The Student Union was my first job. I remember being rejected 2 times before I was finally hired. I could've stopped after the first 2 no's but I was determined to work in the Heart of Campus. I started out as an Event Services Associate (306) then quickly moved up the ranks to Building Manager, Senior Building Manager, and then Senior Event Manager. As a 306'er, I remember complaining with my co-workers about how our leadership team ran things. When I finally transitioned into a senior leadership role, I vowed to be different. Little did I know how difficult that would be.

I was taught to treat people how you want to be treated, and this was a philosophy I planned to use in my role as a manager. What I quickly learned is that to run a successful team, you have to manage people how they want to be managed. In college, and especially in the workplace, everyone is different and as young adults, we are constantly evolving. We all worked in the Heart of Campus, but for all different reasons. Some worked to fulfill an internship credit, others to financially support themselves or their family back home, and others for the fun of it. With this in mind, everyone required different needs and carried different strengths and weaknesses. Some people did good with constant positive reinforcement while others were happy the less they saw you. Some people were strong and enjoyed the physical labor while others preferred a less physically demanding role.

So what did I do as a manager? I made an effort to know my staff personally and professionally. I learned their names, their major, their future career goals, their strengths, their weaknesses, and their personalities. I gained their trust and worked to make their job as simple and fun as possible. But of course as in life in general, we were thrown a couple curve balls and had to learn to adapt with these changes. The Student Union was under construction, the building was expanding and the restaurants were changing, the computer lab got an upgrade, and the number of events taking place in and outside the building was increasing. I will admit that I struggled with these changes at first and my negative outlook on the changes influenced how my team dealt with it all. Looking back, I probably could have handled the situation differently. As the saying goes, "the only constant is change", but it is how we deal with change as managers and how we help our team adapt to change that is important. 

As Senior Manager, it was important for me to be vulnerable. I wanted to show the team that I was human. With this I allowed my team to be human with me. I never acted as if I knew it all. I took accountability for my mistakes and even asked others for help because we all can learn from one another. During our annual retreat we played my favorite team-building exercise: The Maze. The objective was easy: everyone gets through the maze without stepping in any of the wrong squares. Here, I was able to show the side of me that didn't have it all together. To tell you the truth, I messed up the maze a few times. I heard the sighs and groans behind me when I stepped into the wrong box. But hey, others messed up too. It took a series of trial and error, but we finally got it. We were able to poke fun at our mistakes in the end. We learned how to work collaboratively, pay attention to one another, and even learn how to manage patience with one another when things got a little rough.

To end, I'm thankful for the Student Union, and the lessons I learned and friendships I made. I enjoyed all the times we spent together through laughter and sometimes frustration. I loved the diversity among everyone and being able to grow and succeed together. Could I have been a better leader? Of course, there is always room for growth. Being a boss is a learning experience, and I don't think it'll ever be easy. But from the beginning I stepped outside my comfort zone and for that I am grateful.