Here are 5 main things that I learned from the course:
- Google Drive
Our group collaborations were mostly done on Google Drive. It has been very efficient because our teammates were not restricted to any specific time or location to meet up. We discussed everything online, assigned our parts, and people could go on Google Drive anytime they want. More importantly, we were able to simultaneously work on the same document, and we could also see each others’ work progress.
- CarmenConnect
This is my first time using CarmenConnect, and I find it extremely useful for online presentations or meetings. A host would hold the meeting, and he or she can assign presenters. People could raise their hand or type in chat box if they have questions. There are many tools like this that businesses use, and I am thankful that I was able to practice with it during the course. I had an online meeting with my employer shortly after our synchronized meeting in the course, and they used something like CarmenConnect. It was fortunate that I knew how to operate the tool when I attended their meeting.
- Difference between time and task management
Task management is much more difficult than time management. It is easy to place multiple events on a calendar, but whether or not you would have time to finish all of them is another story. Each task takes different amount of time to complete. Plus, the order of the tasks sometimes matter as well as it concerns your efficiency. - Relationship between time, task and environment
Sometimes, the “when”, “what” and “where” should be considered altogether to yield best performance. For instance, there are certain times when it is best to work on certain tasks. There are certain places that are best to study at certain times. There are also tasks that are best performed at a particular time AND place. It is, thus, important to have all three elements planned out beforehand. - Don’t be shy to be the leader
People are often left with the impression that volunteering to be the leader is trying to stand out or being bossy. I believe the same thing, so I rarely volunteer to be leaders. I prefer being the person who gets things organized and planned out beforehand, and deliver them to the leader and the team for execution. This way, team can work together more smoothly and effectively. In this course, however, I somehow became the leader during the group cases. I stated that I did not intend to be one, but no one else volunteered. I was feeling uneasy about it, but someone had to do it.