In my TV journalism days in college, we were divided into groups for reporting assignments. One person was supposed to be the cameraperson, while the other would be the reporter. Since we had to travel to different parts of the city, the dynamics of the team was very important.

I was fortunate as most of my reporting partners were enthusiastic and accommodating. I got to learn a lot from my experience of working with them. However, one particular girl seemed difficult. She was rigid about the way we should report and would get very rude if things didn’t go her way. Coming from a world of liberals, I was egoistic too and refused to comply with her methods. I thought I had to stand up for myself and fight it out. It wasn’t long before we had conflicts that ultimately led to the loss of important footage.

Our teacher, Nishat Sir, called us to his room separately. When it was my turn, he told me that the point of the assignment was not just to get the work done but also enjoy the process. I told him this was impossible if the other person was not accommodating. He said, “And you think you are being accommodating to her? Why are you entitled to presume that things will be easy and your growth will be comfortable? You proved your point but didn’t get the work done and lost a potential connection.” That hit me hard. I realised that nothing came out of me standing my ground in that context. I learnt two things. Firstly, many times it’s okay to adjust and compromise for a greater goal while swallowing my pride. It does not mean I am losing myself. Secondly, I learnt to accept that people will usually see things differently, yet we must do our best.

Going ahead, there were similar situations in different organisations where I didn’t think I or my team member was on the same page. Sometimes, I made the extra effort to be amicable, while sometimes, the other parties adjusted for good work outcomes. That feedback from my teacher helped me make friends out of many uncomfortable situations.