Critical Role of Teamwork while Organizing an MUN Conference by Şevval ALPARSLAN

Critical Role of Teamwork while Organizing an MUN Conference by Şevval ALPARSLAN

Hello guys, it’s me again!

So today I am here with my second article, and this time I have lots of important things to say. To be honest, I didn’t realize that we needed to talk about these stuff until a very short time ago. But nowadays, a lot of things are going on with my life (my MUN life more specifically) and so are in my friends’ (whom I know from different MUNs). I do not want to create an unnecessary drama out of it but I, personally, am witnessing quarrels which are really reasonless and friendships which are ending. But we are not here to discuss people’s personal life. We are here to discuss the effects of those kinds of arguments on the organization of an MUN conference.

As you all know very well, each and every MUN has its own Secretary-General. And most of them also have a Director-General. I’m not even mentioning about deputies they usually have. And who chooses them, actually? Who chooses the people who get to choose them? Well, I don’t know any other way then the democratic one. As much as I experienced, leading members of an MUN club usually gather together to decide on their new SG and DG every year. Generally, there are candidates and a voting process upon them. And someone wins eventually, of course. But what does it actually mean? Winning? You know like, do you get the right to act as you want to once you win? No, of course not.

“Authority should derive from the consent of the governed, not from the threat of force.” once a cartoon movie character taught me. This is like the most basic law of any kind of domination and discipline. Once you get chosen by your club members, which must be an amazing feeling though, it means that you are now a team, and all you got to do is to lead them in an equal and fair way. You will still work together on everything, but you are just stepping forward and saying that you are ready for self-sacrifice. It doesn’t mean that you get to right to fire everyone as you wish, or hire them, if it is the right word, and you can boss around about everything. Of course, when there are disputes, you are the person to solve them and give the final decision. But still, you cannot forget or ignore the fact that you were chosen by them. It is not like God gave you this power and you are sanctified.
And of course, while all those stuff is happening, if you are the DG, for example, you still have your responsibilities against the SG. You may have different people working on your teams, and some different kinds of works to do, you are still doing this together and sadly, you can never ever act as you wish to. I can detail this specific matter easily, but I think you get my point.

But obviously, teamwork doesn’t mean having a good and responsible DG or SG in your team. It is just the beginning, and maybe the most important part. But it is not the end. If you want to create something really good, it can be a committee if you are an academic team member or a party if you are in the logistics team for instance; there are some steps you need to follow:

1. Foster a Collaborative Environment
You all share a common goal, and a vision statement reflecting your goal. So why not be collaborative?
2. Promote Open Communication
Miscommunication is threatening to the well-being of any organization. It could cause the team to lose focus, trust, and morale.
3. Address Non-Cooperative Behavior
At some point, if you oversee operations and lead a team, you may encounter someone who rejects teamwork and has a hard time being a team player.
4. Use Team-Building Activities
You can build trust by proving yourself to your team. Develop patience and teamwork by always watching your teammates back. Because remember, you are in this together.

So these are a couple of baby steps you can take to create a more peaceful atmosphere while you are working on your own MUN. I know it can be hard and overwhelming sometimes because I experience some kind of obstacles in our team all the time. But as long as we have respect for each other’s efforts, everything finds its own way to be solved. I truly believe that tolerance is the key word here.

Besides, obstacles and stress is not the only part of it. Actually, most of the time, it is fun. Really fun. You are being surrounded by people who share common interests with you, and I think it is amazing. For me for instance, this long way tired me a lot but more importantly, I have found a couple of my best friends in this tiring but amazingly beautiful way. Long may our friendships reign!

Cover Picture: eurasiamun2017 

Thank you for your time…
Şevval ALPARSLAN
The Writer of MUNTurkey.com

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