Interdisciplinary approaches and perspectives in academic research

Interdisciplinarians

In this text, I describe several traits (five to be precise) I share with interdisciplinarians. In so doing, I will give specific examples that demonstrate my possession of the said traits.

Competence

I regard competence as the ability of an individual to execute a given task skillfully. Towards that end, I consider myself competent in my area of specialization. Many are the times I have assisted my colleagues tackle tasks which to them appear rather challenging. I would say that the competence I possess in my area of specialization has grown over time owing to my growing interest in what I do. I am however aware that going forward, my competency will be founded on not only the interest I possess in my area of specialization but also the technical skills I acquire.

Reliability

In my opinion, reliability has got to do with an individual's trustworthiness. Reliability can hence be viewed as the dependability of an individual. Personally, I have demonstrated dependability on several occasions. For instance, I always fulfill my promises. Indeed, of all the promises I have made to people in the past, there is none I haven't fulfilled.

Resilience

In basic terms, resilience to me is the ability to bounce back after being knocked down by the various challenges of life. It is also the ability to withstand the various pressures we encounter in our daily lives. Like so many other people, I often face challenges that at first seem insurmountable. Indeed, I have in the past failed to achieve several targets I had set for myself. However, I have never let failure overcome my desire and resolve to succeed. In the face of challenges, I always try to remain optimistic that things will change for the better. This way, I can withstand even the greatest 'tests' or challenges.

Flexibility

Flexibility is the ability of an individual to adapt, change or alter his or her behavior or preferences to suit a wide range of circumstances. In the past, I have found myself as part of a group or team. In some other scenarios, I have found myself selected as a team leader. To be able to accomplish the objectives of the team, the team leader must be accommodating of the divergent behaviors as well as views of team members. In all the instances I have been called upon to head teams, flexibility has come in handy. I recognized earlier on that rigidity in such a scenario would be counterproductive especially given the need to be accommodating of other people's views.

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