OMAHA, BABY!

In this Issue:

• OMAHA, BABY!
• The idea of teamwork in college

Editor’s note: I am on PTO, so I wrote the bulk of this post last week and pre-scheduled it, but HOLY MOLY, WE ARE GOING TO OMAHA IN THE COLLEGE WORLD SERIES! I added some brief details below; more to come once I am back in the office.

OMAHA, BABY!

Mr. Daily Deac is a die hard baseball guy (and an umpire in his spare time). I can’t even come close to his level of enthusiasm, but I was nonetheless glued to our games this weekend. Wake had an unbelievable two game streak, hitting dingers at a nearly unimaginable pace. You can catch all the details of our upcoming trip to the College World Series in Omaha here.

That same page has some great 2023 Season Recap videos, and much more. So proud of our guys. GO DEACS! And as my husband always says, “I just want them to win their last game.” 😉

The idea of teamwork in college

As parents and families, you already understand the importance of equipping your Deac with the necessary skills for success. One crucial skill that holds great value in both academic and professional settings is teamwork. Depending on the classes your student takes, they may encounter group projects and other collaborative work as part of their academic life. And as students join campus organizations, they may be working on subcommittees or taking on leadership roles where they need to collaborate with others to achieve the organization’s goals.

By encouraging your student to be attentive and intentional in developing effective teamwork skills, this can help them thrive in their academics and maybe even their future career. So today let’s talk about how you can support your student in cultivating effective teamwork skills.

Encourage involvement in group projects

My ’27 Wolfpack haaaaaaates group projects. I am afraid he inherited that from me, because I did a lot of grumbling about group projects in graduate school (see my favorite group project meme below).

All humor aside, as parents and family members, we have an opportunity not to reinforce our students’ groaning or eye-rolling about group projects, and helping them see the benefit of group work: it is an opportunity to practice and refine their teamwork skills, as well as complete the assignment or task.

So if your Deac is grumpy about a group project, don’t join in the grumping, but offer perspective: encourage them to actively participate in group assignments, collaborate with their peers, and contribute their unique perspectives. Some ways group work can be more enjoyable and efficient is if the group establishes clear roles, sets goals, and fosters open communication within the team.

Emphasize active listening

Listening is a fundamental aspect of effective teamwork. Encourage your Deac to be an active listener by paying attention to others’ ideas, perspectives, and concerns. Advise them to ask questions, seek clarification, and show genuine interest in their teammates’ contributions. Active listening helps foster trust, respect, and a sense of belonging within the team – which makes group work more enjoyable.

Promote effective communication

Effective communication is vital for successful teamwork. Students should communicate clearly, concisely, and respectfully with their teammates. Advise your Deac to actively share their ideas, thoughts, and concerns – while being open to receiving feedback. Remind them of the importance of both verbal and non-verbal communication cues in conveying their messages effectively. This will also help build their diplomacy skills.

Foster collaboration and compromise

Teamwork often involves finding common ground and making compromises. Help your Deac understand the value of collaboration and encourage them to embrace diverse perspectives. Remind them to navigate conflicts constructively, foster consensus, and work towards mutually-beneficial solutions. To be a successful team, each team member needs to respect their teammates’ viewpoints and find compromises that benefit the entire team – not just to get the solution they wanted.

Develop both leadership and followership skills

Effective teamwork involves both leadership and followership. There will be times when your Deac may take on a leadership role in a group activity, and then it is appropriate if they take a more active role in guiding the team towards its goals. But we can’t all be leaders in a group – so emphasize the importance of being a supportive team member when playing a followership role. Sometimes being in a follower role is recognizing the strengths and expertise of their peers and ceding to their experience if it is greater – or as Kenny Rogers once said, you gotta know when to hold em and know when to fold em.

Closing thoughts

If your Deac, like me, tends to be a lone wolf who is quite comfortable working solo, summer might be the time to plant the seeds of getting used to group projects and group work. With some strategies on how group projects can go more smoothly, they may be better prepared for the start of the school year in August.