A day in the life of a part time mct Greenbean!

Foreword

Hi! In this article, I’ll be covering what this program is about, what part of the program am I currently in, how I feel about it and 2 tips for anyone that is returning to the program after an extended time away.

The Programme

When you first start out on the HR / Management Team, better known as the Mission Control Team (MCT), you are introduced to a very different kind of professional environment, at least that’s how I felt. It is contrary to what I thought a typical HR job would look like.

Coming into the program with no formal background in IT or HR, there was a lot for me to take in, right from Day 1. For the first 2 months of the program, we go through a rigorous training schedule that introduces you to how talent recruitment and HR works. But more importantly, we learn how to be flexible, autonomous and self-managing. We pick up valuable skills that will help us to adapt and acclimatise in uncertain environments filled with unknowns. In other words, we learn how to be Agile! 

The Foundation

For many people, working at Mavericks often involves a change in perspective as everyone here is focused on “Doing the Right Thing, and Doing Things Right”. You are also constantly challenged and pushed to do better each and every day. But this is what I think makes us one of the best in the industry, and keeps our clients coming back for more! 

Within the MCT, we categorise our skills into 1 of 3 camps with the main differentiator being the depth and breadth of your developed skills:

Source: Mavericks Consulting

Interested in finding out more about what it takes to be a Yellow Bean or Red Bean in the MCT? Check out our other articles written by the rest of the team!

My Journey So Far

Juggling my learning and growth while contributing productively to the team is a challenge. But since completing my Green Bean training, I’m a far cry from the person that I used to be. I have since learnt to break out of my shell and to take on challenges outside of my comfort zone. I have also gotten better at prioritising and managing my tasks.

The MCT is a very small cross-functional team so what you do as an individual has wide-spreading effects to the rest of your team and the company as whole. This is not a place where one could just man-mode (i.e. wait around for someone to give you work to do) or take one’s work and scurry off to finish it in the corner by themselves. To really excel, the most important thing is to be open. 

Currently, I am working on getting my Diploma from Singapore Polytechnic! This means that during the school semester, I take a break from Mavericks to focus on school and during term breaks, I come back to work and help out around the office. Outside of work, I am an introvert and like to keep to myself. I always worry about having to connect with people but having spent time in Mavericks and with the MCT, I never have to worry about that. Everyone is always so friendly and welcoming, and to me, the MCT feels like an extended family. We always manage to insert pockets of time to have some fun and catch up with each other.

For those of you that are looking to join the team, here are some of my pro-tips that have helped me to stay sharp and quickly get back into the thick of things:

Tip 1: Coming in with an open mind 

As experienced as one may be, things are always changing so we have to continuously adapt and learn. Some of these changes can be small procedural adjustments, while others can be entire process changes or new strategic objectives. Don’t be caught up or comfortable with the past. Applying a newcomer’s mindset will make the transition period a lot smoother and faster for everyone. 

In our team, it is equally important to understand “what to do” and “what would be better to do” (and why). Being curious and asking questions is critical to developing a deeper understanding of your impact.

Tip 2: Taking charge of ME

As supportive as the team is, no one likes a freeloader. It can be tricky to find the balance between being independent and getting help. What works for me is to try things out on my own first, with reference to our team documentation and my own critical thinking. If there is anything that I am less than 100% sure about or I’m really stuck on the task for more than 15 minutes with no progress, it's time to get help. This could mean asking another member on the team for their opinion or pairing on the task together.

I know that it is part of Asian culture to keep our heads down and to not question our superiors, but that is not the Mavericks way! Break out from the norm. Think and act boldly. Experiment often and don’t be afraid to fail. Take ownership and run things like YOU own it.

Now that I have imparted my wisdom onto you, dear reader, GO FORTH! These tips are also applicable in our daily life so do try them out. And if you have any feedback on how these tips have changed your life or have your own tips to share, I’ll be happy to hear all about it in the comments section.