Idenitity - easy read
So what is identity? Identity is a mix of your
Style - how you do the things you do
and your
Role in life - what you do - this can be a job
Looking at identity is a very important part of coaching and thinking of ourselves as animals or things is a good way to find out more about ourselves?
Sync members are already choosing animals to explore who they are on the website. There are badgers and leopards....and more.
Ask people what they think about your identity?
So how do people see you?
Why not try asking other people what animal they would choose to describe you and why and have a chat about it?
Do you like what you hear? Are they seeing you clearly?
Can you change your identity?
Well yes, we can. We can try different jobs and we can try different styles, but this can be difficult when people make decisions about what we can and cannot do when they see or hear that we are disabled.
It's hard to not be hurt or angry about this.
Some people like American comedienne Kathy Buckley use their comedy skills to make people think! She makes jokes about her life but underneath she is saying - "don't mess with my identity, don't label me" She is taking control.
Access Needs and Identity
Are we always clear about our access needs?
Access needs are a part of us but sometimes we hide what we really need because we don't want people to see us in the wrong way.
This can stop us from getting what we want to be really good at our jobs.
Our Access needs, are they part of our Identity? What do you think?
Leader, Marie Pye, who has worked in Disability Rights has to lie down on a sofa. This is her access need. In the past, people thought she was 'lazy' but she kept on asking for sofas. Now people don't think 'lazy', they think 'great leader', 'wow'!
Marie says, because of her "Waltham Forest has the best sofas out of all the London Boroughs"
Sharing what we know!
We have all learnt different ways to share our identity and get our access needs met so people can see what we can really do.
Maria Oshodi is the Director of Extant and there's an interview from her under Sync Stuff on the website. Have a listen to what she has to say and do share your tips with other people too.
How do you wow people when you walk into a room? How do you get them to see you as you want to be seen?
Sarah Pickthall, Sync Coaching
