It is hard to believe that the semester is coming to a close, and the course I have been looking forward to taking for a year is wrapping up next week. Despite not being able to participate in the trip itself, I am beyond grateful for the new friendships I made, and having the chance to complete a consulting project with an international client.
Some key lessons I learned were how to be an active listener, a better communicator, and a collaborator, and the value of these skills. About a third of the way into the course, when it was decided that I will not be attending the in-country portion of the course, I knew I would have to do my best to hone in on these skills that were discussed at length during classes.
Active listening was one skill that was talked about early on in the class. I had always considered myself a good listener but not an active one. While the group was away, this was one skill that I decided to work on. I was ready and able to do outside research for the group’s needs, speak on the phone about booking sights that I researched if they needed more information, and asses our deliverables. I made it a priority to actively listen to the group’s requests and assist in any way possible while they were participating in different excursions.
This goes hand in hand with being a better communicator. Even if I was hearing small updates, I made sure to stay engaged with the group while they were away. This also continued after the in-country portion. When we came back from spring break, we all decided on a clear schedule leading up to the presentation. I made sure to check in with everyone on their parts and allocated time to work with Colin on the section we are presenting together. Working in groups can be hard, as we discussed on Thursday, but I feel that our group has done a really great job at overcoming those barriers.
Lastly, collaboration. Our group evenly split the deliverables, but even throughout our individual sections, there is a lot of collaboration. Using active listening and communication, we were all able to collaborate smoothly, meet deadlines, and put together an amazing presentation.
There were initial nerves coming into this course not knowing all of my group members, and unsure if our work styles would mesh, but as the semester comes to a close, I now know I should not have been worried in the first place. These lessons and transferable skills are things that I had hoped to further develop in my time during this course. I was expecting to learn more about myself throughout this process, but I can confidently say that I am now a much better team player, and I look forward to the next teams I will work with. These are skills that I will also be able to talk about in interviews, and apply to other jobs I have, specifically my restaurant job. It is very easy to disregard these skills when in a fast paced environment, when maybe there is not enough time to properly apply them, but given the amount of practice I have had, I am looking forward to seeing the changes in a different professional setting.
Developing strong relationships is also a huge aspect of being successful during this course, even outside of the group. Pitt’s long-term partnership with All People Be Happy made this process very seamless. I cannot speak from direct personal experience, but using All People Be Happy as a stepping stone to connect with the staff of Nature Seekers was extremely helpful, not only for the project deliverables but also for the overall in-country experience. The group made personal connections with the staff, which, in turn, helped to have clearer communication because of an established bond. We are able to reach back out to the staff with any other remaining questions, concerns, or requests, which was used while finishing up our presentation and deciding which booking systems they prefer and/or we think are best of Nature Seekers. Continuing to communicate with them about the project after the trip also helps the relationship because it shows that our team is still very engaged, and working hard to create the best deliverables possible for their needs. When Meade Johnson came to speak to us, she highlighted the value of constantly checking in with a client, and how a common theme with unsuccessful consultants is their lack of communication and effort to build a strong relationship. This really stuck with me, and I believe our group did a great job of maintaining the relationship with All People Be Happy and the Nature Seekers team.
When asked about this program during the interview, I will have a slightly different approach to pitching myself and how I completed the project. I would begin by explaining Nature Seekers, how they came to fruition, and why they needed our assistance. I would then explain that I did not attend the in-country portion of the trip, but I was able to develop the skills mentioned above, in addition to adaptability and flexibility, due to my absence. I would finally conclude the pitch by explaining how we concluded the project with our deliverables and the implementation of our recommendations.
For the future groups, I leave you with three key pieces of advice. First, be open-minded to new experiences, people, and opinions. This will enhance your personal, academic, and professional development while you are abroad and during class discussions. Second, be prepared for anything. Travel does not always go as planned, and itineraries change. Being adaptable during programs is one of the best skills to have. Lastly, be present in the moment and with the people who you are with. The part that I envy the most from my other group members were not the excursions they had, but rather the conversations and relationships they formed while they were there.
I want to give a big thank you to my group and the GEO staff for supporting me throughout this course. I am very grateful for the opportunity, and I am excited for our final presentation!