In this blog, Angelina talks about her experience as a student in comparison to the expectations of the workforce. She reflects on the “unlearning journey” she needed to break out of her self-proclaimed perfectionist-procrastinator student cycle.
Written by Angelina Kim, Community Engagement and Event Facilitator, BCOM, Rotman Commerce
As a university student, I have gained new knowledge, skills and experiences that I hope to take into the workplace after graduation. While I have certainly gained useful skills such as how to manage time, organize projects and teamwork, I have also developed certain habits that were suitable for when I was in a time crunch to hand in an assignment, but not as useful when I started working with colleagues on a project.
As a member of the Community Engagement and Events team at the Innovation Hub, I helped organize events and socials. This work was fulfilling, but it also came with challenges, fast-paced deadlines, and multiple deliverables. While this transition into the workplace environment was difficult at times, it became a source of growth where I learned about the concept of “B minus work” – a strategic approach to getting things done by doing work that’s good enough, but not perfect, and letting it be perfected in a collaborative revision process with input from others.
My Student Experience
One of my first projects at the Innovation Hub was the #Display Your Pride social. Our team created a fun event as part of a bigger contest across university departments to create a symbol of pride and acceptance through collaborative teamwork. Our Community Engagement Team wanted to structure the event as a “flower-making workshop,” where we would bring the finished flowers together to make a rainbow poster. We had three working sessions where we ideated, finalized, and produced the final poster.
For me (a student well versed in perfectionist procrastination), it felt like a whirlwind of fast-paced decisions. Every time the team reached a conclusion, I was secretly unsatisfied, itching to revise the work. While this approach worked for me as a student, where projects had two weeks of forewarning, this perfectionism made me slow in the workplace.
Fortunately, our Team Lead was patient and taught me the importance of B minus work. To me, a B minus represents the lowest level of work that can still be considered “good.” I came to understand that my obsession with A+ work could hold back my entire team, causing us to miss deadlines. By necessity, I had to learn to be content with “good enough” in order to complete tasks on time. The Pride social date barreled forward, and the iHub was aiming for first place.
However, even after everything, I couldn’t help but think: what if it wasn’t enough?
How B- Becomes A+ Work
The day of the Pride social arrived, I was nervous. We had an hour to introduce people to the activity, teach them how to craft flowers, gather all the finished flowers, and glue them to a board. In all honesty, I thought the chances of us finishing were slim, and I was prepared to stay late afterward to individually craft flowers and complete the piece. At this point I viewed this flower project less of a fun activity where everyone could celebrate Pride Month, but rather an assignment where I wanted to get an A+. The Innovation Hub team began churning out flowers like a waterfall. Some were misshapen; others were not flowers at all. Yet, watching people enjoy themselves free from the pressure of perfection, bursting with creativity, I found it hard to be upset. Slowly, piece by piece, the board blossomed with a burst of dizzying colours. Our creation was charming. I came to a realization: the B- work of multiple individuals culminates in an A+ result.
While being a student is an independent struggle, at the Innovation Hub, the same project passes through dozens of hands in an iterative system of feedback and collaboration. We were hired to bring varying skill sets to the table. The Innovation Hub designs the process so that the unique strengths of each employee support the others. This colourful array of expertise ensures that the efforts of a dozen B minus become a final A+. Watching everyone’s lopsided flowers become a garden, I finally understood what this meant.
Weeks later, we received the final contest results: the Innovation Hub had won.
The Continuous Journey of Learning
I will not lie and claim that I fully overcame my “perfectionist procrastination” habits. I will continue to see tiny imperfections; however, I now realize that A+ and B- work have their time and place. It is a long journey to “overcome perfectionist tendencies, and I welcome these new experiences with enthusiasm.
For those who have experienced, or will experience, a difficult transition from school to workplace—know you are not alone. It is difficult to go from a “perfect, slow, and independent” environment to a “good, fast, and collaborative” one.
It helped me to remember that people are there for you. Instead of students competing over a bell curve, colleagues in the workplace often share a similar goal. People depend on you, like you depend on them. In the words of Jon Youshaei, “The only thing worse than something imperfect is something that doesn’t exist.”
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