I have always been drawn to teamwork, as it allows me to forge connections with others. I regularly participated in group activities and team sports when I was an adolescent, and enjoyed doing so. That enjoyment has now taken me to where I am as a young adult, however there have been times where I haven’t always preferred teamwork, and those are the times of confrontation. 

When I was in elementary school and had to work within my school’s “EcoClub” I came to understand that I needed my whole team to achieve our collective goals. In the context of the EcoClub, I worked in a team to pick up garbage and recyclable materials around my school, and saw the impact it had on my fellow peers. From that point I have learned to cherish collaboration as an opportunity to work in high functioning teams and get things done. 

Looking back at that time now, I realize there was a missing piece of teamwork that I hadn’t mastered, and that was dealing with confrontation. And it showed up in subtle to not so subtle ways, ranging from small disagreements to full blown arguments. 

In these instances I responded negatively. Many times I thought these comments were personal attacks and not fair criticisms. And, I operated on the belief that confrontation is bad and silent disagreement is better. Eventually, through learning how to deal with these experiences I was able to speak my mind which made me notice I was able to foster deeper connections with my teammates which led to better teamwork and the results I wanted. 

My transformation into being comfortable with criticism has taken shape through various academic and extracurricular projects. And I have had the ability to reconcile the two and strike a balance between consensus and challenging viewpoints, or dealing with my viewpoint being challenged. Now I would say that I am able to take criticism of my ideas more constructively and efficiently, which has built my personality and ability to pivot when things get tough in a group setting.

Both of these varying experiences have allowed me to transform. From the shy kid in elementary who did not want confrontations, to the person I am today who relishes both experiences. This journey is at the heart of my discovery of New Territory, as I have grown into someone who wants to join a firm which prides itself on no idea being a “bad” one and encourages differing viewpoints. That is why you should be excited to work with me, as I will channel this ability to work in effective teams which will help your business grow!