...

Just feel pure happiness...don't know why, nothing special happened today. Maybe it's cuz we finally got hot water back at home?:) Or cuz I saw that one person values me and misses, though he's far away? Or it's this amazing weather in Moscow today? 

Don't wanna it to be over: like a sun inside and nothing else matters!

TM...

Writting now feedbacks on 16 Man Power Plans... and initiatives in TM in planning tool. For some it can seem to be boring, but I understood again how much I LOVE my job and TM, love it and will always love. And ready to read these MPPs every day:) and give feedbacks, and talk to my TMs, and manage all these TM processes, make conferences...

so my status for today: in love with TM:) it's really not position - TM is our vision:)

From home to home

Just got back to Moscow, and when was in the airport thought: "Good to be home again" :)

Two weeks ago I had the same thought when landed to Almaty airport: "Good to be home again" :)

Can a person have two homes, or its splitting of personality? 

Previous two weeks were full of speed and life for me...Need to see everybody, do MC work, visit favourite places and many many more. Highlights:

• salsa...love it
  
• don't get too drunk, or U'll get on TV
  
• nothing is impossible: even free taxi or jokes over U from radio :)
  
• people change... a lot
  
• don't be afraid to talk to unfamiliar people, they can become special part of your life
  
• try new things, even watching movie U would never watch
  
• drink in the park, it's fun and cheap
  
• spend time with Ur family&relatives, it's the best way to relax
  
• don't plan your day, something will come up eventually and it will be the best XP
  
• miss people who are far away - start valuing them much more
  
• skype is the greatest invention :)
  
• people are the main value, no matter what

Now back to Moscow, to my boyfriend, to my dear MC team...feels good and sad at the same time, as don't know when will be in Kazakhstan again with my family, friends, LC, mountains, streets, parks, full buses, sunny weather, crazy parties and this atmosphere which surrounds you in Almaty.

Random thoughts

Just got back after intense Planning Conference in Ufa and purely crazy team days with our MC team... Don't wanna repeat all the words about great people I've met there, wondeful time with members of AIESEC in Russia, the best of the best TM team, beatiful Ufa and bunch of ideas about my MC term!

I guess this time for me was time of discoveries:

discovering AIESEC in Russia. Now I feel part of AIESEC here and ownership for the people who I'm gonna work with and work for. Looking at people from different Local Committees, their passion for what they do and planning to do next year is the best motivation I could ever have!

discovering my MC team. In the previous post I was writing about my team and Storming time we were through that time. We not just overcome it, but became so close as people. Especially I'm grateful to Manana,Lena and Rus who were a positive surprise for me and shared with me so many funny moments, lifetime memories:)

discovering myself. How I can behave in certain situations, what I can contribute and what I gotta imrpove in myself. So now I know what to work on. 

discovering Ufa city. I was enjoying my time there, as Ufa reminds me a lot of my hometown Almaty, even the same buildings. The atmosphere of the city: friendly, hospitable, calm and sunny was like a break after crazy Moscow life. 

Today I was going after the train station to my appartment, looking at green trees and bright sun, and was thinking about connection between people... I got connected to people who I even didn't notice, and still logically can't explain why, we just got connected, though we're so different and never knew each other. 

Probably I should just walk my path and look forward, but not back, just feel and embrace experience which is coming on my way. so Let it be, as Beatles sing:)

Collecting a puzzle called Team

In 6 days I'll oficially start working in AIESEC Russia, which means that May 1 oficially will be birthday of new TEAM - MC Russia 2009-10. 

8 individuals...8 differents backgrounds, lives, interests, aspirations, hobbies, tastes, ideas...

Will it be easy? No. Will it be rewarding? Hope yes.

Today sitting in Moscow metro when going from MC flat to my appartment I was thinking about team theories and my past experiences when working and managing different teams.

Probably right now we're more referring to Tuckman's team theory based on:

• Forming
  
• Storming
  
• Norming 
  
• Performing
  

I looked over the description of each stage and recognize every word of it in our behaviour:) First we were confused, but at the same time positive, trying to figure out what is relevant for us, having long discussions, but accepting each other. 

Few days ago we got to Storming stage and for me it's challenging, but amazingly interesting, as I don't remember myself being in intense Storming stage in my previous teams. Usually we smoothly skipped it and started performing. So for me personally, it's a time of learning and re-considering some things. These are some statements which explains Storming:

• The honeymoon is over.
  
• The silent leaders may be clashing for control of the group.
  
• People disagree and may blame the team concept, saying it doesn’t work.
  
• Management needs to do a lot of coaching to get people to work past their differences.

I especially liked the phrase, which describes Storming stage "The honeymoon is over" :) 

All the above means that team is not effective in completing the tasks, or it takes much longer than it could, at the same time it's the beginning for understanding each other before team members get to Norming stage. 

I really hope we'll pass, as a team, storming stage during our National Conference, but it requires commitment from all team members. For me it's not easy to keep silence sometimes, stay calm and not get irritated, but I'm definitely trying to overcome myself (though sometimes it still doesn't work:) ), so we'll become not Storming, but PERFORMING team! 

And also it was quite interesting to look over Belbin Team Inventory and actually recognize some features of my team mates there! That means we can actually complement each other and make our weak sides strong ones, which is a key to success! I'd compare process of team forming to collecting puzzle: first you get mad, cuz it doesn't work, then you see some results, see framework and complete goal, start putting it together and in the end when puzzle is done, look back and think that it was fun and easy! We're like puzzles, trying to fit, but now figuring out where and how, at last it will be complete and bright picture:)

Another TeaM I'm gonna be in upcoming year is Talent Managament team of LCVPTMs, but it's another story and different style of work. So waiting for National Conference to meet them and see which stages of team forming we gonna have:)))

In the end I just feel like quoting the following:

"Everything is okay in the end, if it's not ok, then it's not the end". 

So whatever problems we can have, it's ok:) 

Today I found out that one of my friends is applying for MCP after not being active in AIESEC for 3 years... I always admired him for the fact that he was not afraid to be himself, no matter what other people will say! Some will think it's easy to be yourself, no matter what... But I thought about myself and people who surround me and understood that it's not easy: we always adapt, trying to be good so everybody loves us, afraid of critics, scared to death to loose our friends, feel nervous when changing places. All of that makes us to hide some of our features sometimes and say things, which people want to hear, but not the things we want to say.

So step which my friend decided to take really inspired me to stay loyal to myself! Nobody expected him to apply, nobody knows motivation he has for it, but what I'm sure about is that he's true to himself and doesn't care about what others will say about it, but about importance of it to him! 

These actions made by people around me, challenge and make me think about myself and upcoming year in AIESEC Russia! Now I really understood how important it is to stick to the values you have and not to be afraid to LIVE and ACT!

Thank you Max:)))