What went well?
The progress I made; what was achieved and done
The week went by quite uneventfully. I produced several reports on the feasibility of different event tabling strategies and their price points for Urban Minds at professional conferences, as well as creating 8 workshop plans for Ontario's revised Grade 9 geography curriculum. In addition, I wrote up a debrief report on the results of the pop-up booth at Waterloo Park's Day of Play event, detailing what could have gone better and what revised tabling strategies went well.
However, the focus this week culminated in the project finale: the execution of the 1UP Leaders Lab, a two-day conference for high-school students! During these two days, I was mainly producing photo and video content for Urban Minds' promotional content, but I was also responsible for facilitating design discussions amongst our participants, participating in industry Q&A panels, and ensuring the safety of our participants during events. Although I felt unprepared to lead design discussions, I was relieved that I was able to provide insights on design and was able to help lead discussions to a more advanced conversation in terms of urban design.
What could have been done differently?
Things that did not get done and/or could be changed
I was in charge of an icebreaker on Day 2, but communications between me and other MCs were misconstrued due to little collaboration in advance because I was working on many unrelated projects before working on the Leaders' Lab on the 17th and 18th. Due to this, I did not properly set up my icebreaker game before the day started, and had to delay several minutes to set up the game. In addition, the game being bingo trivia was extremely difficult as I didn't account for the amount of knowledge that students might not know about Toronto. If I could have done it again, I would have made trivia much easier.
In addition, I found it challenging to work with some students across a language barrier. Some participants were fresh arrivals from mainland China, who did not speak English very well. As much as I wished that my knowledge of Mandarin were stronger, it was a challenge to keep others in the design group that I was assigned to in the loop. I had to do my best to play translator for a set of complicated ideas, but failed due to my language incompetence. However, I was thankfully very lucky to have another participant who was better at Mandarin than I was, which helped communication and teamwork immensely. If they were not there, I could have changed things by asking to swap with another facilitator who might be more knowledgeable in Mandarin, or being more encouraging when it comes to asking people to communicate in English. In terms of communications and fostering teamwork, there's still a long way to go!
What did I learn about myself when working with others?
Contributions, behaviours and values I exhibited
From working with others, I learnt that I had become more proactive and responsible than I was originally at the beginning of my placement. During the event, I did my best to take on responsibility and help out others in need of assistance by walking around and asking. I also helped to take on beyond my expected responsibilities during setup by gathering help to unload and load supplies, as well as direct others to take on tasks. From this, I learnt that I have the ability to delegate tasks, make things happen, and make effective decisions in complex environments!
What did I learn about leadership?
Leadership attributes and insights I developed
After 6 weeks, I've learned that there's still a lot of lessons on leadership that I have yet to cover. I’ve discovered that leadership is not just about directing people (which is more about management). Instead, true leadership involves fostering teamwork, ensuring effective communication, and being proactive.
I’ve come to understand that a leader’s role is to inspire and guide a team, rather than simply directing tasks. Effective communication is crucial for aligning everyone towards a common goal and ensuring that each team member feels heard and valued. Teamwork is at the core of leadership, as it requires collaboration, trust, and the ability to bring out the best in each individual. Proactivity, on the other hand, means anticipating challenges, taking initiative, and being ready to adapt to changing circumstances.
Through this experience, I've begun to grasp the importance of leading by example, supporting others in their roles, and creating an environment where the team can thrive together.
What do I want to develop or focus on next?
What I still need to develop
In my last meeting with my supervisor, he gave me constructive feedback on how to improve my performance in professional environments. This mainly included references to my timeliness, which I agreed could be improved upon in the future. I need to make stronger commitments to my time and effectiveness, as well as work on being more punctual. However, I am glad that the Laidlaw Programme allowed me to grow in terms of leadership, interpersonal skills and professional competence. Thank you for all your support!