Versatility with a Pinch of Style

I love to cook! In fact, along with gardening and taking care of my animals, preparing tasty meals for my family and friends is one of my greatest passions. As a young girl I received my first cooking lessons from my father, who was quite the chef. I recently realized, yet again, how great of a gift this was.

The other day I prepared a pastry for everyone here at TRACOM, and one of my colleagues was complaining that he can’t cook very well. I asked him a couple of questions to get at the heart of the problem.

Do you own a cookbook?” No.”

Have you ever taken a cooking class? “No.”

Is there anything you can cook? “Well, sometimes spaghetti is on the menu.”

When you make spaghetti, do you at least add some spice to the sauce? “Does parmesan count as a spice?”

You get the point. Now I don’t want to embarrass this person so I’ll leave him nameless, but he happens to be our research director. I was a little surprised, but then again I’ve been cooking since I was a child, and practicing common recipes for years. But there’s more to it than just reading a cookbook and following the recipes word for word. After all, Julia Child and Wolfgang Puck have unique styles of cooking. So even though I was surprised that this person isn’t comfortable in the kitchen, the truth is, if he’s never put any effort into learning the basics of cooking, then how could he possibly know how to make a soufflé?

We’ve written blogs discussing how Versatility is a skill that needs to be practiced and reinforced over time. But this doesn’t mean it’s the same for everyone. There is always a little “Style spice” thrown in the mix. When I’m interacting with my co-workers, I can communicate effectively with them and get the job done, but I never simply follow the recipe for how to do this. Instructions are only a guideline; my SOCIAL STYLE always shines through. So remember, Versatility is important, but your Style spices things up a little!

Can you guess what my SOCIAL STYLE is?

About Julia Brodess

Julia serves as Digital & Content Marketing Manager for TRACOM. She enjoys creation of content and keeping up with the latest trends. When she's not writing or hiking, you'll find her baking something sweet while chugging re-heated coffee.

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