I have had many positive as well as some negative experiences when working in group projects at school and also in the work place. I think that many of the negative experiences that I had were because of a lack of communication or a misunderstanding that happened between members of the group.
What sorts of closing rituals have you experienced or wish you had experienced?
During one summer, I had the opportunity to work on a project with an amazing group of individuals. After we turned in our group project, we went to the campus pub and ordered food and fine spirits and had a great time reminiscing about the weeks that we had spent together working with the children (practicum) and completing our final project. I don't even want to think about adjourning with this great group of colleagues that I have met while working on my master's degree. Just thinking about it is making me emotional. I have learned so much from many of my collgueages. Their ideas, thoughts, and constructive advice and feedback has opened up my eyes to see things from a different perspective. Even though, I cannot literally hear them, I have learned to be a better listener and to be more aware of the messages that they were conveying when I read their posts.
I do think that adjourning is an essential stage of teamwork because it brings closure. Like in any situation, It helps us to close that chapter and move.
Great reflection Reyna. It is important for us to think back on how we each contributed (or not) to a group setting and grow from that. I like how you mention that communication is a huge factor in determining if the group was successful or not. I also agree that there is a bit of sadness that comes even when we leave a low-performing group. I think that this is because deep down, we expected much more. I also get emotional thinking of the end of this journey together. I hope it leads to bigger and better things for our group, for sure! I do hope that we stay in touch too!
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure why my comments are "Unknown" - Sandra Perez
DeleteGood posting on team building Reyna. Having a team that supports and appreciate each other is an awesome atmosphere. When one or two may fail or is weak,the other members of the groups can be a strength to help when needed.
ReplyDeleteBea
Reyna,
ReplyDeleteGreat insights about high and low performing groups. I never looked at low performing groups in such ways. I too struggle to leave a situation that is negative. I want to leave groups with positive emotions and action, but it doesn't always happen. I believe leaving in negative terms helps me to evaluate my actions and work with the group more so than when in a high performing group. I tend to learn more about myself in low-performing and that can be hard a lesson when exiting.
Amanda