APORIA with Anne de la Croix: Mapping the grey areas and resisting the skillification of being human

Julie and Casey sit down with Anne de la Croix to talk about soft skills, making unmeasurable things visible, and how to use extrovert powers for good in meetings so all voices get heard.  

 

TOP TAKEAWAYS:

• Language is more than the words we pronounce: it is shared connections, context, body language, and can be used to create connection.
• The "skillification" of concepts like empathy creates teaching pathways that don't work. Some ideas need to be taught experientially. Soft skills are human skills.
• What people talk about at meetings isn't always what the meeting is about: often there are layers beneath of what is really going on between people, and the hidden subtext, wants and intentions.

Join us Thursday December 2nd at noon ET OR noon PT for THE POWER AUDIT, a 90-minute workshop where we'll check in with our definitions of power and give you mental, physical, emotional, and social tools to feel more powerful right away in any situation. Get your tickets here.

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Anne de la Croix has a background in linguistics and educational sciences. She works as assistant professor at the Faculty of Medicine, Vrije Universeit Amsterdam. Anne is fascinated by the way we try to teach medical students 'unmeasurables' such as reflection, empathy, communication, and professional identity formation. She is worried about  'skillification' of elusive and unmeasurable concepts, and believes the antidote to this trend lies in activities that celebrate amibuguity: comparing contrasting experiences, using the arts, embracing 'aporia' (yeah, you can look that one up). Outside of the University, Anne can be hired as 'conversational pyromaniac', to facilitate group discussions.

• Website: www.annedelacroix.com
• More Content from Anne:
  • "How to Grow a Professional Identity"
  • The Reflective Zombie – about reflection becoming a tick-box exercise