During my internship at Akar Umbi, the team primarily used WhatsApp and Gmail for day-to-day communication, complemented by Google Docs for collaboration and information sharing. We also leveraged Miro and Monday.com for planning and tracking project progress. The integration of these tools markedly increased our collaboration efficiency. As the core platform, the Google suite enabled real-time updates and multi-party co-editing, effectively reducing information silos and duplicated work. These tools formed a lightweight but powerful operating system for the team. Daily syncs happened where they were most natural, while documents and boards became the living source of truth. Decisions and next steps stayed visible, enabling faster follow-through.
Decision-Making & Leadership Style
Our team commonly adopted democratic and consensus-based decision models. For the “World Refugee Day”(Xchange & Xperience ), all team members participated in naming, setting objectives, defining outcomes, and planning workshops. A coaching leadership style encouraged voices through open-ended questions and respected every opinion, which significantly improved engagement and ownership. The approach increased morale through positive feedback and recognition. Weekly review meetings analyzed performance and iterated on design, strengthening execution, creativity, and cohesion while fostering a positive atmosphere.
Challenges & Limitations
Despite the benefits, issues remained. While WhatsApp and email are convenient, message volume can be overwhelming. Being in multiple groups means mentions can be missed and require scrolling to locate context, sometimes delaying responses. To mitigate this, I built the habit of checking notifications more frequently and using labels/filters in Gmail.
- Consensus trade-off: inclusive discussion occasionally prolonged meetings when opinions diverged, especially under time pressure.
- Coaching style ramp-up: newcomers may feel uncertain at first; proactive questions and early check-ins help align expectations.
Early on, I hesitated to raise concerns due to unfamiliarity with my coach, which led to minor deviations in task outcomes. I learned that openly communicating uncertainties—regardless of the environment—is essential to smooth execution.
Impact on Project Advancement
Overall, these tools and leadership approaches enhanced efficiency and quality across Akar Umbi’s projects. Democratic decisions raised buy-in and reduced implementation resistance, while coaching empowered initiative and problem-solving, promoting knowledge sharing and skill growth within the team. In the Xchange & Xperience event, the integrated platforms enabled seamless coordination for multiple workshops. Positive participant feedback validated the event’s success. Regular retrospectives ensured continuous optimization and sustained impact.