Significant Career Lesson From A Program Coordinator At ECOSLO
Grant's most significant career lesson is the importance of flexibility and adaptability: "be willing to be flexible, be willing to try new things, be willing to roll with the punches," a lesson learned by shifting from a perfectionist approach to embracing "80% of the way there" solutions in order to overcome real-world challenges. This approach has allowed them to find creative solutions and successfully navigate unforeseen obstacles in their work at ECOSLO.
Flexibility, Problem-Solving, Adaptability, Resourcefulness, Resilience
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Grant Helete
Program Coordinator
ECOSLO - Environmental Center of San Luis Obispo
California Polytechnic State University
N/A
Environmental & Related Sciences
Climate, Environment, Sustainability & Waste Management, Nonprofit, Foundations & Grantmaking
Operations and Project Management
Honors Student, Scholarship Recipient, Took Out Loans, Worked 20+ Hours in School, Transfer Student
Video Highlights
1. Flexibility and adaptability are crucial in a career. Being willing to try new things and adjust to unexpected challenges is more important than striving for perfection.
2. Real-world work often requires finding creative solutions and making things work even if conditions aren't ideal. Don't be afraid to get things '80% of the way there'.
3. Problem-solving skills are essential. The ability to identify issues, find solutions, and persevere through setbacks is a valuable asset in this field.
Transcript
What is one lesson that you have learned that has proven significant in your career?
There's going to be a theme in all of my answers here: be willing to be flexible, try new things, and roll with the punches. That is probably the single most important thing I've learned to do over my time here.
So whenever someone asks, "Hey, can you try this?" I respond, "Yeah, sure. We'll give it a shot. We'll see if we can make it work." Or if something comes up, it's being willing to say, "We might not get it done perfectly, but we'll get it done."
I think that's one of the things in my life, especially when I was in college. I was a perfectionist and always strove to do everything perfectly. As I've gotten out, especially since I've worked a lot more, I've learned that's not how real life works sometimes. You just have to get it 80% of the way there and call it good.
It's not a bad thing; it's just a reality. You might not have the perfect tree for the perfect location, or you might not have irrigation installed on the site and have to hand-water for two weeks. It's annoying, but you make it work and figure it out.
So I'd say be willing to say, "Alright, this isn't going to be ideal, but we're going to find ways and be a little creative." Maybe we're out in the field a little longer fixing a problem, but we're going to find ways to make it work.
I think that's probably the main thing I've learned: be flexible, be willing to try new things, and be willing to just kind of roll with it and say, "Alright, we're here now, we have to deal with it. We have to make it work. We have to fix it."
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