We know that a lot of people might think, ‘it’s easier to work on my own’ or ‘other people are unreliable.’ Contrary to those beliefs, the people in your team are your greatest assets. When we were accepted into the Accounting and Financial Management program at the University of Waterloo, to be honest, we were afraid of not knowing anyone in our classes—but then we were introduced to our SAF Crew. When we first met, it was awkward because we were strangers. But then, as the term progressed, we got to know each other and became more comfortable working together as a team. This allowed us to collaborate better in group projects, rely on each other if we needed help, and keep us on track all year.
Crews have taught us that working in a team is a must for the future. In our careers, we’re going to be assigned projects where we'll need to collaborate with others. Our Crew has helped us develop the necessary attributes of an effective team player, and has helped us grow as individuals. Because of the different people and perspectives, we are introduced to, we are able to learn different aspects of ourselves that we may not have seen before.
The next time that you’re working in a group setting, take it as a learning opportunity. You never know what you can learn from people you haven’t met.
Individuals perform better and get more from their experiences when they are supported by a group of their peers. That’s why learning teams are used at Columbia Business School, work teams are used at Google, and training teams are used by Olympians. SAF Crews are groups of 5-6 students that support each other through the first year SAF experience. Crew members build strong working relationships with each other, attend events together and support each other’s professional awareness and academic success.