From Clinical Trial Assitant to Clinical Operations Manager

In my prior role as a CRA, I worked at sites across the US, and I traveled most weeks for about 5 years. Given the US is quite diverse in acceptance or tolerance of LGBTQIA+ individuals, I felt a lot of risk of being open or honest in any conversations about my family or personal life in general. When I married in 2018 and people would ask to see a photo of our wedding, I worried about potential reactions or consequences of sharing a photo of me and my wife.

When I moved into my current role as a manager, I realized that I could try something different. I’ve come to realize that I had expensed so much energy (whether or not I was always aware) to censor my words or redirect the topic. Up until recently, I think I spent a lot of time trying to make small talk while also avoiding half the conversation.  Now I choose to be more authentic in my conversations and connections, and in turn I’ve found that I can create a lot of positive things that are really energy giving. I definitely feel that there is room to have authentic conversations about my family.

When I am not worried about what someone’s next question will be, I can listen a bit more and is a way that I can show care and respect for the other person. It is an invitation as well for the other person to engage and I hope that someone else may feel a bit more comfortable in bringing their own perspective and strengths.