By: Gian Morrison, Greenheart Exchange Work and Travel Ambassador Scholar
If we were to scrutinize the word ‘skill’, we would realize that it simply means ‘your ability to do something well’. If I am to review my two months of working in Branson, then I can say one of the many skills that I have grasped is effective teamwork. For work to be completed and done effectively and efficiently, teamwork must be acknowledged. With a park that that contains over five amusement rides, it really takes a collective effort in order to execute a job well done.
Through teamwork, my job has helped me to fully master respect for people’s time and effort. It has also thought me that communication is a vital aspect of teamwork. Also, it taught me that it’s okay not to know how to do things. Not knowing how to execute a task doesn’t mean that you’re incapable of doing it or you’re a weak link to the team, it simply means that life is an ever learning process and it shows me that the human cycle craves for constant dependence on each other. In addition, teamwork taught me that you have to look out for each other. For example, there was a day in particular when the sun was 96 degrees Fahrenheit and we were all hot and tired outside. One of our team members wasn’t feeling well so we sent her to one of the huts to take a 5-minute break and we covered for her job. For me, that was one of my greatest achievements of the day. Also, there are other days when we would make ice bags for each other so that they could place it in their clothes to cool themselves down in the heat. My job showed me the appreciative and fun side of teamwork. By understanding the fact that we all need each other in every single aspect of our life and that exceptional work can only be recognized through the collective effort of team members, then working at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for my country in the next year will not be a problem because this is one of the skills I am looking forward to applying. This I hope will impact the lives of my future coworkers.
Are you looking to gain new skills to take your career further? Consider the Summer Work Travel program!