Little snippets

Back in my last life (read pre-uni) I was a dental nurse. I was at a surgery that now seems quite old school. We did things in an old fashioned way. A large part of my chair side job was bringing patients into the room, setting them up in the chair, and chatting with them until the dentist came in. When I first started I thought the reason I was tasked with this was so my boss could make a grand entrance. Over time I discovered what I actually was doing was building a rapport with the patient, forming a relationship with them. It was such a valuable tool, I was able to learn things that they may not mention to the dentist (although he was very good at doing this). It gave me a tool for excellent communication. I was able to translate dentist speak, tailoring it to the patient so they could understand, and also communicate back to the dentist their needs. It also helped me advocate for the patient when I felt they needed it

The upcoming interview I have with a strategic communicator has me revisiting this time at the moment. I have spent a lot of time thinking about some of the amazing and at times heart breaking stories I would be so privileged to hear sitting next to that chair. You see we didn't just talk dental talk. We formed real relationships where nothing was off limits. I was able to hear little snippets into peoples lives that you don't ordinarily get to hear about, from a diverse group of people. I learnt of families ups and downs, of life in the boardroom, wonderful travel stories, some heartbreaking wartime stories. What a privilege. I remember thinking at the time that I would always love to hear more, and that I would love to write them down. 

I am a little nervous about interviewing someone formally, but I am trying to remember that actually I have done this thousands of times before, and to toot my own horn (which I rarely do) I am good at this. (Thanks TC for giving me this amazing gift of learning to really listen to people). 

I hope I can do my interviewees little snippets justice, and I am really looking forward to listening to them.