Tier 2
Tier 2 of BHLP focuses on group leadership by teaching how to work on a successful team and partnering students with nonprofits to complete a group project. I had the pleasure of being partnered with the Wilmington Green Box.
Despite not being able to complete our project and build the urban garden because of the start of the pandemic, the project still taught me so much. We were partnered with the Wilmington Green Box, a nonprofit that provides jobs and teaches entrepreneurship to youth in Wilmington while supplying the community with healthy produce. I was able to put my strengths to use and function as a project manager on our team. This involved organizing documents, making sure we followed our project timeline, and holding the team to high standards. Everyone on our team worked to their strengths and was always prepared to give 110% which allowed us to be very successful. We were able to quickly bond and work our way up to the performing stage of team development. This positive team experience set a precedent for all the future teams that I did and will work on.
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Even though we were not able to put all of our plans into action, the work we did was not wasted since some of the team members continued working with the Wilmington Green Box the next year. The work we completed and our biggest takeaways are highlighted in our final presentation.
My Strengths
Tier 2 provided me with my first serious group work experience that taught me infinitely more about working in a successful group than every group project I had been part of before. I learned the importance of open communication, constructive criticism, a good team dynamic, and how to trust team members to get work done using their strengths. As shown below, my strengths from both StrengthsQuest and Strengths and Shadows tend to be more strategic. This matches with my true colors of gold, green, and orange. Learning about group work in Tier 2 and getting hands-on experience taught me to rely on others to do the things I struggle with like use their skills such as those that tend to be more relationship based.
StrengthsQuest
Achiever
There is no other strength that I would have picked as my top one. The achiever is someone who works hard, has good stamina, and is satisfied with being busy and productive. In four years, I have been highly involved in a wide variety of organizations that have kept me very busy. I am constantly doing something and I wouldn't have it any other way. In all my work, both in and out of classes, I work hard and give everything my full attention to complete each task to the best of my ability.
StrengthsQuest
Competition
The competitor measures success and progress against other things and strives for first. When it comes to competition, I use it to my advantage. This strength clearly comes out in volleyball where I always shoot for first and will lay everything out to reach that goal. However, it is also evident in other aspects of my life such as in projects. Engineering senior design ends with awards for top projects which added an extra level of motivation to put as much time and thought into the project as possible.
StrengthsQuest
Analytical
Having the analytical strength is beneficial as people are ready to dig deep and think through all factors of a situation and look for causes. I have found that this strength helps me in almost everything I do. When Peer Mentoring, I use it to get to the bottom of an issue when helping a student work through an issue. In engineering, this is one of the first steps of the design process. Generally, any problem that presents itself in any of my activities, I can look at a problem as a whole and think through it to find a solution.
Strengths and Shadows
Monarch
The monarch is very reliable, decisive, organized, and good with time management. This allows me to excel in leadership positions such as project manager for EWB where I am responsible for making important decisions, keeping the project on track, and making sure all parts of the project are being completed correctly.
Strengths and Shadows
Expert
The expert is systematic, rational, an analytical thinker, informed, and logical. As an engineering student, this benefits me greatly when working on projects and assessing the feasibility of designs. I can picture various solutions and think through all the pros and cons of each to eventually move forward with the best.
Strengths and Shadows
Mentor
The mentor is disciplined, has high standards and strong values, and is constantly seeking self improvement. In my daily life, I try to live by my values and hold myself accountable to my goals. It also shows in roles like my eboard position in my sorority where I always send out feedback forms on how to improve future events.
There are always things that come along to oppose your strengths and to challenge you or your group. For me, these are very much intertwined as my saboteurs, described below, posed a challenge in working with a group. In every group project I have been on, including the Wilmington Green Box, there has been some type of conflict. Sometimes the source of the conflict is someone else, something not going as expected, or even from myself as my saboteurs try to take control. In all cases, open communication is always the best fix. Through openly talking about the issue and addressing it in a non-confrontational way, a conversation can begin about how to take the situation. During this conversation the team can reflect back on the purpose of the project and why everyone wants to be part of it. This is something that I have implemented in every group project I have been on since tier 2.
Strengths and Shadows
Tyrant
The tyrant dislikes disorganization and becomes a know-it-all when disagreed with. This is something that stresses me out in group projects and I have to dial back. To work through it, I often take a step back, have a deep breath, and remember that a team is about teamwork so having an open discussion about strengths and roles is ideal.
Strengths and Shadows
Know It All
The know-it-all is triggered when people make more emotional decisions or disagree with you. When I notice this happening, I take a step back and remind myself that one of the best parts of working on a team is having all different types of viewpoints in ideas and that will only make us more successful in the end.
Strengths and Shadows
Critic
The critic is brought out when working with people with lower standards or worth ethic than you. I like to start all projects with a conversation on team expectations that we can all look back on and use as a guide throughout the length of the project to help avoid situations that may draw out this shadow.
