The Stylus

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Soles also participated in a Q&A with The Stylus about his experiences in the ODKM program.

Q. What do you think are the goals of the ODKM program?

Soles: To develop the professional capacity of students to become better agents of change when they work with organizations. ODKM provides tools, knowledge and experiences that enhance the quality of the work being done by an organization.

Q. What do you think about the community on the Arlington Campus?

Soles: I am happy to find lots of smart people with different multicultural backgrounds actively engaged in changing the world from their organizations.

Q. Do you consider ODKM a leadership program? What about the program makes it noteworthy?

Soles: From my viewpoint, I do see this as a leadership program. You learn to apply new knowledge in order to empower yourself. At one level, the ODKM program has helped me learn more about myself and what motivates me in my current position. I have also learned to see more clearly which aspects of different work environments are motivating for individual work styles.

At another level, ODKM has helped me understand how others interpret my own behavior in the workplace. By participating in the ODKM program, one can realize how easily our actions can be misrepresented or misinterpreted in the workplace, or any other situation for that matter. I learned to recognize that each of us has a unique set of values and filters for interpreting people’s behavior and that by being a bit more reflective and mindful, I was able to appreciate the different ways that our behavior can be interpreted.

I was surprised how my behavior was interpreted in different contexts and with different team members. Throughout the ODKM program, I obtained specific and mindful feedback from our faculty and especially from my peers and cohort participants about our own behaviors in groups, teams or as individuals, and I used this feedback to improve my performance at work, in my social life and at home.

Q: How do you feel the program has prepared you for your future career and professional goals?

Soles: In my opinion, ODKM students are good at recognizing different learning and working styles of people in organizations; by engaging in team group activities, we are able to understand our similarities and respect our differences in workplace environments, which allows us to develop better work practices and increase effectiveness and efficiency in our organizations.

Silvia Villacampa,  Stylus Correspondent