What went well?

This week I finally got to work alongside the full KYC team after their return from Greece, which helped me feel more integrated into the organization. One small but meaningful detail was when my boss brought in his cat, Zero. I loved learning that the name came from the organization’s history of starting “from zero,” which felt symbolic of KYC’s resilience and growth.

On the project side, I had to pivot from my original plan of running youth training sessions. Because it’s summer, many students were unavailable, and schools couldn’t grant the necessary approvals. Instead, we shifted to designing an anti-bullying and inclusion mural for the municipality of Lipjan. I found this new direction exciting. It's creative, public-facing, and still deeply aligned with KYC’s mission; however, in the same breath it was a little daunting to change the entire project so quickly. Meeting with the deputy mayor to discuss permissions gave me my first taste of navigating local bureaucracy.

What could have been done differently?

The biggest challenge was following along in formal meetings, especially those heavy with policy language. While I felt more confident than I did in week 1, I still often understood the gist but not the nuance, which made me hold back from contributing. I think I could have asked for short pre-briefings from colleagues so I walked in better prepared. 

What did I learn about myself when working with others?

I noticed how much easier it is for me to engage when I can observe and learn from others in action. Seeing colleagues interact with stakeholders gave me a model for balancing professionalism with approachability, even when I don’t have the language skills to fully participate. I also enjoyed it a lot more when I was in the office with the whole team because we would often take breaks to share a laugh together!

What did I learn about leadership?

Leadership is also about adaptability. When it became clear that the training sessions weren’t feasible, the team didn’t view it as a setback but as an opportunity to redirect our energy into something equally impactful. That ability to pivot without losing momentum was a valuable lesson for me.

What do I want to develop or focus on next?

I want to keep improving my ability to engage in professional Albanian and push myself to contribute more in meetings. With the mural project, I want to learn how to balance creativity with the practicalities of getting approvals and community buy-in.