Being in a team means helping
Last weekend the Product Design Class of the Women Techsters Fellowship 2024 started our group work.
We were given a series of tasks and deliverables on Wednesday. The plan was to work on it from Wednesday through Sunday so it could be presented on Monday.
On Thursday we got on a call and started our work. We were able to pick out a problem and started creating the research plan for it.
At the end of 3 hours, we decided to take a break, study for our test, and reconvene the next day after the soft skill class.
During the soft skill class, it dawned on me that I had errands to run and may not make it to our meeting.
In fact, the rest of the weekend would be hectic and I might not even be seen in teams at all.
The easier thing would have been to send a message to our group lead with lots of complaints and crying emojis.
At the end of it, of course, she’ll let me off the hook, as understanding as she is.
However, I didn’t want to be that girl.
Missing out on the task means missing out on the opportunity to learn and be better. It also meant leaving my team hanging.
Having an extra hand always makes the work lighter. When that hand is not available, the work becomes more intense.
Also, being in a team means helping, so I chose to help in my own way.
I did some research and brainstorming. This helped me tick out most of the written tasks that were part of our project.
With what I’d done, I was able to reach out to the team lead and let her know of my unavailability.
She was glad I did something before running away for the weekend and promised to update me on the progress of the project while I was away.
On my end, I went about my weekend without a feeling of guilt, knowing I wouldn’t be watching from the sidelines during the presentation, wondering how they came up with so much.
I won’t wonder because I contributed to that beauty being presented.
It doesn’t just help other members of your team when you contribute to a team’s project. It helps you too.
What you learned from doing the task assigned to you cannot be taken away from you.
You won’t feel like that person who has nothing to offer to your team.
You’ll be happy, knowing that the success of that team is your success too.
Working on a team has been recorded to be hectic because members of the team leave the tasks for a few persons to do.
They take a step back and relax because if they don’t do it, someone else will.
This is a tempting offer. I mean, who doesn’t want to get credit for a job they didn’t do?
It’s easier to be the one who doesn’t contribute. It takes more to be the one who is available for your team.
And you know we don’t do easy things here, right?
So if you are in a team of 10, and only 3 people are showing up, I want you to promise me that you’ll be among those 3.
You will show up, and you will encourage the other 7 to show up too.
Yes, that’s a lot of work but that’s also a lot of learning.
Choose to learn and let go of ease. You will be grateful you did in a few months or years.
SHINE,
I’m Bridget.