Saturday, September 3, 2011

What’s important?

As I start school in three days, I've been asking the question “In these next two years, what skill do I most want to walk away from school with”

I thought about which things I’m most looking forward to. And I came up with a list. As all good business students do.

1. Work-terms

2. Business competitions

3. Networking

4. Study abroad

5. Getting to learn

I asked myself what do all these have in common. I landed upon teams. Work-terms and business competitions are directly involved in team efforts. Teams enable me to accelerate my learning by tapping into people who are knowledgeable about things I’m not. Studying abroad falls into that networking category – and networking is more indirectly involved in teams – it is more of a long-term commitment to building working-relationships with people, similar to the type great teams facilitate among each other.

The benefit of working in a business is getting to work with others. Others who are there to help pick you up, motivate you and push you to succeed. Teams can achieve the impossible when individuals cannot. Great teams create a tapestry of ideas that encourages free growth among individuals. Individuals can only know what they know.

I want to walk away from business school with the ability to excel in teams if nothing else.

Question of the day: What one skill do you cherish the most?

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