Week 12: Leadership Tasks

November is here, and the finish line is starting to come into view. This comes with its own mix of feelings as we need to start wrapping up tasks and preparing our presentations for the internship showcase. Although my intern had the option not to participate, as she was doing this work voluntarily, she decided to join me regardless, for the experience and public speaking practice. Some of the most demanding leadership skills are going to start coming into play for the next few weeks, but I’m already beginning to feel the pressure of the role, and that’s, first and foremost, decision-making. In the past, I often let others determine the best direction for projects, and I followed their guidance; however, this time is different. So far this week, I have been in contact with my intern about the presentation logistics, including providing more input by sharing ideas about the flow and aesthetics. To ensure good communication and preparation, I also decided on times and dates for us to meet via Zoom and have run-throughs to feel comfortable speaking about our experiences with at least one other person before presenting them to a group.

Additionally, my intern has asked me to review her spreadsheet, which she has been working on for most of the semester. To preface, one of the main issues regarding leadership that I wanted to overcome this semester was rationalizing standards for others and not expecting perfect results all the time, as I expect from myself. Overall, I have done exceptionally well with putting this into practice and have made a point to take plenty of time to communicate and explain any issues, as well as provide numerous tips and best practices to my intern. I have especially tried to pass along anything that has helped me a great deal over the course of the two semesters, while working on spreadsheets and collaborating more closely with people from RICHES.

After reviewing the spreadsheet, I took plenty of notes and gathered tips as a reminder of the formatting and content that should be included in specific cells, as well as which ones to exclude if necessary. My hope is for her to follow through on the notes I have provided and give her the next week to correct some of the mistakes, while also writing more substantial descriptions rather than one-sentence observations. Going into next week, I will need to reevaluate her updated information, but I have decided I will continue my work on the DeBary spreadsheet instead of entirely focusing my attention on the Bumby collection.