Problem Solving and Negotiating
Last year I was fortunate enough to take part in Leicester
University's student abroad scheme with their partner institution out
in Australia, La Trobe university. This demonstrated its own
difficulties, adapting to a new culture thousands of miles away from
the safety net of friends and family forces one to develop skills to
overcome these challenges. However I believe one of the most
beneficial obstacles I faced was in the form of a negotiation
competition. This presented me with a fantastic way to gain valuable
legal experience and help improve skills that could be advantageous
in any work place, principally problem solving, team work, and
analytical skills.
A day before me and my partner were due to appear
in front of the judging panel I was given the scenario information
including the specific party we were being asked to represent. It
involved a negotiation between a restaurant owner, and two rival
businesses. One of which was run by an ex-employee who had previously
signed a non-compete clause and the other who had allegedly stolen
intellectual property. Together with my team mate, I had to go
negotiate with 2 other teams in front of a judging panel in order to
get the best settlement for my client. The task was complicated by a
limited time in which to come to an agreement and the competing
interests of each party. Over the course of the next hour I managed
to negotiate a mutually beneficial agreement that allowed one party
to conduct business outside the immediate area and therefore not
break the non-compete clause while agreeing to pay a small fee in
order to compensate the other restaurant for the expenses needed to
modify their brand. My team eventually placed third overall in the
competition and top among the three other teams in our subgroup. I
believe this experience has greatly improved my problem solving
skills. By trying to involve the other parties as much as possible
and encourage the communication of everyone's grievances from the
beginning I fostered an environment whereby everyone was more open to
producing a solution. Furthermore I learn the benefit of trying to
instigate a non-argumentative environment was trying to solve a
disagreement. Such a mentality will only lead to parties creating
immovable stances as a result of the animosity they feel for each
other. I feel that my experiences in dispute resolution will help to
promote problem solving within a team, something that is vital in any
business orientated scenario. In the future I believe that by being
more organised I could help the team adapt better to problems with a
limited time period. Additionally, good organisation can help to
order one's thoughts more effectively and therefore one has a greater
chance to find a solution that benefits all parties rather than a
compromise whereby all parties have to loose out. Since conducting
the negotiation competition over a year ago I have found the skills I
have developed as a result becoming increasingly useful. I have
recently joined a company called HousingAnywhere where I have to try
and sell a housing platform to the university, while I have not had
much success yet I believe my problem solving, and negotiating skills
have come in useful when talking to those authority about the scheme.
Monday, 17 March 2014
Leadership and Communication
Leadership and Communication
The physical benefits of a sport are obvious, but I believe my hockey career has helped me develop mentally as well. I have come to realise that the skills I have developed on the field are directly transferable to many other aspects of my life and will continue to benefit me in whatever career path I choose. The sport also continues to provide a perfect environment to increase my skills further. I am currently in my final year of my degree and as a result am one of the more senior players in the club. This has given me a platform to use my experience of hockey to help younger players improve. This was particularly evident when I was asked to play for the Leicester university mixed second team. In the first 35 minutes our academy team had played some great hockey but unfortunately went into the break 2 goals down. Our team was not working to its strengths and were unfortunately being completely outnumbered in midfield. Having realised this, I faced the task of trying to use my knowledge of the game to determine a solution to this problem and convey it to the rest of the team in a manner that would inspire them towards a better result. All the while I had to continue to respect my role and the authority of the academy team captain.
In an attempt to solve this problem I proposed the idea of pulling more players back into midfield from attack, and playing one of the central defenders in a more defensive position. I ran the suggestion by our captain first before leading the team-talk and demonstrating both my communication and leadership skills. Additionally I took the time to talk individually with players who would be changing their position thereby confirming that they fully understood their new roles within the team. This method allowed each player to quickly adapt to our more defensive structure and focus more on the need for effective positioning. I feel that by targeting both the team as a whole and as individuals I managed to greatly improve our performance. Unfortunately we were unable to win the game but kept a second half clean sheet and reduced the deficit to but a single goal. More importantly it provided me with an important indication of how my own leadership skills can be put to good use. Furthermore it provided me with the confidence to rely on my own skills and knowledge to boost the effectiveness of those around me. By communicating my ideas in a confident and clear fashion I was able to promote a confidence in the rest of my team that pushed them to go and do better. It is this ability to inspire that is so crucial in a good leader.
In the future I would like to take on a more permanent role and play with the academy team more often. This way I would be in a position to improve my leadership skills further and develop a better relationship with the team in order to try and tailor my skills to the individuals around me. Additionally a degree of permanence would allow me to use my skills on a longer term basis, helping to improve people skills over the course of a year rather that just in a single game. Such a position would help to improve both my confidence and my organisational skills both which are vital in developing one's ability to lead.
The physical benefits of a sport are obvious, but I believe my hockey career has helped me develop mentally as well. I have come to realise that the skills I have developed on the field are directly transferable to many other aspects of my life and will continue to benefit me in whatever career path I choose. The sport also continues to provide a perfect environment to increase my skills further. I am currently in my final year of my degree and as a result am one of the more senior players in the club. This has given me a platform to use my experience of hockey to help younger players improve. This was particularly evident when I was asked to play for the Leicester university mixed second team. In the first 35 minutes our academy team had played some great hockey but unfortunately went into the break 2 goals down. Our team was not working to its strengths and were unfortunately being completely outnumbered in midfield. Having realised this, I faced the task of trying to use my knowledge of the game to determine a solution to this problem and convey it to the rest of the team in a manner that would inspire them towards a better result. All the while I had to continue to respect my role and the authority of the academy team captain.
In an attempt to solve this problem I proposed the idea of pulling more players back into midfield from attack, and playing one of the central defenders in a more defensive position. I ran the suggestion by our captain first before leading the team-talk and demonstrating both my communication and leadership skills. Additionally I took the time to talk individually with players who would be changing their position thereby confirming that they fully understood their new roles within the team. This method allowed each player to quickly adapt to our more defensive structure and focus more on the need for effective positioning. I feel that by targeting both the team as a whole and as individuals I managed to greatly improve our performance. Unfortunately we were unable to win the game but kept a second half clean sheet and reduced the deficit to but a single goal. More importantly it provided me with an important indication of how my own leadership skills can be put to good use. Furthermore it provided me with the confidence to rely on my own skills and knowledge to boost the effectiveness of those around me. By communicating my ideas in a confident and clear fashion I was able to promote a confidence in the rest of my team that pushed them to go and do better. It is this ability to inspire that is so crucial in a good leader.
In the future I would like to take on a more permanent role and play with the academy team more often. This way I would be in a position to improve my leadership skills further and develop a better relationship with the team in order to try and tailor my skills to the individuals around me. Additionally a degree of permanence would allow me to use my skills on a longer term basis, helping to improve people skills over the course of a year rather that just in a single game. Such a position would help to improve both my confidence and my organisational skills both which are vital in developing one's ability to lead.
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