Dates: June 12- June 16
Organization: Youth Work Ireland
Days Until Our PRIDE Event: 8 (Saturday, June 24)
Please see my reflection below:
1) What went well? The team as a community has continued to thrive and to cultivate a fun, welcoming environment. My major accomplishment this week occurred as I booked our ice cream vendor for the upcoming PRIDE event. Additionally, I contributed to our PRIDE decoration project, helped organize several storage rooms, and I continued to engage with local vendors.
2) What could have been done differently? My big takeaway this week is one that I did not expect: When working with a labor-intensive project, always take inventory of every available tool/ piece of equipment. I was tasked with putting up PRIDE decorations, and I was not informed until half-way through my project that our team did in fact have access to a ladder. Before that, I had been completing some strange parkour moves to hang the flags! So yes- always check the equipment inventory as it allows for safer and more effective action.
3) What did I learn about myself when working with others? I have been talking pretty extensively about community care in this space my past two reflections, and my positive thoughts on this value remain true! One thing I realized this week, however, is the importance of self check-ins and self-time throughout the work week and work day. Just as I love community and peer engagement, I also deeply value time to reflect, to rest, and to reprioritize my work. Thus, I am developing a good balance between team engagement and independent recovery. This balance makes me a more effective team member and individual.
4) What did I learn about leadership? When things go astray, always take a deep breath. I have continued to write about my supervisor's great leadership approaches, and I continue to learn wise pieces of advice from her actions. This week, whenever something went awry, she would take a deep breath, step back, and lead our team in delegation and re-prioritization. I found this caring act to be calming, effective, and affirming of our team's safe space to ask questions, make mistakes, and propose ideas.
5) What do I want to develop or focus on next? My primary goal: Show up and show out. We have one final week until the big PRIDE day! I will take the action and rest that I need to ensure that I can arrive to work everyday with a sustained energy and an eagerness to contribute. This includes both time in the office and out of the office. With this balance, I can feel confident in my ability to contribute to the team.