This week was packed with challenges, especially in terms of a higher workload and a significant majority of online work, but the outcome was highly rewarding. I successfully managed to dive deep into the Candy Cane Initiative, planning a day-to-day calendar for September, replete with contextually apt guidelines in Spanish. Despite the language barriers, I managed to conceptualize and devise Spanish content and hashtags, a feat that was appreciated by my peers and superiors alike. This feedback was especially uplifting given the cultural nuances and norms attached to Spanish content on social media platforms.

Further, I am proud to have crafted comprehensive guidelines for our partnering businesses, elucidating how they can bolster both our Candy Cane Initiative and their brand image. It wasn't just about handing them a guide; I also gave them image examples, essentially making the whole process as user-friendly as possible.

The week brought with it the realization that a significant portion of my work in the coming weeks would be online or from home. While I valued the flexibility, the tangential disconnect from the main team was palpable. I had envisioned being a part of in-person brainstorming sessions and team huddles, but especially with the language barriers,  I had to find the beauty and benefits of working from a cafe, craving that team synergy in our in-person meetings, meet-ups, and virtual meetings/messages.

Navigating language barriers this week taught me resilience and adaptability. I learned that effective communication isn't just about speaking a common language but about the drive to connect and find common ground. Turning to softwares like Google Translate or consulting fluent Spanish-speaking friends weren't just workaround solutions; they reflected my commitment to the team and the project. Gratitude became my driving force, especially when I recognized the team's incredible patience and willingness to accommodate an English speaker so integrally.

Leadership, as I've come to understand this week, isn't merely about guiding a team. It's about being solution-oriented, resourceful, and adaptable to challenges. The leadership attribute I treasured the most was my ability to take feedback, learn from it, and implement changes. My interactions with my boss, who consistently provided feedback, were instrumental in shaping my perspective on leadership. It's not about how well you lead when the going is smooth, but how you navigate the bumps and still inspire confidence in your team, when for example, organizational circumstances/preferences required me to work from home in a flexible arrangement on occasions.

Moving forward, I want to further hone the skills I've acquired over the past three weeks. While I've made improvements in understanding and producing Spanish content, I believe there's significant room for growth. Additionally, I aim to leverage new technologies and take initiative to  introduce this to the organization, especially for email campaigns (ie. using MailChimp).  The potential of paid advertising and organic promotion on FESOCE's main social media platforms is vast, and I want to explore how best I can support that by taking initiative and providing my personal ideas in a humble and open way to the team. 

As the week unfolded, I found that even in the realm of digital campaigns and social media, local context matters immensely. The process of auditing various brands, finding translations, and ensuring that they align with the ethos of our organization was both enlightening and humbling. The local businesses, in their endeavor to support our cause, presented a unique learning experience. Designing promotional ideas for them was not just about propagating our initiative, but also about understanding their brand and how they could simultaneously benefit. This reinforced the symbiotic essence of partnerships. 

As days rolled on, other tasks, from routine documentation to technical assistance, showcased the diverse range of responsibilities in making an organization like this run. Reflecting upon the attributes I've developed, the importance of teamwork, adaptability, and resilience stands out. Working in a multicultural setup, away from the comfort of my native language and familiar surroundings, is still daunting. But it unveiled layers of my own character, emphasizing the importance of continuous learning in leadership.