A Valuable Experience — #Organization
I believe that organization is the right place for many young people to start to hone their abilities and experiences while they are young. Being part of an organization is a valuable opportunity to learn about many things. We can learn to manage time, work in teams, think critically, and even many other skills that we can use in our future work!
In this article, I will share some of the experiences I have gained from organizational activities at the university. For context, I joined Bina Nusantara Computer Club (one of the student organizations at Binus University) in my first year in 2018. In the following year, I was entrusted with being the Chief Marketing Officer of BNCC and leading two teams of seven people.
My team and I are actively involved in various technology projects and events in collaboration with various well-known technology companies in Indonesia. Of course, in the scope of the organization and its various stories, I have gained a lot of valuable experience leading teams, managing people, overcoming various disagreements at meetings, and making important decisions.
I concluded my reflection with five main learnings:
Lesson #1: Creating a positive work environment!
Creating a positive work environment will yield far better results for the team members and the organization. I believe good communication between team members is essential for positive working relationships. Listen to everyone’s ideas also plays an important role in making all team members feel actively involved.
Lesson #2: It’s okay if you don’t have the perfect solution yet
The perfect solution will not always be there when it’s needed! This is what makes the organizational experience even more exciting! We are required to be able to think critically, do various validations to get the best solution at that time, not perfect but ideal to be implemented.
One thing that is also an important lesson is to focus on solutions! Implement a culture where if there is a mistake, we don’t blame each other, always focus on what solutions can be given.
Lesson #3: Always there for your friends!
It cannot be denied that in an organization, we will be faced with various challenges. In the marketing division, there are many external challenges such as dealing with clients, problematic event preparation, and various other problems faced by all team members. As a leader, I learned to always be there for them, accompany them, and discuss with them to find a solution to the problems they face.
There is an exciting story, during the preparations for the biggest annual BNCC event which should have gone offline but ended up taking place online because of the Covid-19 pandemic. During that time, I and the other event teams always held meetings for several weeks to design a virtual event concept for the annual BNCC event.
Long story short, here is the event recap -> TechnoScape 2020
We encourage each other! There is no day without not meeting. And that’s one of the things I can do to always build trust and motivation for the team.
Lesson #4: Stop micromanaging your team
Micromanaging is a hard habit to break, especially when we are faced with various situations where the results do not match what we want. In some cases, this may be important in order to ensure the quality we want to provide.
But as time went on, I began to learn that maybe the problem was not with my team, but me. Maybe the way I am giving directions is still not completely clear, or there may be team members who may need help but don’t have the courage to ask. I finally started managing the way the communication started with the manager, and the manager would communicate this to others. And I think this has a good impact, where the communication of each team member is more active, and if there are obstacles or problems it will be easier to solve.
Overall, leading a team taught me the importance of setting expectations and communication.
Lesson #5: Be a team leader, not the boss guy
I learned a lot while serving as Chief Marketing Officer, being a leader does not mean being someone who is free to order and only expect results. Being a leader, I slowly learned to know my friends personally, what methods are most appropriate for working with them, be there when they need help, and be a loyal friend to them.
Maybe for some people, being a leader is about the position, where we get a lot of credit, being the center of attention. But for me, being a leader is about being the last member of my team, being there when they have problems, and being able to make a positive impact on the whole team.
I will never forget to always appreciate all their hard work both publicly and privately. They deserve it! Because it is not about me, it’s about the team.
Concluding thoughts
Of course, there are many other experiences awaiting us! Trust me, organization is a great place to accelerate your development. More than that, you can find your second family there! Special thanks to all my teammates!
There is a lot to say, but it would be more fun to meet and tell stories in real life hahaha, soon, when this pandemic is over!
Cheers,
Giodio Mitaart
Here is some documentation of my bros and sisters at BNCC 2019/2020!
