Category: Teamwork Circle of Excellence

Awarded to a Consul team that exhibits outstanding teamwork and collaboration.

2017 Winner: Bogotá Volleyball Group (Ed Herzog, Karol Dominguez Contreras, and Gabriela Perez)

2017 Honorable Mention: Singapore Philosophy Friends Group (Olga B., Yousuf Aguria, and Carl Anderson)

Why They Won

Many of our InterNations Activities are led by a team of Consuls, not just one individual. Some of our teams work together on all of their activities, whereas others take it in turns to host activities in their group. In 2017, we searched our 390 communities for teams who are committed to collaboration — either organizing activities as a single unit or very fluidly as individuals within the greater team. The teams who were nominated work together and inspire one another to support the InterNations mission and their local community. These teams combined individual skills to strengthen their unit while working towards a common goal. They make key decisions as a single unit, collaborate and brainstorm new ideas, and make sure every voice on the team is heard. This year’s winner was our Bogotá Volleyball Group.

“For more than a year now, Ed, Gabriela and Karol have formed an amazing Consul team, dedicated to offering members the best volleyball experience in Bogotá! Friends at heart, they truly embody the InterNations spirit and have regularly hosted fun and diverse activities such as beach volleyball games, followed by well-deserved barbecues or a 60’s themed tournament where participants were invited to dress up. Thanks to their exceptional teamwork and enthusiasm, their group quickly became one of the most popular ones in Bogotá.”

What is your current team setup, and how do you collaborate together each month?

On the one hand, running a weekly volleyball activity seems easy — we play every Saturday at the same time and at the same court. Beyond deciding who is going to post the weekly event, what is there to do? Actually, quite a bit!

Almost every week, we have to discuss some important issues and come to a decision. Here are some of the issues that we routinely have to address:

• sportsmanship and safety — how to communicate with members about issues related to safety and sportsmanship, when needed
• purchasing equipment — which type of equipment to purchase and how to pay for it with member dues (e.g., volleyball net, volleyball, sand for the court)
• dues/fees — how much to charge for attendance and when to collect dues
• social activities — which activities to have and when (e.g., birthday celebrations, barbecues, etc.)
• maintenance of the court and court access — how to ensure that the court is kept in good condition and that we have access to it at our scheduled event time
• training — putting together training sessions for members at a basic level who want to improve their skill set
• guests -— how to handle situations in which someone brings a guest to one of our activities

When there is an important decision to be made, we generally talk among ourselves until we reach a conclusion that all three of us are comfortable with.

In terms of implementing our decisions, Ed takes the lead in communicating with the park staff and the group members. Karol takes the lead in organizing social activities such as picnics, birthday parties, and barbecues. Gaby serves as the primary liaison to another group that uses the volleyball court in order to coordinate any issues with them. Of course, all of these roles are fluid and ultimately all three of us do everything!

Do you have a piece of advice for our other Consul Teams who organize and host activities together each month?

Have a shared vision or purpose for the group! One of the reasons our team works so well together is that we have a shared vision for what the volleyball group should be about. We want people to have a sense of community. We want everyone to feel welcome at our events, regardless of their level of volleyball skills. And most importantly, we want everyone to have fun! Having that shared vision, makes it easier for us to come to a consensus on decisions because we know what the ultimate purpose of our group is.

In your opinion, what is the key ingredient for being a good team player?

We believe that the key ingredient to being a good team player is the willingness to help out whenever needed. All three of us are busy with work, family, and other activities. Knowing that we can count on each other for support is one reason that our events run smoothly and our group is so popular.

Congratulations to the Bogotá Volleyball Group for being 2017’s Teamwork Circle of Excellence, as well as our honorable mention, the Singapore Philosophy Friends Group. We applaud your collaborative spirit and look to you as shining examples of what it means to be a team!

About the winners: 

Ed Herzog, originally from the US, has been Consul of the Bogotá Volleyball Group since April 2016. Gabriela Perez, originally from Venezuela, and Karol Dominguez Contreras, from Columbia, joined the Team in February 2017.