My Experience of Working in a Team - Essay Example

WORKING WITH AND LEADING PEOPLE By Location Working With and Leading People Introduction We worked in teams when handling assignment two, an opportunity that allowed a group of students to work on a series of activities and assessments. As highlighted by Fredrick (2008, p. 448), wworking in a team proved to be a remarkable experience because students with varying talents and competencies were working together. Worth noting is the fact that working together allowed students to approach the activities and assessments from different perspectives. Working with my classmates was a memorable experience for me. I realized that teamwork is one of the most effective strategies for improving productivity. Since we worked as a team, the activities and assessments seemed to be much easier. The learning experience of working in a team is highly commendable because students have the opportunity to share ideas and to benefit from collaborative learning, assertions supported by Gallegos and Peeters (2011, p. 33). This paper will present an in-depth reflection on my experience of working in a team. Benefits of Working in a Team From my experience, working in a team is highly beneficial as it promotes higher levels of efficiency because several individuals work on a task together and have the opportunity to combine their efforts. As identified by Hansen (2006, p. 16), the level of efficiency attained when working in a group is much higher than the efficiency resulting from a single individual. For example, we worked on a series of activities as a team, a factor that registered higher levels of efficiency. For example, we were able to complete the activities in a shorter time span compared to an individual working on the activities alone. Since the team members were willing to cooperate, we completed most of the activities in record time (Volkov & Volkov 2015, p. 269). I noted the difference in the quality of work produced, a factor, which is related to efficiency. Therefore, working in a team promotes efficiency in two different aspects. According to the skills identified by Hughes and Jones (2011, p. 60), a team can produce a higher quantity of work, which meets the expected quality. In terms of speed, the activities were completed in a short time because the group designated different roles and responsibilities for all the members of the team. Working in a team allowed students with different capacities and talents to work together. Therefore, it was possible to undertake a collaborative learning because we share ideas. The sharing of ideas between different members of the team was highly beneficial because each member learned new ideas. As identified by Kliegl and Weaver (2014, p. 210), working in teams brings together different levels of talent, an aspect that can benefit the students. They further assert that working in a team is contrary to working as an individual because it presents an opportunity for sharing ideas. Ku, Tseng, and Akarasriworn (2013, p. 926) support the above arguments by highlighting that Sharing ideas within a team helps the weaker students benefit from the stronger ones. Worth noting is the fact that the instructor ensured that each team comprised of students with different capabilities. The aspect of working in a team allowed all the members to experience a greater sense of accomplishment. The completion if the activities and assessments served as evidence of successful collaboration and collective responsibility. Therefore, all the members of the team were elated because we had achieved positive outcomes (Lim Ha & Ching-Huei 2010, p. 25). I felt excited because I had taken active participation in the teamwork and my team proved to be the best scoring high marks in the different activities. Therefore, I experienced a remarkable sense of accomplishment and I was grateful for the mutual support experienced throughout the teamwork activities. It was an exciting experience to work together on similar goals and develop learning strategies together. Interestingly, the team successfully handled some of the activities that would have proven difficult for me as an individual (McKinlay, Pullon, & Murdoch 2014, p. 333). It was a remarkable experience for me and I had the conviction that working together can perform magic because we were able to tackle challenging activities successfully. Working in a team presented me with other benefits such as the development of interpersonal skills. According to OLeary and Woods (2008, p. 202), if one is to function effectively in a team, he or she must have effective interpersonal skills. Therefore, I learned how to communicate effectively and to remain assertive while respecting the opinions of others. Also, working in a team allowed me to identify my strengths and weaknesses. I recognize that I was not a good listener and that I needed to sharpen my listening skills if I wanted to be successful in team works (Parker 2009, p. 66). At the beginning, I found it difficult but with time, I learned how to allow others to express their ideas while I listened keenly. In my view, working in a team promoted self-awareness and registered personal benefits. Personal Contribution as a Team Member and as a Leader During the recruitment and selection process, I contributed immensely as a team leader. At that stage of the team formation, I provided a purpose for the team by developing an acceptable vision and selecting members who were willing to work towards such a vision. I helped the team members realize that each of them had a critical role to play if the team was to be successful. Therefore, I highlighted to the team that we needed to deliver quality work in all the activities and assessments and ensure that we completed all the assignments before the set deadlines. Additionally, I convinced the team members that the outcomes of the team work would be shared accomplishments. According to Rakestraw Jr (2014, p. 45), teams need to realize that success is shared because it results from an effective collaboration between all the members. Moreover, I ensured that we developed a set of shared values that would propel the team to success. We identified shared values such as respect, collective responsibility, open-mindedness, and resilience and created an environment of trust, open communication channels, and collaborative teamwork (Raths 2013, p. 19). As a team leader, I ensured that all the members recruited to my team realized that the activities and assessments would explore their potential to the fullest. For this reason, the team members were aware that they needed to bring in their best talents and competencies. As a team member, I realized that my active participation and contribution was required in all the activities and assessments. For this reason, I was ready to handle all the tasks designated to me and I ensured that I delivered quality work within the periods of the team. As a team member, I consulted other members on how we would approach different tasks and activities because I appreciated the collaborative efforts of all the members (Rolih 2013, p. 111). I understood the objectives and goals of the team as well as the shared values and I was willing to work towards the achievements of all the goals. I respected all the team members and the leader and appreciated their contribution as well as the talent they brought to the team. I was happy that the recruitment and the selection process brought together like-minded people with whom I was willing to collaborate. Problems that Occurred During the Activities When the team began the activities, we had several conflicts between team members. The conflicts emerged from disagreements when members were discussing certain ideas. The members were unable to agree on the most effective perspectives when handling some tasks (Staines 2010, p. 63). Some team members had the conviction that their ideas were the best. For this reason, the conflicts served to derail the completion of the activities. The existing conflicts led to a measure of disrespect for some members. Worth noting is the fact that some members did not have the expertise in defending their ideas while respecting the views of others. Other members were not willing to adopt the views of others. It had taken some time before the team leader ensured that all the team members recognized the value of respect. The team leader exercised authority and called a meeting in which the conflicts were resolved. The team leader highlighted that respect was of critical importance if the team was to be successful in the completion of all the activities (Tabatabaei & Lam 2013, p. 79). The team leader led a fruitful discussion that resolved all the issues and saw members apologising to each other. After the issues had been resolved, the team members decided the way forward together appreciating the importance of compromise and negotiation. Team Members Contributions towards Achieving Specific Goals In my view, all the team members willingly and actively contributed towards the achievement of the team’s goals. For example, the team decided that it needed to complete all the assignments before the defined timeframes. Therefore, all the team members completed their designated tasks, allowing the team to submit its assignment in good time. The team was committed to producing quality work and all the team members exhibited a commitment towards the delivery of quality work (Tombaugh & Mayfield 2014, p. 78). The team also decided to undertake a rigorous exchange of ideas so that all the members could benefit from collaborative learning. Throughout the activities, each team members undertook research and shared new ideas to the team. Therefore, all the team members benefited immensely from the activities. Although there were a few challenges and disagreements, the team members were able to collaborate effectively. Conclusion Evidently, working in a team proved to be a memorable experience in completing assignment two. Working in a team prepared me for future teamwork in my workplace. Most importantly, working in a team allowed me to develop interpersonal skills and work on my weaknesses. Working in a team registered higher levels of efficiency and promoted a sense of accomplishment after the team achieved positive outcomes. Although there were some conflicts, all the team members benefited immensely in learning how to resolve conflicts and focus on the goals of the team. Bibliography Fredrick, TA 2008, Facilitating better teamwork: analyzing the challenges and strategies of classroom-based collaboration, Business Communication Quarterly, 71, 4, pp. 439-455, Business Source Complete, EBSCOhost, viewed 24 June 2015. Gallegos, P, & Peeters, J 2011, Research: A measure of teamwork perceptions for team-based learning, Currents In Pharmacy Teaching And Learning, 3, pp. 30-35, ScienceDirect, EBSCOhost, viewed 24 June 2015. Hansen, RS 2006, Benefits and Problems with Student Teams: Suggestions for Improving Team Projects, Journal Of Education For Business, 82, 1, pp. 11-19, ERIC, EBSCOhost, viewed 24 June 2015. 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