Amy Lombardo's 13 Best Practices

Amy Lombardo's Best Practices

1. Follow up with confirmation a few days before our call time to double
   check. Have a buffer of time if possible on either side of scheduled time
   in case Correspondent may have a slow internet connection or a hard time
   getting to her computer on time. For example, my correspondent and I use
   yahoo chat to talk, and I can have that feature active on my computer
   while I wait for her to arrive online. Meanwhile, I can be doing other
   work while I wait for her. This was helpful last time as it took her
   longer than expected to get online, and I had to wait a little longer to
   get started. When she finally did get online, we still had a little window
   of time to chat in because I added a buffer zone.




2. Confirm with my correspondent when she is usually online, how often she
   checks email, etc. And let her know how often I check email, etc. It's
   good to have a sense of their schedule so you know when and how often she
   checks her mail. If I know she only checks email every other day, I won't
   worry if I don't hear from her for a couple of days.




3. Leave my yahoo chat feature on even during my regular email time, in
   case of a chance I might catch my correspondent on there at an unscheduled
   time. A little spontaneous hello never hurts!




4. Stay abreast of what the correspondents are doing in their training
   thus far so I know what my correspondent is working on at the present
   moment. Similarly, I read through all my correspodent's posts on her
   worldpulse profile and comment on them when I can.




5. Exercise compassion and patience as things may take longer in terms of
   general correspondence and will require extra adaptability in areas where
   technology might be a challenge. Remember, many of these women are in
   positions where they have to do this on the "down low," and part of their
   training might just be learning how to carve out time safely in their day
   to have access to this new way of expressing their voice.




6. When dealing with challenge of trying to establish rapport via online,
   I found it's helpful to have done my "homework" before I talk to my
   correspondent. I make sure I have read all of her posts and the comments
   people wrote on them. I also familiarize myself with what she's learning
   in the program this week so I know what she's working on. I find it can
   break the ice better to ask specific questions rather than general. For
   example, "I loved your idea about such and such. What was your inspiration
   for that?" Versus "How do you like the program so far?"




7. Share helpful resurces if you know any that might support your
   correspondent and her work. My correspondent inquired about some of the
   relaxation techniques I use in teaching yoga. So, I directed her to a few
   websites where she can download some breathing exercises for herself.




8. Take time before each call to clear your mind and set an intention.
   Don't force the relationship or let expectations of it looking a certain
   way drive you to act in an inauthentic way. Trust this process. We are
   all women, and as different as we may appear, we are all quite similar at
   our core. Trust that this will work out beautifully if you stay present to
   the intention of being the witness and not get carried away with
   expectations.




9. Exchange photos of each other. A picture is worth a thousand words and
   can increase the intimacy and build connection.




10. Don't be afraid to share your vulnerabilities around this process. We
    are all human, and I think it's a nice ice breaker to say "Hey, I am
    probably just as nervous as you!"




11. When in doubt about what kind of support they need, just ask!!!!




12. Suggest that you co-create a communication plan for each week and
    evaluate as you go.




13. Remember this is a pilot program, and if you have suggestions,
    thoughts, concerns, bring them up to Jennifer or Gail. We're in this
    together.