Focus On Your Strengths

To most of us, the idea of self-improvement is about overcoming or improving our weakest qualities. I followed this conventional wisdom for years, constantly focusing on fixing my weaknesses. So, you can imagine my surprise to learn that research suggests the opposite may lead to faster, more efficient professional growth. One study found that “employees feel more confident, self-aware and productive when focusing on strengths rather than weaknesses…which leads to higher employee engagement, increased performance and significantly lower attrition rates.”

This idea of focusing on our strengths rather than weaknesses to develop ourselves was first introduced to me at a Strength Training workshop by Dr. Ariana Freedman from Maventree Consulting. We took the Clifton Strengths Assessment to determine our strengths and the workshop focused on how to best utilize our top five strengths. When Dr. Freedman was asked how we can learn what our bottom five strengths are, she responded that this was irrelevant. She explained that our greatest potential for improvement did not stem from the competencies that we struggle with, but rather from learning when and how to use the ones we excel at.

Why focus on strengths?

The premise of this workshop was that we are our best selves when we focus on what we do well, rather than what we do wrong. First, when we spend more time working on the things we enjoy and excel at, we’re more likely to feel fulfilled and accomplished. How many of us have forced ourselves to study our least favorite subject or practice one of our weaker skills, only to end up feeling defeated and discouraged? That’s not to say we shouldn’t try our best at the skills we struggle with, but rather we should focus more energy on improving our strengths than our weaknesses and use these strengths to approach our problems in new ways.

Focusing on strengths is about more than just making yourself a better person, though. This tactic can help us in our relationships with others as well, both professional and personal. The idea of avoiding criticism in favor of praise isn’t a new one, and is in fact a common theme in the famous book How to Win Friends and Influence People. I don’t know about you, but I definitely feel a lot more motivated when given praise rather than criticism, so this rang true for me. The book’s author emphasizes that one of the things good leaders do well is praise others often. Praising others can be a powerful motivator, so taking the time to recognize people for their hard work or talent may encourage them to continue performing at their best.

How can we use our strengths to develop ourselves?

One of the things we discussed in our Strengths workshop was how underutilizing or overutilizing our strengths in different situations can be what causes us to struggle with certain tasks. As an example, my top strength was being analytical. This meant at my best I can use this strength to solve problems logically, but at my worst it hindered me when I removed emotion from situations that require feeling, or tried to solve problems that didn’t need solving. We can improve ourselves by learning when and how to dial up or down certain strengths and when to use others. I had never put much thought into how to approach certain situations, but this exercise made me realize I could improve how I handle certain problems by using other strengths.

One of the other strengths the assessment identified was being deliberative, which meant I was good at reflecting and putting a lot of thought into decisions. I learned that while being analytical might help me strategize how to structure a group project, being deliberative may come in handy more for helping resolve a relationship conflict between friends. The first step in taking this approach, however, is knowing what our strengths are. Our strengths are a combination of what we are naturally talented in and the skills in which we invest time and energy. Once you recognize what these are, learning when and how to use them may just help you find more fulfillment in your life and more success in your professional pursuits.

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The Student-Leader Conundrum

By Katy Krupinsky

According to the *very* reliable source of Wikipedia, a student leader is someone who “strives to change the world by starting with their own community.”  I’m not sure I completely buy that definition; however, it makes me laugh, because, while student leadership does involve making changes to better the community, it means SO much more than just that to me.

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The student-leader conundrum

I wish I could say that being a student leader is all sunshine and rainbows and that these roles are just like any other leadership position.  However, student leadership is unique because you must simultaneously wear two hats – the student and the leader. Let me explain –

On the one hand, you are a student.  You struggle to find motivation to complete assignments and complain about having to show up to that 8am class.  You get annoyed when “the powers that be” send yet another email that you are going to delete without reading and are sad when you can’t get into the classes/sections you want because your Wi-Fi was a little too slow. You worry about your future after graduation and become overwhelmed by the sheer number of expectations that come with graduate school.

On the other hand, you are a leader.  You get to serve in a role in which you can shape the future of an organization and advocate for your community. You are given the amazing opportunity to make changes for the better within the community culture and create events that allow your peers to connect with one another and grow as individuals. You have at your fingertips university resources and funds which were seemingly overnight bestowed to you.

Some people can wear these two hats one at a time and separate these roles of student and leader; however, if you are anything like me, these roles constantly overlap and it’s almost impossible to keep them distinct.

As a student leader, you are seen as an extension of administration and a role model among your peers.  You constantly feel you are being watched and expected to perfectly respond in alignment with your role as a student leader regardless of your personal thoughts or how you would act if you didn’t have this title.  From touchy situations in class or in GroupMe’s to navigating the relationships with your advisors who also happen to be your professors, you are expected to be a leader when, sometimes, all you want to do is just be a student without having the weight of an organization behind you. 

Without a manual or any sort of instructions, you must figure out how to live out two identities which, at times, require opposing ideas and actions. You must satisfy your expectations for yourself as a student and rectify them with your responsibilities as a leader – something which is no easy task.  

The student-leader opportunity

Being a student leader has its challenges and, at times, feels like more effort than it’s worth.  However, I would argue that these unique student leadership challenges are not really problems, rather, a set of amazing opportunities.

At the start of last semester, to be honest, I was starting to think that student leadership was more effort than it’s worth.  However, by the end, my outlook had changed completely because of a conversation with Dr. Christensen-Lindquist. 

I had come to her asking for advice on how to rectify my role as a student and a leader when faced with a duty for my leadership role that I didn’t personally agree with. We talked about many relating to what it means to be a student leader; however, she gave me one piece of advice that still sticks with me because it completely changed the way that I look at tackling this student-leader conundrum. 

She told me that, while we may try, its simply impossible to ignore the fact that the different hats we wear in our lives impact how we act in every role we hold.  Further, there is absolutely nothing wrong with letting one role inform the other – it makes us better and is likely why we were chosen for those roles in the first place. 

In saying this, she made me realize, that student leadership is an amazing opportunity because you can leverage your perspective as a student and use it to make you a stronger and more impactful leader.

One of the great things about being a leader as a student is that you have a level of access to administration which allows you to enact real change within the school.  However, unlike faculty or staff, as a student leader you also have the perspective and access of a student. You get to tread the line between administration and the student body to make immense impact and progress.  And even more, you can enact change which will not only impact you and your academic/social community directly, but also leave a legacy which will last long after you have left and graduated.

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While at times challenging, student leadership is something to which I am forever grateful that I have been able to get involved in and something that I highly encourage everyone to try out.  From the late nights drafting emails and getting approvals, to the moments when you get to see someone find their voice because of your work, student leadership is something which has changed my life in so many ways.

I can’t quite say I feel like I have successfully “striven to change the world by starting with my own community”; but I for sure can say that I have learned a lot along the way.

If you are interested in getting involved in student leadership, you can find a list of all of the student organizations at Rollins here.  The organizations are filled with individuals who are passionate about their organizations and are excited to hear from you.  Want to help lead a community which doesn’t already have an organization? Reach out to one of the Rollins Program Coordinators for Student Engagement or Rollins Student Government Association to learn more about the process for founding an organization.

Katy is a current second-year Epidemiology MPH student.  Within the Rollins community, she serves as one of the RSGA epidemiology student representatives and the secretary of the RSGA DEI committee.

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Networking in the Time of COVID

Are you feeling rusty after nearly 18 months of wearing a mask, going through lockdown, and social/political unrest? We have all been cocooning at various levels, and with still so much uncertainty it can feel overwhelming to step outside your carefully crafted comfort zone. So, while you know you have to secure an APE and thesis in a few months, or begin your job search you feel uneasy about how to do so. How do you cultivate and grow your network when you feel like you’ve forgotten how to speak to people again?

Yes, it is hard. But the one certainty that has emerged is our universal need for human connection, in whatever form. If you want to maximize your opportunities, engaging with humans is a necessity. The thing about connecting with people is the more you do it the easier it becomes. Everyone you meet has a network waiting to be discovered that you can tap into. In a world where 6 degrees of separation has reduced to 4, you can learn to leverage this. We never know who has a hidden connection that will change the trajectory of our professional life unless we reach out to them. And there is a tremendous cost to avoiding social engagement during everyday interactions. Relationships are important. 

Like learning any new skill, practice really does make a difference. And we can practice networking in every situation and scenario possible. In Joe Keohane’s new book, “The Power of Strangers, the Benefits of Connecting in a Suspicious World,” he stresses the importance of cultivating this “skill”. Interactions with strangers promotes empathy, and connection. It is dehumanizing not to engage with others because this can lead to you thinking of people as objects or simply a means to an end. The other person can always sense this.

Some suggestions for networking in this article in Forbes  may be constructive, however, I think this article on why your networking strategy is NOT working bears more consideration. Some key take-aways  of mistakes you may be making include:

1) Asking for too much too soon – no you can’t ask a professor to write a letter of recommendation for you just because you were in their class.

2) Missing easy wins – ask questions and make comments in class. It is often during breakout sessions “where the real networking happens.” 

3) Viewing meetings as one-offs – cultivate those relationships with faculty, students, and staff. – “Even if only subconsciously, viewing a networking interaction as one and done will have a negative impact.”

4) Being robotic – yes, you should practice your “elevator pitch”, but reciting it verbatim at every encounter sounds, well, too scripted and practiced. Bring you, your experiences, and your areas of interest to the encounter where appropriate.

5) Not reading between the lines – absolutely follow up with an email if your new connection has offered to mentor you, but if it’s still crickets after your third attempt – perhaps they were being polite and/or don’t have the bandwidth or interest to follow through. Move on.

Finally, if you have 16 minutes, watch this TED talk – spoiler: “one brief conversation landed me my job.”

Now more than ever – people matter. Connections matter.

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Teamwork

As we begin a new semester, we are preparing to dust off many skills we haven’t put to good use in a while. So, this week, we wanted to take a look back at an article which reflects on one of these skills – teamwork – which we may find looks a little different in our classes and jobs this year as we navigate a new, in-person setting.

In your coursework at Rollins, you will often be asked to complete group work either in the form of larger projects or smaller discussion groups. After Rollins, being able to enhance the work of a team will be an invaluable skillset in the professional setting. Epidemiology is a field that needs to communicate effectively with other science fields, policy makers and the public to gain support for recommendations. Collaborative relationships are necessary for success and in public health, success means saving lives and increasing quality of life.

-Introduction by Alex Whicker

Originally published on October 18, 2020 by Dr. Jodie Guest:

When I think of teamwork, I think of the African Proverb:

“If you want to go quickly, go alone.  If you want to go far, go together.”

While group assignments are not always met with excitement, they are a great way to practice teamwork and flex skills that help everyone succeed. Teamwork is everyone’s responsibility and will be an important skill in your career. Some important traits that I seek out in good team members include accountability, commitment, flexibility and optimism.

Accountability and commitment

Every individual on a team has an enormous effect on a team’s dynamic and its performance. While a leader might seem like the person who can solely guide a team to success, I believe each member plays a significant role in deciding how the team will function. It does not take many team members to lead a talented group towards dysfunction. Individuals are ultimately responsible for deciding whether the team will be stymied by this dysfunction or will hold each other and themselves accountable to being functional and high performing.

This commitment to high standards can be coached, but a team is so much more effective if this comes from each individual in a team. You want team members who are committed to the goal and to each other. This commitment includes supporting each other. When others need help, every team member should be aware of those needs and willing to provide their support. This commitment to each other is an essential ingredient in successful teams.

Flexibility and optimism

Team members also need to be flexible. When talented individuals with different approaches, ideas, and skills are brought together on a team, some conflict will be inevitable. The most effective teams have members who actively seek out and include others in making key decisions and solving problems creatively. They understand that having a diversity of opinions leads to optimal solutions and that you need to listen to these ideas and experiences of others because they will stretch you, challenge you, and call on you to empathize. In that context, disagreement is a blessing, not a curse. If you truly value the opinions and input of others, your team will benefit as a whole, and each member will grow.

I also believe successful teams approach the team’s goals and the future optimistically. Optimism tends to lead to more energy about a project and is an approach that feeds connection and commitment. It is much easier to be committed to a team that is forward thinking, flexible in opinion, and filled with the expectation of good work together.

Teamwork in action

It is certainly true that teamwork is not always easier than working alone, but the benefits of a connected and hardworking team can be immense. The next time you are part of a team, consider how you engage to support teammates and the goals of the team. Practice being the teammate you want to have. Connect, support, listen, encourage and motivate each other. These skills will serve you well both in school and in your career. 

This article was originally posted on October 18, 2020. The original can be viewed here.

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Work Smarter, Not Harder

In my freshman year of undergrad I pulled an all-nighter every single week. Sleep, I had decided, was at the bottom of my list of priorities. My idea of studying involved me sitting in front of my computer for hours on end while I scrolled through social media pages and occasionally skimmed notes. As you can imagine, I “studied” all the time. It was common for me to even miss meals to spend more time in the library. Since starting graduate school, however, if there’s an event or task that requires me to get less than 7 hours or sleep I know that it’s just not happening. My life hasn’t gotten any less busy in grad school, I’ve just gotten better at maximizing the time I do have and prioritizing the important things in my life. Like sleeping and eating. So how did I go from the poster child of procrastination to a graduate student who still manages to sleep, work, and socialize?

Due Today? Do today

I know we all joke about our procrastination habits, but I’ve actually learned how to take advantage of mine. I used to have the mindset that I should focus on one thing at a time, starting with whatever was due soonest. While that may be a good strategy for some people, that’s just not how my mind works. Now I often switch between assignments while I’m studying, making it less likely for me to get bored with any one project and ultimately give up for the day. I have also learned NOT to prioritize what is due the soonest. This seems counterintuitive, but it prevents me from wasting time on what may be objectively less important assignments. In the past, if given two days to finish a 1-hour long lab, there’s a good chance I would have taken those entire two days, wasting time on social media while I pretend to work or spending too much time perfecting my answers. I’ve instead learned to take advantage of the time that I’m actually feeling productive to work on less pressing, but more tedious tasks, such as writing longer papers. 

Know Yourself

Taking advantage of the times when you’re feeling productive is also important for being more efficient. Do you tend to get more work done in the morning? Schedule your days so that you can do your studying or working then. Take a few days to observe yourself before you come to any conclusions. I used to think, because I’m a night owl, that sleeping in and working later was the best schedule for me. I started to realize, however, that even though I like staying up late, I became less productive after 5 or 6 PM. The rare days I would wake up early, were the days I got the most done. If you had told me a year ago that waking up before 8 AM would become routine for me, I probably would have laughed. But thanks to this schedule change, I actually have time to relax in the evenings.

It’s also useful to keep in mind that what study or work habits work for some people might not work for you. Maybe listening to music helps your roommate focus, but you always have to stop and sing the lyrics. When beginning grad school last year I heard of the Pomodoro Technique, where you study for say 25 minutes and then take a 5 minute break. I decided to try it and see if it increased my productivity. Quickly I noticed that getting myself to start a task is often the hardest part for me, so I tended to take much longer than 5 minutes during breaks. Now I’ve learned that if I’m on a roll with an assignment, I should keep going and instead take a longer break later on when I need it. Maybe you’re like me, or maybe you’re a Pomodoro evangelist – only you know what works best for you. 

Your time is a finite resource

One of the best ways to be efficient is to simply not attempt a task that you know you don’t have time for. This seems obvious, but it’s one of the hardest tips to follow. In my freshman year of college I remember having a breakdown thinking of all the assignments I would somehow have to finish in a single week, realizing I didn’t have time for all of it. Then suddenly, I realized how much more time I would have if I sacrificed even one night of sleep per week. Sleep became optional to me, and so the all-nighters began. Now, sleep is a given. If I don’t have time to complete every task in a day without sacrificing sleep, then I have no choice but to accept the reality that I simply will not accomplish everything. As a result, having his mindset has forced me to be more efficient with the time I do have, because I understand that it is limited. Your time is a finite resource, and understanding its boundaries will help you frame your mindset appropriately.

Ultimately, becoming more productive is a matter of doing what works for you. Following habits that go against your nature will only waste your time and energy. Most importantly though, don’t forget to make time to rest, because no one is productive when they’re burnt out.

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Are you ready to be a mentor?

The Epi Buddy program is seeking second-year students to help mentor incoming first years. After recently signing up to become an Epi Buddy I’ve been reflecting on how, as current students become accustomed to calling ourselves “Second-Years” we will also find ourselves taking on new roles. We’ll probably still be in need of a campus tour, but we’ll also be stepping into TA positions, offering advice to incoming first years, and taking on more responsibility in our jobs and other roles. A year older, and hopefully wiser, many of us will have the opportunity to transition from mentee to mentor. Signing up to be an Epi Buddy is one of many ways we can do this. 

In the past Dr. Tim Lash and Dr. Jodie Guest have highlighted how beneficial it can be to find a good mentor in their articles “A Mentee’s Journey” and “The Boring History of EmoryEPI.” As graduate students, finding a mentor is often a priority. Whether it be for an APE, our thesis, or just someone to give us advice as we enter the public health field, we are constantly in search of guidance. Becoming a mentor ourselves is typically less prioritized, but we can learn just as much from this role as we can from being mentored. Having acted as a mentor myself in various positions, I cannot recommend taking the opportunity to mentor others enough. The skills and benefits you gain from the role are invaluable, and I’m excited to share a few of them with you here. 

Improving Communication and Leadership 

As a mentor, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to practice communication skills in a less formal setting than a job or academic position. Giving advice and sharing your own experiences with a mentee may boost your own comfort and confidence in leading a group project or providing more input at your job. Reinforcing your own knowledge and leadership skills can help you refine your thinking and approaches – a key step on the path to becoming a master on subjects you are already familiar with. You may also find yourself working harder to live up to your mentee’s expectations, pushing yourself to grow more than you otherwise would. Ultimately, having some accountability to someone else may be just what some of us need in order to reach our own full potential. 

Expanding Your Network 

We all know that having a mentor can often open doors to opportunities we may not otherwise know about or have access to. Truthfully, this can go both ways. Mentoring someone can introduce you to people you may never have interacted with normally. Broadening your network can help you not only professionally, but personally as well. Almost every new hobby or experience I’ve tried has been at the encouragement of someone outside my closest circle of friends, and I’m sure most would agree that getting into most jobs or programs often is influenced by who you know. That’s not to mention the fact that your mentee may be in a position to advocate for you in the future. I know that when I have the chance to help my former mentors I jump at the opportunity. That’s why building new connections through mentorship can be incredibly beneficial to the mentor. 

Promoting self-reflection 

There are few things that have caused me to reflect on my own experiences and behaviors as much as being a mentor has. Sharing wisdom with other people often makes me recognize when I don’t practice what I preach, forcing me to be more deliberate in my actions. Advising someone on how to approach certain issues also helps me look at my own problems from a new perspective or recognize how I could have handled similar difficulties differently in the past. We often don’t realize how much our own emotions and experiences cloud our judgement until we’re on the outside looking in. Mentoring others gives us the opportunity to do that.  

How to be a mentor 

We’ve given you so many reasons why you should be a mentor, you may be wondering how to become one. While there are plenty of ways to informally mentor friends, siblings, or coworkers, there are many ways you can more formally take on a mentor role at Emory. One way is signing up for the Epi Buddies program, where you can meet incoming first years, answer their questions, and give them the advice you wish you had gotten your first year. As a first-year epi buddy I got advice on which classes to take, who to reach out to for job opportunities, how to improve my CV and even study guides for Epi and Bios classes. If you’re as grateful to our recent graduates for these things as I am you can repay the kindness to the incoming class as an Epi Buddy. Another opportunity to be a mentor is through the Emory Pipeline Collaborative (EPiC), a program that students can participate in by mentoring undergrad and high school students interested in entering the health sector. As a Graduate mentor in EPiC this past year I got to reinforce many of the public health concepts we’ve learned by teaching them to my students, as well as give them the post-grad perspective I wished I could have gotten in High School.  

Beyond gaining new skills and connections, mentoring can be a fulfilling way to give back. I have many mentors to thank for where I am today, which is why I try to pay it forward whenever I can. Whether it be to keep someone from making our past mistakes or passing on the good advice we’ve received, we can help those around us by practicing patience and empathy in whatever mentor roles we find ourselves in.  

Are you ready to be a mentor?

To sign up to be an Epi Buddy click here! You can learn more about the program here or contact our Epi Reps, Sandra Amouzou (sandra [dot] amouzou [at] emory [dot] edu) and Katy Krupinsky (kathryn [dot] krupinsky [at] emory [dot] edu) with any questions.

You can also learn more about the Emory Pipeline Collaborative here!

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