When I was still an engineer, I used to push myself to deliver the best results within the given time. Most of my focus was on making my part as strong as possible. But after switching roles, I found myself needing to handle different things depending on what role I played in each project.

The MTa course gave me the perfect chance to reflect on the kinds of challenges teams face every day and what we need to pay attention to.

From “Me” to “We”

In the very first activity, we were asked to fill out a reflection sheet that broke things down into several aspects to evaluate. It felt like a gentle reminder: every activity from here on out would be team-focused. It’s no longer about making decisions on your own—you need to consider everyone in the group.

As the course went on, we joined a series of team games where @Alex Cheng used fun, hands-on activities to help us experience first-hand the kinds of problems that can pop up in teamwork.

Team members can have very different personalities

  • I thought back to times at work where someone was really talented but preferred to just listen rather than speak up. Others often didn’t know they had great ideas, and they might even feel left out. Meanwhile, some teammates probably thought, “What’s this person doing just sitting there?”

  • Then there are people who throw out ideas without overthinking, just to see what others think. But to certain teammates, this can come across as pushy or unwilling to listen.

  • Or maybe there’s someone who’s naturally impatient. When time’s running out, they start summarizing and pushing the group toward decisions—even cutting others off mid-sentence—thinking it’s more efficient. But unintentionally, this can frustrate others.

When communicating—did we really understand each other?

Thanks to Eva Huang for the super smooth teamwork—we hit every deadline precisely!

  • At work, I’ve seen people think their job is done once they throw information out there or loop random people into an email chain. If others don’t understand or miss it, “that’s their problem.”

  • Sometimes people believe they’ve understood instructions, but they actually didn’t—and what they deliver doesn’t match the goal at all.

  • Others do understand but struggle to phrase things clearly. They try to double-check over and over, and this eats up way too much time for both sides.

How do we collaborate efficiently as a group?

Some people are hands-on—they like to jump in and fix things right away. Others prefer to step back, get the full picture, and plan carefully before starting.

So how do we make sure everyone is aligned on the goal? How do we manage time well—balancing speed when needed and paying attention to details when quality matters? And how do we juggle both time and detail when both are critical?

Team synergy—ideas flow out, consensus flows in, and results take off

In any team, disagreements are bound to happen. What I really appreciated about our group was that everyone was willing to voice their concerns or confusion. At first, we were still figuring each other out, being a little cautious. But as we grew to understand each other’s styles, things became smoother and more natural.

Getting details right before we even started

One standout moment was before the baton-passing game. We had already discussed key details to watch out for once we were on the field. Later, during the tower-building challenge, we quickly spotted a crucial piece we could use and came up with a strategy to maximize our advantage (laugh). Both times, these discussions helped us achieve great results.

Playing to each other’s strengths and covering for each other

In the selling game, some teammates were in charge of estimating production and sales, while others handled the actual outputs. Our group did well because we knew from the start what each person was good at and not so good at. We supported each other and placed people where they could shine. As a result, we hit our targets and scored the highest in the final round.

Final thoughts

Trying to share my thoughts without spoiling the course is quite a challenge (haha).

Overall, the MTa course was an eye-opener. It gave me space to reflect on how teams operate and let me see myself in different roles during team tasks.

Huge thanks to my awesome teammates for working so well together. From sharing ideas, listening to each other, and doing quick debriefs after each round, we kept improving and encouraging one another. Together, we pushed our limits, tackled each challenge, and in the end—became the champion team.