GDSC Core Team Members: Important Points to Know
CONGRATULATIONS on being appointed as the next GDSC Lead of your institution🎉🎉🎉 This is no easy feat as many applied but you were able to scale through all the stages and eventually got appointed. Needless to say, you have been handed a challenging task, this is one you can’t do all alone but with a supportive team.
This article is focused on Core Team Members and I will be discussing a few points with you:
- Who is core team member
- Qualities you should look out for
- Selecting members of your core team
- Getting the best out of them
There is a famous quote from Phil Jackson which says, “The strength of the team is each individual member. The strength of each member is the team”.
A GDSC Core Team are a group of students who have volunteered to work together with their GDSC lead in achieving their common objective. Your core team members are assigned to different roles and are responsible for planning, executing and making the best out of the positions assigned to them from organizing GDSC events, to activities, and initiatives in making your community a growth space.
Now, it is important to be reinstate that students that would like to volunteer for any role will not be paid and are not associated with Google in any way but they have the drive, passion and the spirit to make a difference in your local community.
Employ your creative instincts in handpicking the roles that will constitute your core team, for example you can roles like design, mobile, programs, ML, communication and media amongst many others.
In all schools, the first task for every GDSC lead is to set up their core team members, they provide a sense of community to your community members, they are responsible for ensuring GDSC activities are well planned and executed. This also serves as a student to develop their leadership and teamwork skills as students.
Qualities to look out for
A good core team will determine how successful your tenure will be and this is why whoever will be joining you must tick at least 3 out of the 6 qualities listed below:
- Passion: Find someone who is passionate about what he/she does and the impact it has on others. If every other factor fails, passion is one thing that will keep you going and therefore cannot be underestimated.
- Commitment: Your core team members should be committed to their program and be willing to dedicate their time and resources to the success of GDSC in your institution.
- Leadership: this is an important quality, someone with leadership qualities can envision, boost the morale and make quality decisions to keep the community together and grow harmoniously.
- Teamwork: You need a team player and not a stand alone commando, someone who respects the decision of every member even if they go against his opinion.
Getting the best out of your team
Having vibrant core team members is not enough but actually getting your team to work and having them on your side at all times:
- Provide Clear Goals and Expectations: clearly defining the goals and expectations for your tenure with your core team members is essential for making sure everyone’s efforts and understanding of what needs to be achieved. This also help your team members focus their energy and prioritize their tasks.
- Celebrate Your Successes: it is important to celebrate you small and big wins as it boost morale and motivation. Publicly celebrating a milestone of a team effort is will also adequately reinforce the sense of belonging and accomplishment in the team
- Provide Feedback and Constructive Criticism: Occasionally offer feedback and highlight areas that need improvement, also good feedback helps team members refine their skills, make necessary adjustments, and perform better.
- Trust your team members. Give them the freedom to make decisions and take risks.
- Learn from failures. When your team makes a mistake, don’t dwell on it. Instead, learn from it and move on.
- Be flexible. Things don’t always go according to plan, so be prepared to adapt your plans as needed.
- Have fun! Working on a core team should be enjoyable, so make sure to have fun along the way.
Selecting Your Core Team Members
This first and the important actionable step is identifying and selecting the potential students to help you during your tenure. Understanding this stage is crucial and it will require you to be clinical enough so as to get the best people onboard, I will advice you share an interest form with your community members, in your community groups, social media pages, departmental platform e.tc. Ensure to ask for details like: name, level, course/major, field in tech, portfolio, role of interest, their reason for applying.
Having gotten these details, you need to shortlist based on their stack, role, and their motivation. Schedule a short one on one interview to know them better, ask critical question that aligns with your goals as a lead,understand their growth mindset and overall make a decision if you can work with them.
Leads in the past have made decision that are not very sufficient by selecting their friends as core team members. I don’t with this school of thought because there is a limit to how far you want to push your friends, and complacency can come in when the going gets tough; so having someone who willingly volunteered will have it at the back of their mind that “I signed up for this”.
In summary,
Your core team members play a vital role in your journey as a GDSC lead. Selecting the right core team is paramount and to harness the team’s potential, provide clear goals, celebrate wins, offer constructive feedback, trust their decisions, and maintain a flexible yet focused approach. By prioritizing merit over familiarity, you ensure a dedicated and accountable core team.
As you step into your GDSC Lead role, remember that your core team are the heart of your mission. Collectively, you have the power to inspire change, foster a vibrant community, and make a lasting impact. Your journey starts with your team, and their dedication will shape the path ahead.
Have a good one!
#IATNBT
