Celebrating commonality and diversity

This summer we've been considering the concepts of commonality, diversity and how being aware of each colleague’s strengths and varied experience can lead to a stronger team with fresh ideas. Nicki asked the newest members of the Juniper team, Emily and Ava, to have a conversation about their roles within Juniper and how they complement each other.

Ava’s journey

A steady incline in knowledge, growth and success whilst clearing the hurdles along the way.

Ava has a thirst for knowledge and is never shy to jump right in with tasks. The Juniper team has recognised her creative side and is empowering her to develop it further.

Emily’s journey

A steep learning journey.

Emily found herself faced with Mount Everest in terms of the learning journey when joining the new world of Learning and Development (L&D) but has since reached base camp and is going from strength to strength! She is learning to slow down in order to speed up and is enjoying every challenge as it comes.

What commonalities do they bring to the table? Ava and Emily have both discovered that they have a thirst for more knowledge and insight into L&D and want to soak up as much as they can from Nicki and Cathy. They both think their skill sets have been pushed to the next level; in areas such as project, diary and time management, client focus, and attention to detail. Three months down the road, Emily and Ava feel they better understand the bigger picture and their sense of accountability is now heightened due to being part of such an intimate team.

What diversities do they both bring?

Ava and Emily have different backgrounds including a kaleidoscope of job experiences. Ava brings a wealth of tech knowledge, encouraging us to be at the forefront of new ways of working in the digital age. Emily brings a unique perspective on client engagement and communication, having had more exposure to external stakeholders.

What next?

At different stages of their lives, Emily and Ava are aware of the complementary strengths they each bring to Juniper, while understanding the learning opportunities in their differences, adding powerful value to our close-knit team. Their experience and skillsets are diverse, but they share a common goal in approaching their roles - by having open minds and creating space to share knowledge and learn from each other.

There is huge value in getting to know and celebrating the diversity within your work team and indeed within families and friendship groups. Playing to your strengths while listening to the ideas of others, makes for a stronger team and individual growth. The future is exciting at Juniper; watch this space!