My first week at work went very smoothly and I feel as though I managed it well. I started off meeting my supervisor, Fiete, who is a great person to be working with. He is extremely personable and made me feel at ease with the new environment and even took me out to lunch. It is nice to know that I am within a small company that likes to be a little more underground; He said he enjoys being somewhat of an unsung hero in the neighborhood that connects residents and organizations without ego involved. This is exactly the work style I want to be a part of, because it seems like real genuine work for the community. This week I started by outlining my goals to Fiete and letting him know what I would like to get out of the internship. I suggested a few things that may help me extract the most out of the experience and he was on board with it all. I went right into working on a data analysis of the neighborhood we are helping – Reichenberger Kiez – which captivated me throughout the week. I looked into population, demographics, rent and issues related to the neighborhood that many residents are so adamant about fixing. The idea is that if residents and key actors understand the background to the neighborhood, everyone will be on the same page in terms of the trends that are present and how that will play out in the next few years. Fiete explained that many of the residents are not aware of the data I compiled because it’s simply not very accessible. On top of that, Fiete was even surprised by a lot of it and asked me questions regarding my findings.  This data will be presented at the energy conference that our company is hosting at our work space which is called “The bUm”. This conference will feature many different initiatives within and outside the neighborhood, as well as residents and politicians. The goal is to draft a neighborhood sustainable-energy plan and make aware to residents that there must be a specific plan opposed to initiatives doing their own separate approach.

This conference set a great goal for me, and helped to establish a set deadline for when projects needed to be finished. For example, the second day Fiete said to pause temporarily on the data analysis presentation and work on drafting invitations to the conference. This is because the word needs to be spread as soon as possible about the who, what, when and why of the plan. I prioritize this task because of course it is more necessary to knock out as the presentation can be finished later on. On a larger scale, Fiete helps me to prioritize my time simply because he knows what the priorities are in comparison to me. But that being said, within the many tasks involved in the set goals I have to prioritize myself based on what I believe is the priority. For example, within the data that I am working on exhibiting at the conference, I must make sure that I am not wasting my time on areas of little use. It is sometimes difficult to tell what might be of value and what is not, but the more I ask myself this question the better it is for me to manage time. As someone who has trouble getting bogged down in the details of things opposed to just getting what is necessary, I am continuously working on this skill. It is important for me to ask myself throughout the day: Does this advance the organization’s goals? If the answer is a definite “No” then I drop it right away and move on. If there is a gray area, which is usually not the case, that is when I ask Fiete. I do not want to consistently bother him throughout the day with minor questions, so I generally tend to decide on my own and do my best work surrounding it.  I have begun to take more ownership over my work this way which tends to help me work smarter. For me, when work feels like it’s important it feels as though time management comes naturally. Since the job in general has a purpose and I believe in the cause and feel passionate about helping out, It feels as though if I do not work purposefully it will be a waste for both me and KIEZConnect as a whole. When I get tired I push myself through it and know that I will be better equipped for tomorrow with this mindset. That being said, it has been easier here compared to in the U.S. to balance work and outside life. Everyone at the bUm work space is so laid back which helps me feel like the work is enjoyable and not a burden. I am looking forward to experiencing this sort of feeling throughout this week and the weeks that follow.