Wow—I can’t begin to express how much I enjoyed ClickerExpo this year! I feel so lucky to have been immersed in “clickerly goodness.” The presentations have been fabulous and my brain is bursting with new information.
One of my favorite parts of ClickerExpo was the tagging program. Each attendee was given a handful of raffle tickets and a few “TAG points” to watch for during the Expo. TAG points are behaviors we like to see. If we saw someone performing a TAG point, we acknowledged it and rewarded that person with a raffle ticket. At the end of each day, a ticket was drawn and both the tagger and the “taggee” associated with that ticket received a reward. Some examples of TAG points were being helpful to someone else, offering water to your dog, and praising instead of criticizing.
My favorite TAG point is saying hello to a stranger. Saying hello to a stranger is not easy for me at all. I am an introvert who does not feel comfortable in most social situations. I have a hard time initiating conversations with people I don’t know, and an even harder time talking with anyone I am in awe of —like the amazingly talented ClickerExpo speakers.
Having the TAG point “say hello to a stranger” encouraged me to introduce myself. With each introduction, I was rewarded even more by a positive experience. Everyone I talked with was warm and friendly and happy to talk to me. These interactions gave me the confidence to approach some of the ClickerExpo speakers! I was pleased to find that each one of them seemed genuinely interested in talking to me. I had no reason to be scared or intimidated.
ClickerExpo gave me the opportunity to extend myself in ways I never thought possible. Who knows? With more practice, I just may become a social butterfly!
