What went well?

The progress I made; what was achieved and done

The second week is still an inspiration week. On Monday, we had our first kick-off meeting with the organization that we work with. My teammates and I went to Huerto Roma Verde (HRV), a local socio-ecological organization promoting sustainability. We listened to the organizer Paco’s speech about his philosophy and know more about the challenges that HRV faces now. We then set up an internal team meeting to brainstorm some ideas for helping HRV promote sustainable tourism and attracting more visitors. On Wednesday, we attended a firm visit to Rennueva, a recycling center in Mexico. We were guided to know how recycling works there and took many pictures (Image 1).  The next days, we worked in HRV again and completed user personas. We also met the volunteers who will join us and we were really impressed by their enthusiasm and skills.

                                                     Image 1: Rennueva recycling workplace

What could have been done differently?

Things that did not get done and/or could be changed

Next week, we need to collect more responses from the questionnaire and complete user mapping journey with the help of volunteers.

What did I learn about myself when working with others?

Contributions, behaviours and values I exhibited

While working with others, I learn more about myself.  I found that I am an action-oriented person. I prioritize translating ideas into tangible actions and achieving visible results. I usually establish clear and specific goals firstly and develop detailed action plans outlining necessary steps. I firmly believe in taking actions over mere talk. I overcome worries and fears, courageously take the first step, and maintain momentum until the task is completed.

What did I learn about leadership?

Leadership attributes and insights I developed

I think that the leaders are responsible for making decisions that impact their team. They should gather ideas from each member, analyze options, consider the potential consequences and then make informed decisions in a timely manner.

What do I want to develop or focus on next?

What I still need to develop 

The effective communication with team members and volunteers is necessary. Language barrier is still the main challenge for us, but thankfully, most of volunteers can speak a little bit English. We are striving for working on the same project with high quality communications.