Saturday, February 14, 2015

Team Development

When I think about groups in which I have been involved, in the hardest good byes were the ones where I really connected and made friends in.  There are conflicts and problems within every group but the ones that had the fewest negative experiences made the experience all the more positive and the team more memorable.  In this way, I do believe that high-performing groups are the hardest to leave.  Since everything is going more smoothly due to strong and positive communication the tone is presumably less stressful and more joyful.  Establishing clear norms although well intended might not necessarily help maintain a pleasant environment.  In fact, it may do the opposite.  If group members feel like they are being monitored or directed they will feel more individual responsibility therefore deteriorating the team mentality. 

The group that was hardest for me to leave was the after school program team.  I felt like I was respected for my ideas and enjoyed collaborating with the other staff members.  It was a group that confided in each other professionally and personally.  The group celebrated it successes and reflected on its failures always keeping in mind the vision of creating a fun and safe program for the children.  Closing rituals I have experienced included official meetings to de-brief and non-official staff dinners and gatherings.  These helped solidify the relationships in and out of work as we got to learn about each other in different contexts. 

From the group of colleagues I have formed while working on my master’s degree program I would love to be able to meet face to face sometime, especially at the end.  It has meant so much to me to have like-minded people that I can talk to as I continue my educational journey. 

I feel that adjourning an essential stage of teamwork because it is a chance to support each other one last time.  To thank others for their help and to realize all that you have accomplished together and individually.  Furthermore, the experience becomes a resource to learn best practices and lessons learned to use for future projects (Abudi, 2010).

Reference

Abudi, G. (2010). The five stages of team development: A case study. Retrieved from http://www.projectsmart.co.uk/the-five-stages-of-team-development-a-case-study.html

2 comments:

  1. Hi Rosana, I like your statement, "It has meant so much to me to have like-minded people that I can talk to as I continue my educational journey." It is really hard to find someone that is like-minded as ourselves. Lucky that is this field, we have so many passionate colleagues who are committed to make social changes. I hope in any kind of team group, we can meet with like-minded people to make the teamwork more effective.
    Xiaowan

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  2. Rosana,
    I agree with you that high achieving groups are difficult to leave especially when friendships are formed. When you are able to achieve a common goal for the greater good of humanity and form friendship it is truly a blessing. I have been able to have this relationship many of times and formed lasting friendships and experiences that has helped me mature into who I am today. When you are appreciated for your ideas and perspectives it builds trust and trust is critical in the team building process (O'Hair & Wiemann, 2012).

    Resource:
    O’Hair, D., & Wiemann, M. (2012). Real communication: An introduction. New York: Bedford/St. Martin’s.

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