Changes

Often, a student satellite project is initiated when a couple of enthusiastic tech geeks come together to work towards this ambitious goal. However, if a team is to be sustained, a recruitment mechanism should be established which would ensure that the team, at any given point of time, would always have the required number of people. This recruitment mechanism should be robust enough to ensure that work goes on smoothly, irrespective of events like graduation of experienced team members, people leaving the team for personal/academic reasons etc. Hence, it is essential to give some thought to the format of the recruitment process as well as the team structure.

More than 100 students of IITB have worked on Pratham. We have had team members who joined the team in their first year and stayed right upto graduation. We have also have had team members who did not last even a month in the team. Based on the experience we have had with so many students, we have been able to identify three traits of team members who typically last for several years in the team, members who become the true assets of the team. Surprisingly, technical prowess is not one of them. It was observed that people with traits mentioned below could develop their knowledge with time if they are technically inferior while joining. Here are the three key qualities we feel are essential for a person to last long in the team:

# '''Humility:''' This is an important quality required in a person when she/he has to work in an interdisciplinary team consisting of people of different departments, programs and specializations. It is essential for maintaining a positive work environment and developing a strong bond within the team. A humble person is typically enthusiastic to learn more and more, receptive to suggestions and improvements and knows how to respect other team members.