Free You Majored in What? by Katharine Brooks Page B

to 10, how would you rank your use of the global mindset?

    If you were going to tell an employer about your strength in this area, what example(s) would you use?
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    MINDSET 7: THE COLLABORATIVE MINDSET
    The collaborative mindset can be challenging, particularly for students who have had negative experiences with teamwork in their classes. If you’ve ever been graded on a team project, you probably know what I’m referring to. Isn’t there always someone on the team who doesn’t even show up for the meetings? And doesn’t someone always get stuck doing the bulk of the work? Bad experiences with working on teams have created a mental block against teamwork for many people. In fact, teamwork often goes against the classic American mindset of rugged individualism and the romantic image of the lone hero. Consider the film Die Hard, which in 2007 Entertainment Weekly magazine voted the number one action film ever made. Bruce Willis is the lone hero and the only “teams” in the movie are the evil terrorists and the clueless police force. That is, until toward the end of the film when Bruce teams up with one lone-wolf street cop and the two together outsmart the larger groups.
    On the other hand, many of you have probably experienced good moments of collaboration: the orchestra you played in, the choir you sang in, the athletic team you were on, or the student committee you formed to change a bad policy at your school.
    Most people would agree that collaboration is a good thing. While most conflict can be boiled down to the simple question, “Why aren’t you more like me?” the collaborative mindset responds, “Sure we’re different; so how can we work together?” Good collaborators know that our thinking expands into new areas when we work with and listen to others.
    Why Would an Employer Care About Your Collaborative Mindset?
• Employers consistently list teamwork as a vital skill in their organization, regardless of the type of organization.
• Being able to work on a team is a survival skill in the workplace. Workers have to be able to communicate and work together to be efficient.
• Teams are often responsible for the development of new products, innovations, and ideas. Teamwork results in synergy, where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
• Well-constructed teams can break down “silo thinking,” the failure to take into account the opinions and needs of other groups within the organization.
• Teams foster the sharing of information and cooperation and can draw out the best in each worker.
• By strengthening communication, teams help to foster a culture of trust within an organization.
    How You Can Develop or Use the Collaborative Mindset
• Consider when you have you been part of a team. Was it a successful experience? What made it a success or failure? What did you learn from working in a team?
• Seek opportunities to be part of a team. Join an organization, attend the meetings, and be an active participant.
• Make a point of listening to and valuing the ideas and opinions of others. Ask yourself, “What could I learn from this person or this group?”
    On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rank your use of the collaborative mindset?

    If you were going to tell an employer about your strength in this area, what example(s) would you use?
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    MINDSET 8: THE REFLECTIVE MINDSET
During periods of relaxation after concentrated intellectual activity, the intuitive mind seems to take over and