One aspect that is very important during the Master program is the phenomena called "personal development". It sounds almost magical, I mean who doesn't want to develop themselves? I know I do.
According to the dictionary, personal development means "the process of improving oneself through such activities as enhancing employment skills, increasing consciousness and building wealth" (business dictionary.com).
But then, how do you really improve yourself? I believe most of the times you don't even realise you are, but it's just after a period of time when you come to realise you have changed and experienced personal growth. Whether it is new skills you have learned, or a new way to look at certain things. One thing is sure: in life we keep developing ourselves, whether we are aware of it or not. However, it is a process, not something you can achieve in one day. Still it is good to sometimes take a moment to reflect on what you have achieved lately and what personal development you have gone through.
So... What did I learn so far throughout this master, besides tourism destination management?
1. Context
Context. Our favourite word in the Master program. I have never used it as much before, and I probably cannot hear the word anymore after the Master. However, it's an important concept, which with one single word makes everything so much clearer. Basically it's the theory behind the fact that not everything can be applied in the same manner everywhere and that every thing [in this case destination] has a certain "background" you need to know about before drawing conclusions. An example that was given during a guest lecture for example was the story about garbage on the beaches of Bali, Indonesia. Visitors might think right away that the Balinese are 'dirty' and don't care about the environment. However, the Balinese have a (religious) reason for it: as they believe everything that is "good" should be put into the direction of the mountains, and all the "bad stuff" should face the sea. Therefore, it is important to learn about the "context" (historical/political background etc.) about a country before jumping to conclusions and thinking you know the way to solve their problems.
2. How to be critical
Being critical by itself isn't that difficult. We Dutchies know better than anyone how to complain about anything and everything (Sorry! generalising cultures). But still, we may all realise complaining and being critical is human, regardless of how positive or negative minded you are: everyone can be critical about something. So what's new? Well, I have learned being critical at moments when there's nothing wrong. During the Master program we learned to question everything we read. At first it felt weird: who am I (a student) to question academic literature, coming from experts who may have been studying a topic for years in the field already. However, the more you think of it, why not question them? How ignorant is it to just blindly believe and agree with what others say, regardless of their experience. Of course, you must not doubt everything you read, as than you aren't critical anymore but just mistrustful. However it is good to reflect upon what you read and give it your own twist and definition. Besides, consulting multiple sources about a single topic is always necessary in order to get the full picture and to increase reliability.
3. Team work
Finally, I also learned a lot about team work. I learned that not everyone is like you and that is (believe it or not) actually a good thing! You need other people's perspectives in order to turn something 'good' into something 'great'. There are simply many things you cannot accomplish on your own. However, team work is also a task on its own. You need to communicate, not simply talk. And you need to listen. And by listen I mean actively listen, not just sit there smiling and nodding, but really understand what your team member is saying. It is no coincidence that there are even classes and workshops in communication: it's a whole profession on its own!
But back to what I learned: I learned to let things go. And by letting go I mean giving others a fair chance for their input. I know I can be really stubborn sometimes, thinking my way is the best way to deal with things. However in team work you need to be open for the input of others, actively listen and trust on your team mates. I must say with such intelligent class mates, that trust is easily given. Still, it is hard to blindly trust your team members on a project you are equally responsible for, as you depend on them to do their share of the work for the better outcome. A trick we have learned throughout the Master which can benefit team work projects is to make a "GAME PLAN" beforehand, where all team members discuss their vision for the project, and both their skills and weak spots. This way the team will have a good start, where everyone is on the same page. Besides it can be handy to make certain 'rules' beforehand, so the whole process runs as smoothly as possible. And last but not least: communication is key. If something doesn't work, or if there is a problem, don't ignore it, but communicate it to the rest of the team. I truly believe that half of the problems wouldn't exist if people communicated more efficiently.
Check-list
So, do you want to "make team work work" and want to know how to gain a critical approach? Here's a quick check-list with what I've learned so far:
- Never use a single source, but consult multiple sources/authors
- Compare existing literature
- Think: can this be applied the same way in different situations (it's all about context!)
- Determine whether you think what you're reading makes sense
- Don't talk, communicate.
- Listen listen listen
- Discuss beforehand what you expect from each other
- Make rules (and stick by them)
- Help each other out
To conclude, I truly believe reading and learning about new things develops you, at a professional level but also personally. I have already read a lot of academic articles throughout the Master and I have learned how to interpret existing literature with a critical approach. It's not ignorant to question authors, but actually a good thing to really think about what you are reading. And in the end, don't forget: us Master students are (young) professionals ourselves too ;-) Regarding teamwork I believe communication is key and setting clear goals beforehand can contribute to a smooth and pleasant teamwork. So go ahead and develop yourself. Read, think, listen and communicate. And most importantly: don't forget to have some fun too. You can learn a lot from each other, if you are open to it! At least that's what I did.
Janine Liolios
