Teams ~ Levels 2-4
My employment as an Orientation Peer Assistant (OPA) for two academic years form Spring 2016-Spring 2018 greatly developed my leadership skills while working with a team of leaders. The first staff activity was a leadership exploration quiz where I was able to recognize that I was in the minority of order and planning focused leader (Level 2) as opposed to my co-workers who highly valued emotional connections and the “flow” of a daily schedule. The orientation programs all had schedules and expectations of the staff to connect personally with students and parents attending the programs while adhering to those schedules. I was able to develop personal connections with student and parents alike, but still preferred to organize materials and schedule when paired with a sociable co-worker that preferred to lead discussions and activities (Level 3). Our staff of 20 OPAs worked well because of our recognition that we were all hired because of our leadership abilities as well as our drive to show incoming students that MSU can be home for them. When our well-oiled machine seemed to stumble was when too many of us stepped up to take the lead. We were able to get back on track when members recognized when one member may be better suited for the task and allow them to step forward.
My personal leadership philosophy of organization and order has developed to recognize when a situation may warrant more fluidity than rigidity in its structure, but my overarching goal is to make others feel welcome. I believe that listening to group member input can create a sense of community and belonging between its members (Level 4). The initial exchange of ideas allows me to efficiently organize future activities or predict roles that may best fit group preferences and adapt my role accordingly. In my future career as a teacher, my leadership style will lead to me emphasizing personal relationships early to better facilitate my math content throughout the semester. When interacting with other professionals, I can more readily acknowledge when others are better suited to roles from my OPA experience and participate in groups no matter the role that is needed.
OPA Reflection 2016-2017
My employment as an Orientation Peer Assistant (OPA) for two academic years form Spring 2016-Spring 2018 greatly developed my leadership skills while working with a team of leaders. The first staff activity was a leadership exploration quiz where I was able to recognize that I was in the minority of order and planning focused leader (Level 2) as opposed to my co-workers who highly valued emotional connections and the “flow” of a daily schedule. The orientation programs all had schedules and expectations of the staff to connect personally with students and parents attending the programs while adhering to those schedules. I was able to develop personal connections with student and parents alike, but still preferred to organize materials and schedule when paired with a sociable co-worker that preferred to lead discussions and activities (Level 3). Our staff of 20 OPAs worked well because of our recognition that we were all hired because of our leadership abilities as well as our drive to show incoming students that MSU can be home for them. When our well-oiled machine seemed to stumble was when too many of us stepped up to take the lead. We were able to get back on track when members recognized when one member may be better suited for the task and allow them to step forward.
My personal leadership philosophy of organization and order has developed to recognize when a situation may warrant more fluidity than rigidity in its structure, but my overarching goal is to make others feel welcome. I believe that listening to group member input can create a sense of community and belonging between its members (Level 4). The initial exchange of ideas allows me to efficiently organize future activities or predict roles that may best fit group preferences and adapt my role accordingly. In my future career as a teacher, my leadership style will lead to me emphasizing personal relationships early to better facilitate my math content throughout the semester. When interacting with other professionals, I can more readily acknowledge when others are better suited to roles from my OPA experience and participate in groups no matter the role that is needed.
OPA Reflection 2016-2017