Teamwork

1) Give an example of a time in your life when you've seen successful teamwork or collaboration in action. What can you learn from that example that you can apply today?

While playing Rugby at Occidental college, I saw first-hand how how teamwork can make all the difference in world as to whether or not a group has success. Individually, our team did not have any incredible athletes. However, we played as a single unit. This lead tremendous success. We had a strong, winning record and beat much larger teams, such as USC.

Why did we play together as a team? It's because we understood and trusted each other. I think the number one reason for this, and this is a lesson that can be applied today is that we spent time together off the field--we had built personal friendships outside of "work" by doing things together on weekends, travelling together, eating together, etc. I believe that this is an important part of team-building. 

2) What challenges do you face with teamwork/collaboration and how can you overcome them?

I think the biggest challenge that often comes to teams can summarized in one word: differences. Differences of abilities, goals, understanding, buy-in, motives are often roadblocks to a team becoming a single, cohesive unit. However, I believe that this challenge is one that can be overcome--turning a challenge into a strength. Differences can also make a team more robust, nimble, and effective. However, this challenge--like most--can only be overcome when team members are willing to sacrifice and make adjustments for the the good of the team. 

1. What are some ways you can build integrity and trust with your team?

The number one ways that you can build trust with your team is by being consistent in making and keeping commitments. Another way to build trust with your team is by treating everyone the same regardless of who they are or what the circumstances. 

1.  In what ways do you make sure your team is in agreement with a project before moving forward?

By making sure that everyone is on board before moving forward with any project. A lot of groups operate under a "majoritarian" decision making process but the Quorum of the Twelve will not move forward with any decision without complete "buy-in" from everyone involved. I believe that this is a divinely inspired pattern. This accomplished by:

• Trust
• Love
• Everyone being motivated by what's best for the group rather than what's best for the individual
• Compromise 

1. What are a couple of creative ways you can communicate a new idea to your team?

• By telling a choose-your-own adventure story in a compelling way.
• Object lessons
• Games/simulations 

Focus on Results

1) In your oppinion, what are the most important behaviors (as defined in your student manual) in getting results with a project or problem? Explain why you have chosen these and use specific, personal examples to add merit to your claim.

Three key skills/important behaviors that I believe to be essential for getting results in any circumstance are:

• Planning and organization
• Is quick to act
• Creates high-performance team

I'll share a personal story that demonstrates the importance of these skills:

I have been involved with many student organizations. Aside from BYUSA, The Management Consulting Club is the most effective and impactful organization that I have seen on campus. The reason for this is that the the leadership demonstrates these three key leadership skills. I have been in organizations--even lead organizations--in which two of these three behaviors were present but the absence of one greatly diminished our effectiveness. For example, while serving as a leader in one organization, I worked hard to plan and organize effectively, acted quickly whenever something needed my attention, but failed--in my estimation--to build a high-performance team. This ended up leaving may overburdened and worn down. I can also think of examples in which the other two said behaviors where missing, leading to a similar result.

2) What are your personal strengths in getting results on projects or problems  I hand how can you use and implement them in your current leadership position to benefit your team?

• Communicating powerfully and prolifically: I can use this strength 
• Technical and professional expertise: I can use this strength
• Netowrking: I can use this strength to help gather information and ideas from people in other networks and organization, bringing fresh insight and perspective to SAC. I can also use my connections to help bring strong, reliable volunteers to SAC to all of BYUSA.

Leadership Skills

1)      Share one personal experience where you have seen the Technical/Professional Expertise leadership competency in action.

While playing on Occidental College's football team, I had the opportunity to play with one of the best quarterbacks in the league. Andy was excellent. He was a leader that worked hard and motivated others. Andy had many strengths as a leader but among his top was his expertise in the position at quarterback. Andy had worked long and hard to refine his skills and knowledge for the position and any time Andy walked onto the field, he delivered results. Among all of Andy's strengths this expertise led to him being a great leader of our team. People trusted him because he knew how to get his hands dirty and perform in way that gave him success but also helped those around him become better.

Sure, without these technical skills, Andy still would have been motivational, a hard worker, full of integrity but he would never have a) been put in a position to have as much impact as he did nor b) been as effective of a leader if he did not posses the skills that acted a catalyst to enable his other skills to shine through.

2)      Share one personal experience where you have applied skills from the Solves Problems and Analyzes Issues leadership competency.

While serving as Vice President of the Utah College Republicans, I had the opportunity to help solve a major problem for the UVU chapter. UVU has long had a strong College Republican chapter but recently, the organization was on the verge of collapsing. The club President, after winning a very bitterly contested election decided to drop out of college, leaving the chapter without leadership. When I became aware of the situation, I had only a few days to reach out to some of the old club leaders, help them decide to step up, and aid them in the the task of rechartering  the club before the University deadline.

3)      How does innovation apply to your specific responsibilities?  How do you show support of innovation in others?

To innovate means to make changes in something established, esp. by introducing new methods, ideas, or products or to introduce something new, There are only two ways to improve: do the same things better or do new things. Innovation is a key ingredient in the former and is essentially synonmous with the latter. In esssence, innovation is essential for improveing effectiveness and efficiency. Without innovation, growth and progress would come to a near standstill; processes and organizations can only marginally improve so far. 

With this in mind, here are three specific ways that innovation applies to my duties:

• Presenting: I can innovate in the way that I present. Rather than simply presenting the same way everytime, I can think of new and creative ways to convey inspiration and inspire.
• Brightideas: I can work with program director to help do things differently and better. Bright ideas is more "open ended" program. As such, there is a lot of room creativity not only in the way we run the program but also the way we encourage innovation in students. In fact, the enitre program runs on innovation.
• Focus groups: Although focus groups is a clearly defined program, I can work with my program directors to think of new ways of working with others within BYUSA and even more avant guarde ways of hosting a focus group.

You can support innovation in others by:

• Listening to others ideas without rejecting them
• Compimenting innovation when you see it
• Sharing your ideas openly and freely with others
• Bounce ideas back in a supportive matter
• Encourage others to challenge the status quo by showing your confidence in them

This is in no way an exhaustive list but they are a few suggestions.