Growing up in a home of six children where I am the 5th child with 5 brothers, I grew up having a lone wolf mindset. Both in issues in my personal and professional life, that centered around projects and planning. I felt that was the fastest way of getting things done, especially when they were time-sensitive.
Imagine my surprise when I head that 60% of my total score would come from group assignments. Since joining LBS in January 2022, my group and I have done several group assignments and class work together. And the experience has been wonderful, thanks to my dynamic and awesome group members. Who have certainly cured me from the Lone Wolf I used to be to an active Team Member.
Teamwork skills will serve you well in your future career, but it is also extremely beneficial during your time in school. Regardless of what program you’re enrolled in, teamwork skills will likely be incorporated in your coursework and could go a long way in helping you excel academically. It’s time to stop dreading group work and leverage these opportunities to hone a valuable skill set.
Working on the Corporate Financial Accounting (CFA) Capstone project, my group members and I, under the leadership of our Group President, avoided negative group outcomes by making communication his number one priority. We agreed on each member taking up tasks based on our work experience and expertise. And assigning deadlines for deliverables and expected outcomes for each task. This strategy created an opportunity for us to learn openly and to offer valid criticism when needed. It also helped us save lots of frustration, and even costly mistakes. Because it improved the outcome of our Capstone project because we able to draw upon each other’s unique strengths. This ability, of seeking the expertise of each other, will not only serve us well in our academic pursuits, but also throughout our individual career.
Although some jobs depend less on teamwork than others, the uses for collaborative skills in a career are still applicable and nearly endless. Since the outside of school, the working world is all about communicating with other people.