people all about what our organization did and what we stood for. Many people hailing from both local and distant cities in California came to our booth. Relating to these people on a personal level was not only fulfilling, but also an excellent learning experience.
What does communicating with people have to do with "store management," my senior topic? Well, it's all quite simple. Easily, as a manager, you talk to a wide range of people on a daily basis, and each one of those people have traits, characteristics, way of speaking, etc. Point is, everyone is different and you need to be able to be an effective communicator should you wish to be a high-quality manager. Knowing how to talk and present yourself is very important. An example at the fair would be the elderly. The elderly fair-goers, have just a distinctive way of speaking and softer tone of voice as compared to someone who's middle-aged or an average adult. They would ask questions, I would answer sincerely and clearly. They would walk towards the booth kind of nervously, and I would approach them cordially, hoping to reel them in and tell them all about our organization.
Reading people effectively can also tie under communication. Example, we've had teenagers just like myself who are just interested in learning about work opportunities and how they could help us out in order to earn hours. Without a doubt, I have the confidence to say I can communicate effectively with both the elderly and people who are my age. I've been in their shoes, looking for volunteer work. By reading what they wanted judging by the way they approached the booth or answering the questions they asked, I could easily steer them towards the right direction and make them comfortable in knowing that I was here to be a resource. It helped to let them know that I was under control. I knew what I was talking about and doing, and in turn they trusted me, thanked me, and walked off. Easy. It's all about being as helpful as possible.
Below is a picture of the booth I worked during my volunteer time at the fair. Very good learning grounds indeed.
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