The Whole Is Always Greater Than The Sum Of Its Individual Parts

Every industry-leading firm knows that you get the best work from a team. It is the amalgamation of a variety of ideas that drives them forward, and the titular saying is a wonderful way of expressing this idea. For those who are new to this concept, imagine two salesmen, who independently could each get 100 sales. This would give their firm 200 sales in total. Yet combine their selling prowess and have them work as a double-team, and the firm would make 250 sales. The combination of putting two minds together thus brings about an extra 50 sales that the firm would have lost out to.

And that's what group assessments look to find: those who are "smart individuals" but even "smarter colleagues". McKinsey, one of the most respected consultancy firms in the world (informally named "The kinder garden of CEOs") instils the essence of teamwork because they too understand the importance of it. So in a group assessment, it's not just about you showing how good you are at leading others in your direction, but more so about your ability to get the best ideas out of them. That is leadership, pure and simple.

So what steps can you take to get the best out of your team:

1.   Firstly, make sure that everyone in the group is allowed to get their ideas across, and that those who look to dictate the group aren't given that chance.

2.    Make sure that everyone agrees with the idea that is finally decided upon, and if they don't, make sure that you argue both sides using FACTS, not opinions and statements like "I don't like it, just don't!" (Absurd though it may seem, many candidates forget where they are and their true reflection comes to the fore.)

3.    Ensure that all points the group is being kept in the loop with all new ideas, especially if you are working in a group with 10 or more people.

Graduates get fixated with the idea that they need to keep showing themselves off, but remember that they have been assessing you from the moment somebody looked at your application form, or picked up your CV. They are looking for you to utilise the skills that you have so far only wrote and spoke about. So take the opportunity to show that you can influence others with your ideas, but also how you can get ideas from your team as well. Ensure that you are the one who creates the whole, not just managing the parts.

The 'Magic' of being a Medic

Medicine is an industry quite like any other; for those of you who aren't medics, the thought of studying at university for six to seven years is enough to put you off studying medicine for life – for medics, you know that this is just the start of your education, and you can expect to be studying for most of your career. But medicine is one of the few disciplines that actively encourages life-long learning; a skill we know is beneficial to getting the best out of your career.

Asheeta Patel is one the brightest up-and-coming doctors in the country. However, by her own admission, it hasn't been an easy road to get to where she is. I spoke to her to gather her thoughts on becoming a doctor, and the transition from theory to real-life.

Vinay: "Let's start on your own background, how did you get into medicine?"

Asheeta: "I never planned to be a medic when I was at college. I wasn't the typical all A's student, and medicine at the time never crossed my mind. Instead, my first degree was in Genetics, which I found really interesting as it was fairly new discipline in science. When I completed it, I realised that there was two paths I could go down, becoming a professor, or becoming a genetic councillor."

Vinay: "And these were two paths that you didn't want to go down?"

Asheeta: "For me, they both had elements of what I wanted to do, but they lacked what the other gave. Being a professor meant that I could be incredibly involved in research, but would be in a lab all day, and since genetics is such a new field, a genetic councillor would work with people analysing data but never really get the opportunity to push the field forward."

Vinay: "So how did the idea to do medicine come about?"

Asheeta: "My professor at university looked at what I had done as well as my grades and recommended that if I wanted both a research position and people interaction, then medicine would be the route for me. Like I said, I wasn't your typical medic with all A's at A-Level, but the experiences both at academically and socially that I had showed that I had all the competencies needed to be a successful doctor."

Vinay: "And what competencies were these?"

Asheeta: "From an academic perspective, I was always involved audits, ensuring that if I was going to learn about medicine then getting stuck in right away was the only option. My grades for genetics showed that I was more can capable of handling the academic side of medicine, but I think it was the non-academic things I did which gave me that edge. I was on the students' union committee, I played hockey for the department, and I was President of the Soul Society, where I had to organise events without any budget, hence building my skills in negotiating, business management as well as organisational skills. I also got involved in a lot whilst I was studying medicine, such as Rag week, and continuing with supporting the various societies and committees that I was working with. Everything I did to contribute to university life was essential in developing skills to become a doctor."

Vinay: "How did you find the transition between studying medicine and becoming a doctor? I know that medicine is one of the few disciplines where you have exposure to hospital atmosphere, but to cope with the changes from still being a student to having that responsibility must have been hard."

Asheeta: "Quite the opposite, actually! I found it really inspiring to be able to help so many people and to have that sense of responsibility. Initially though, you have to be very tough, because there is a lot of competition that you will face from your peers. I've experienced so much judgement from other doctors, my superiors, everyone, and you have to develop that ability to make up for what people will perceive to be a weakness."

Vinay: "So how did others judge you?"

Asheeta: "I'm quite small and petite, and a lot quieter than other doctors. And some may have even judged me because I'm female. But I needed to overcome this by being a stronger leader. I needed my team to know that I too was as capable as the rest, and to vocalise my opinions. One thing I would say to all medics is ask senior doctors and consultants for advice, because the more you show to them that you want to learn, the more help and advice they will give you."

Vinay: "Did all this come to you fairly easily?"

Asheeta: "Not at all! Patient interaction is second nature to me, especially with all the experiences I'd had with the societies, and applying the knowledge I had was easy. But the way I came across to my colleagues was the most difficult thing I faced. I would definitely say it's the hardest."

Vinay: "What was it that made it so difficult?"

Asheeta: "When I was told by my seniors that I was too quiet, not good enough and that I was dispensable. To hear that from those who you look up to for advice is very hard to take. But that's where I had to make a choice, either accept what they're saying and move on, or use my resilience to become a better doctor, and I'm glad to say I took the latter. It's moments like that that build you up for the realities of being a doctor."

Vinay: "And now of course you're on top of your game. What skills and attitudes do you think that a medical student needs to develop to get to the top?"

Asheeta: "Where do I begin?! Medicine is so unpredictable and ever-changing that you have to be adaptable to any environment. I'd say the first skill is to learn, and keep learning. Every mistake, no matter how small, is a learning experience that you must realise cannot happen again. And keep pushing for as much exposure and experience as possible - stay on the ward late, do a night shift, a weekend shift; all of these will not only give you more exposure to medical situations, but also build your mental and physical stamina. Sometimes the biggest challenge is staying on top of your game when you've been working for 15 hours straight, and you can develop this with experience."

Vinay: "Is all this learning and experience useful because it makes you independent?"

Asheeta: "Definitely, because one day you're going to be out there on your own. But that doesn't mean that you should try to do it all on your own. Find a senior who you connect with, and let them know that you want to learn from them."

Vinay: "What would you learn from them?"

Asheeta: "Independence! I know it sounds strange, but once you know what they're like, you can put yourself into their shoes and see the challenges they face. And this will in turn build the leadership skills that are vital for medicine. You have to be responsible for your patients' and stand-up for what you believe is right. But you have to ensure that you get your seniors to see your point of view and respect your decision, so developing communication skills is vital to be able to do that. And continue to learn and conduct research, not only for yourself, but for the entire medical community. What you learn in the UK may save a life in New Zealand."

Vinay: "Do you find that current students and those who have just graduated have these skills?"

Asheeta: "Some certainly do, but until you experience everything, you're never really going to be able to deal with all of medicine. There's only so much a book can tell you."

Vinay: "As you have experienced, and are still experiencing the challenges of being a doctor, what advice would you then give to all the medics in the country?"

Asheeta: "You need to be able to keep a handle on your emotions, because there will be points where you're ecstatic for them when everything goes well, and there will be points where your patient and their family gets bad news or worse, and you have to be able to handle that emotional rollercoaster. You also have to expect competition from everyone, and realise that there's two ways to tackle this - either you become an individual or you become a team player."

Vinay: "And which of the two are you?"

Asheeta: "For me team player is the best, as not only are you working and learning from them, but they are also learning from you, and you build that into creating a better working environment. And as you learn from them, you continue with the most important aspect of becoming a great doctor - building your skills. Whether they are technical and medical skills, or whether they are soft skills like patient interaction or handling conflict, all the skills that you acquire will only ever make you a better doctor."

Interview conducted by Vinay Trivedi, Director of The Career Agency