Communication
As a Communication major, the act of communicating is something that comes natural to me, and is one of my top strengths. Communication is essential in any organization, and even more essential to the LEAD Office. I learned that working with a team means that you need to communicate more, because holding each other accountable is a key to successful operation.
I was really surprised at the level of communication that was evident throughout the office. We opened every meeting with our ‘roses and thorns’ which basically allowed to foster open communication within the group. This also opened the door into each other’s personal lives, and allowed us to understand each other more. These communication activities along with the open communication that flowed within the office allowed us to strengthen our relationships in the office, and build trust within one another. The open communication also allowed us to learn how to effectively communicate with others. I grew in my professional communication as well, by drafting emails to different organizations and keeping those professional lines of communication open with each other.
I learned that communication was not necessarily rooted in personal communication, but also in checking in to make sure that things were getting done, and that we were executing our to-do lists. There were some bumps in the road with communication, especially in the beginning since we were a new team; However, we were able to come to communicate more effectively once we realized that we all had different communication styles. Being in the LEAD Office has taught me to be more intentional in the things that I do, to always be cognizant of how others may be feeling, and to develop a more adaptable communication style.