TEAM WORK! YALI TAUGHT ME

Hello friend! Three weeks ago, I put up a post on this site about the first encounter with the YALI RLC EA Cohort 28. It was a recount of the spectacular activities we went through at Bracken-Hurst hotel and Restaurant at Limuru, Kenya. Of course, every participant wishes we never left that place; however, we were recruits on a mission. Yes, we had to receive the African warm welcome before we step into the jungle. I mentioned how we had learnt teamwork, trust and commitment. Oh My! Little did I know that that was just theory and fun.

In the second week, we were introduced to our Challenge in which our client was Riara University. Francis Onditi PhD, Head of Department, School of International Relations and Diplomacy articulately stated two problems and since we were five groups in the Business and Entrepreneurship Class, we picked our challenges from ruffles. According to my ID, I belonged to Group O. While at Bracken-Hurst, I had identified two of my group fellows, Blandine Omuziranenge from Rwanda and Ellain Kiarie from Kenya. This made it easy for us to engage with the other four; Beniel- Tanzania, Jeremmie- DRC and Lencho-Ethiopia. We did a brainstorming exercise and we quickly could feel each other’s enthusiasm that brought about warmth in the group.

Following day, one of our facilitators, Mrs. Julie Ogwapit (MWF 2017) called out my name and said I would be moving from group O to L. Well, logically, this was reasonable since the latter group had 4 members, ours had 6 while the rest had 5. I don’t think either of the facilitators knew how this reshuffle had affected me since I take quite a while to study people before I become free with them. I really wanted to know why it had to be my name on that sheet of paper. Well, it would have been different if I had at least interacted with either of the team members. What can one do? This is the moment one recalls MR. Imran (Admissions Registrar); his face and warnings about deportation. For a Kenyan, that would be very easy. One just calms down and quotes the very official thus, “Do not let little things destruct you!”

It was in the Design Thinking Class a day after that I contemplated withdrawing. Now, this is a very awkward way of introducing a team but do you want to know what YALI taught me?  It is okay for things to go wrong. Don’t be quick to solve problems; observe first, read, and analyse, take a deep breath and a break if necessary. That is what I’m asking you to do now. The photo below displays the names of my new team and the role played by each one of them.

All of the young people in the above photos are individuals with differing aspirations, strengths, weaknesses and conflicting personalities. Most importantly, these are responsible individuals of diverse backgrounds with initiatives and/or studies they are pursuing. We are given the first practical exercise of how we might develop a saving culture among Kenyatta University Students and boom! Our personlalities can’t be tucked in! 

Diana, a fourth year Enginieering Student knows exactly what should be done. There’s no reason for circumnavigation stories. Nakwasa, an Agriculturalist from Gulu University seems to understand students’ behavior more than the rest. It is even a wonder why we went for the research in the first place. Yvette, the CEO of Connecting Dots and a student at African Leadership University is an iron lady. Dare not mistake her no for yes. Just finish all your discussions and if she finds it unworthy, you are on your own. Steve, (CEO, Kijijini Hub) is indescribable. You know those people, right? They’re very flexible, moving out of the group every five minutes, checking if the bus is ready, whether or not the facilitator is calling everyone back to the workstation, or better still, is it tea break? Now, Douglas has come in. He is simply a musician, though we know too, he is a frontier of Art4Leadership; a leaders mentor-ship program. He has had a journey in leadership. So, this won’t be a hard nut to crack for him, he can read from history. Needless to say, two of us are from without Kenya and even the three of us who come from within are from different counties with differing ethnography. You know that’s quite something in the current Kenyan society.

Design Thinking Day I
Photo:Robinson

Thanks to the High Spirited man, Mr. Daniel Fang our facilitator (and my mentor in Design Thinking) who cheered us up and made us see the end from the beginning, otherwise, the first exercise would have flopped. The clock is ticking, we are getting tired of the menu at KUCC and yes, something like love is budding among some young people but my heart is not yet settled. I like synergy, oneness, collaboration and joyful teams. My mind can’t keep of Mrs. Lydiah Munikah(MWF 2014)’s voice on the lesson about the contrast between a team and a group. I recall how in her facilitation the class was lively just the ending week. Her emphasis had been on each one of us understanding the purpose and being convinced that that common goal is achievable and just go for it. Only then can it be called a team.

Dear reader, let me just tell you that we operated as a group until the second last day to our presentation. The worst happened when the two facilitators noticed the coldness at our table. They had a mandate to push us, and sure, they did. However, the truth is, it would only take us and no one else to change us. On two occasions Julie suggested that we share a table during meals but then… ego is a real master. On the other hand, and this somehow acted as a unifying factor; we kind of came into agreement that the facilitators had started judging us based on their first impression of us.

That Sunday, we waited for feedback from our trainers. We were ready for hailstorms because once again, we all agreed that what we had presented was very sloppy. No one was willing to meet the other. I just let it lie. Do you wish to know the biggest hindrance to our progress? Basing on the profiles above, you can be sure it was not because of lack of ideas; rather, abundance. Each of us had a solution to the challenge presented to us by Riara University. It was a question of who is willing to let go  his or her wonderful innovation. However, from Humphrey and Mrs. Karimi’s 7Habits class, a compromise is an average man’s solution yet we all wish to be Highly Effective People. We had to go for the Third Alternative!

Photo After Design Thinking Class

It meant going back to the drawing board, preferring no one’s idea and assuming we had just heard of the challenge. The PowerPoint slides had to be restructured, a story had to be made a new, and all of us would now walk on a neutral ground. The environment became friendlier, we could make fun of each other. One of us who had sternly warned against meetings past 9.pm comes out saying we won’t sleep until everyone has mastered his/her part. This is the last night to the presentation day and we all have found a common goal: We Must Win This! The rehearsal takes us up to 11 PM and it is not a big deal since, we must win this!

Synergy Builds UP

Ready for the Challenge

I recall a few months ago when I was in an entrepreneurship workshop organized by the US Embassy at Nakuru. The group in which I was also the CEO, did not have much drama except for one lady who had much class knowledge that we had to wait for her to refer her notes before proceeding. We won stipend for our feasible idea. Looking back, YALI has taught me that perhaps the reason I thought I led well in that group was because we had known each other before since we were all locals from Nakuru. What if you are to work with people you least know about? Are you strong enough to know that your team can win even without your brilliant, ‘God-given’ idea? I have learnt, you are only as trustworthy as how much you trust others.

And The Winner Is...

Lastly, I really don’t understand how I became a CEO in a team I wasn’t part of in the first place. This, I can only say that God is using YALI on my trajectory. I am closely watching this pace. Are you a young person with aspirations to change your community? It is not just about the zeal, rather, you need skills. You need practical knowledge, you need challenging like minded people. Consider applying for the next cohort when the opportunity arises.

Gratefulness

N/B: Congratulations to YALI RLC EA on your commencement day! You all did well. To my friends in the Business Class, your presentations taught me a lot. Dowe Music & Arts is better now, let’s link up in our Art4Leadership Events. To my team BLOOM HUB, see where we ended! Let this never stop!

Let me leave you with a few more photos:

The writer of this post is the founder of 

Dowe Music & Arts, Based in Nakuru Kenya.