Group assignments, individual assignments, group presentations, and individual exams. As second-year students, we are more than familiar with these terms. Group assignments however have very different reputations among students. They either cause excitement due to less individual work, or the opposite since ultimately one person often ends up with more tasks than others. In scenario number two, group assignments are more of a cause for concern and then falsy educate on the importance of teamwork.
During my internship, I have come to realize, even more, how crucial internal communication really is. At my organization, one will hardly ever work on a project all by themselves. The work and content produced have to go through various departments before being handed over to the client. Colleagues discuss, evaluate and idealize work together, in order to offer the best products and services possible to their clients. Since internal communication and solid teamwork are such crucial factors at Content Fleet, the well-being of employees has an equally high value within the firm. Once a week, colleagues of the Social Media team come together for a fifteen-minute scheduled meeting. The meeting is included in the work time and carries the name ‘coffee break’. During this meeting, the team comes together for a coffee, either at the office or joins via teams, and communicates.
When I first started my internship, I was happy to see how well everyone not only gets along but also works- and communicates together. I now do believe that having these get-together meetings where work is not the central topic, contributes greatly to the work atmosphere. What I have come to like especially, is the balance between professionalism and comfort that employees seem to have within the firm. Whether the managers, directors or even the CEO, at no point does anyone feel undermined.
So now, what exactly have I learned, and what exactly can I adapt in university settings? Primarily I have learned that a great internal structure produces better products. Working together, getting feedback, having others look over and prove-read your work, and even collecting ideas together will ultimately lead to a higher quality of products and services. Secondly, internal communication is key. Only through communicating issues, goals, values, and ideas openly, can a good internal work atmosphere and teamwork setting evolve. And lastly, working in an environment in which you feel comfortable, where you feel like you properly belong to the team, you are comfortable to ask questions and for guidance is such a crucial factor that should not be underestimated.