Thursday, April 13, 2017
Thursday, April 6, 2017
Citizenship
PowerPoint Definition: Citizenship occurs when one becomes responsibly connected to the community/society in which one resides by actively working towards change to benefit others through care, service, social responsibility, and community involvement.
My Definition: Citizenship is a sense of belonging to a community. This community could be a literal place or an intangible friend group or company. Citizenship is having a sense of invested involvement to drive the community in the way of positive social change.
So What? My experience... Here I can provide two examples both within the same organization as an observation of leadership. Within the Big Event my sophomore year, the leaders were fantastic. They ensured that all of us on committee were there for a common purpose. Not only that, but they created an atmosphere of mutual respect and friendship where we felt like we were working toward a common goal. That year I was so incredibly motivated to work toward this goal and won committee member of the year.
The following year, leadership was too results driven and not enough people driven. When leaders don't value people, they lose respect. No community is able to be built when I felt like I was on constant defense mode. What used to be a positive organization felt like a complete change of face to become a negative leadership style. As a result, I felt less motivated and disconnected from the organizations mission.
Now What? My reflection...Whenever I start working with a new team, I first try to have us all get to know one another better. When friendships form, people become accountable to each other and feel welcomed in. This belonging, or citizenship, is not only fun to create but leads to an easier team to manage. When people belong, they belong to a common purpose, and they move as a functional unit toward accomplishing a goal.
My Definition: Citizenship is a sense of belonging to a community. This community could be a literal place or an intangible friend group or company. Citizenship is having a sense of invested involvement to drive the community in the way of positive social change.
So What? My experience... Here I can provide two examples both within the same organization as an observation of leadership. Within the Big Event my sophomore year, the leaders were fantastic. They ensured that all of us on committee were there for a common purpose. Not only that, but they created an atmosphere of mutual respect and friendship where we felt like we were working toward a common goal. That year I was so incredibly motivated to work toward this goal and won committee member of the year.
The following year, leadership was too results driven and not enough people driven. When leaders don't value people, they lose respect. No community is able to be built when I felt like I was on constant defense mode. What used to be a positive organization felt like a complete change of face to become a negative leadership style. As a result, I felt less motivated and disconnected from the organizations mission.
Now What? My reflection...Whenever I start working with a new team, I first try to have us all get to know one another better. When friendships form, people become accountable to each other and feel welcomed in. This belonging, or citizenship, is not only fun to create but leads to an easier team to manage. When people belong, they belong to a common purpose, and they move as a functional unit toward accomplishing a goal.
Controversy with Civility
Microfluidics:
PowerPoint Definition: Within a diverse group, it is inevitable that differing viewpoints will exist. In order for a group to work towards positive social change, open, critical, and civil discourse can lead to new, creative solutions and is an integral component of the leadership process
My Definition: The ability to work with others knowing that everyone comes from a different background. And ultimately, being able to voice differing opinions in a healthy manner so that others are able to see your point of view. Using this diversity to solve complex problems in unique ways.
So What? My experience... Science is about discovery and the laboratory is full of people from very diverse backgrounds. The lab I work in, as an example, uses microfluidic devices to track neutrophil and eosinophil migration. This technology allows us to see the phenotype of the cells at the single cell level and can be applied to diagnose disease rapidly and for less cost than traditional methods. This technology is so interdisciplinary. Our primary investigator is a Biological Systems Engineer with a background in immunology. Our lab is housed in Biological Sciences. And we've got me (a biologist), a biochemist, a pharmacist, a mathematical modeler, and someone who is interested in veterinary medicine. So many different disciplines lead to several VERY different thought processes and we often butt heads. To keep discovery happening though, we listen to each other and learn from each other's experience. Usually this helps us get even more done by working processes differently and more efficiently.
Now What? My reflection... You can discover so much about yourself by getting out of your comfort zone. Sure, limit what you know and never talk to someone different. But, challenge yourself and talk to someone different than you and your ability to learn is limitless. By working with others, even if it gets tense, you can appreciate and implement other's ideas. This is the thinking gray concept: observe a problem, take a step back, think of all possible solutions, and implement the best one regardless of bias. Leadership can sometimes be a coexisting role and does not necessarily mean you're in charge.
PowerPoint Definition: Within a diverse group, it is inevitable that differing viewpoints will exist. In order for a group to work towards positive social change, open, critical, and civil discourse can lead to new, creative solutions and is an integral component of the leadership process
My Definition: The ability to work with others knowing that everyone comes from a different background. And ultimately, being able to voice differing opinions in a healthy manner so that others are able to see your point of view. Using this diversity to solve complex problems in unique ways.
So What? My experience... Science is about discovery and the laboratory is full of people from very diverse backgrounds. The lab I work in, as an example, uses microfluidic devices to track neutrophil and eosinophil migration. This technology allows us to see the phenotype of the cells at the single cell level and can be applied to diagnose disease rapidly and for less cost than traditional methods. This technology is so interdisciplinary. Our primary investigator is a Biological Systems Engineer with a background in immunology. Our lab is housed in Biological Sciences. And we've got me (a biologist), a biochemist, a pharmacist, a mathematical modeler, and someone who is interested in veterinary medicine. So many different disciplines lead to several VERY different thought processes and we often butt heads. To keep discovery happening though, we listen to each other and learn from each other's experience. Usually this helps us get even more done by working processes differently and more efficiently.
Now What? My reflection... You can discover so much about yourself by getting out of your comfort zone. Sure, limit what you know and never talk to someone different. But, challenge yourself and talk to someone different than you and your ability to learn is limitless. By working with others, even if it gets tense, you can appreciate and implement other's ideas. This is the thinking gray concept: observe a problem, take a step back, think of all possible solutions, and implement the best one regardless of bias. Leadership can sometimes be a coexisting role and does not necessarily mean you're in charge.
Common Purpose
PowerPoint Definition: Common purpose necessitates and contributes to a high level of group trust involving all participants in shared responsibility towards collective aims, values, and vision.
My Definition: Common purpose is the movement toward a unified goal. It takes time to "norm and storm" with those around you to get to know your followers. Only then can a goal be identified to come towards. The goal is unified so that everyone feels a sense of purpose and belonging as they work toward that goal.
So What? My experience... The first thing I did last year when I was elected president of my ASDA chapter was to sit down with my cabinet and write a mission statement. This was a wild task. I was asking everyone to agree on one simple goal "to prepare our members to become the most compeditive applicants to dental school." It had to be simple for us all to agree. In this way, in whatever we did, we worked toward that common goal. Every meeting, every group text message, every email. They all had a purpose because we established it together. Everyone truly cared and had belonging within the goal. It was our goal, not just my goal.
Now What? My reflection... When working together, you have the ability to work bigger. But, it's impossible to reach lofty goals alone. Reach high and aim even bigger. But, without your team, you limit what you can do. When rallying your team though, you have to have them buy in. The easiest way to do this is by working together on a goal so that everyone feels invested. Then, the team will work together towards a common purpose, a goal they have bought into.
My Definition: Common purpose is the movement toward a unified goal. It takes time to "norm and storm" with those around you to get to know your followers. Only then can a goal be identified to come towards. The goal is unified so that everyone feels a sense of purpose and belonging as they work toward that goal.
So What? My experience... The first thing I did last year when I was elected president of my ASDA chapter was to sit down with my cabinet and write a mission statement. This was a wild task. I was asking everyone to agree on one simple goal "to prepare our members to become the most compeditive applicants to dental school." It had to be simple for us all to agree. In this way, in whatever we did, we worked toward that common goal. Every meeting, every group text message, every email. They all had a purpose because we established it together. Everyone truly cared and had belonging within the goal. It was our goal, not just my goal.
Now What? My reflection... When working together, you have the ability to work bigger. But, it's impossible to reach lofty goals alone. Reach high and aim even bigger. But, without your team, you limit what you can do. When rallying your team though, you have to have them buy in. The easiest way to do this is by working together on a goal so that everyone feels invested. Then, the team will work together towards a common purpose, a goal they have bought into.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)