Zerina's Challenges

As Brené Brown once said, “Be awkward, be brave, be kind.” This quote eloquently connects to our first adversity story on this blog featuring Zerina. Hope you enjoy reading!

About two years ago, Zerina accepted the position of Senior Program Coordinator in the BBA Office of Student Life at the University of Texas. She enjoyed working with people and advising students, so this role seemed like the perfect fit for her. She looked forward to some of the tasks she would get to undertake, such as working closely with McCombs Affiliated Student Organizations, managing and directing the McCombs Leadership Program, supporting staff members who planned undergraduate events, as well as fostering socially responsible business leaders. This was a well-rounded position, and Zerina was excited to take on these new responsibilities. Little did she know how tough it was going to be, and that this advancement in her career would be a transformative event in her leadership.

When she entered this position, the BBA Office had gone through a massive restructuring that affected everyone. There were over 60 people working in that office, and positions and responsibilities shifted around dramatically. Not only that, but everyone who had previously worked in the office left, and Zerina was a part of the brand new team taking over. This huge employee turnover meant that no one remained to guide the new hires through the transition and they were left to figure everything out on their own. Zerina felt adversity from being dropped in as someone new and not having anyone to rely on -- the old team was gone and she hadn’t yet become fully acquainted with the new one. Rather than a smooth transition, it became a “learning as you go” experience, which can be quite scary when having such an important role that oversees so many aspects of McCombs: events, organizations, students, the Leadership Program, and more.

Not only was their frustration within the new staff, but students also experienced confusion, as they did not know why everything was changing. Students in organizations and programs planned by the BBA office were well-connected to the old team and this change affected some of the relationships that existed before. Zerina was emotionally and socially overwhelmed at first. There was ambiguity, the need to mend relationships, bonding with the new team, and change on so many levels. In order to embrace this challenge and overcome this adversity, Zerina needed to draw on her top Clifton Strengths of Strategic Thinker and Maximizer, as well as reset her focus and mindset.

Now that you know a little bit about Zerina’s adversity story, stick around to read about how she overcame it in the next blog post!