What I Have Learnt about Working in a Group - Essay Example

Running header: Reflective Report Student’s name: Name of institution: Instructor’s name: Course code: Date of submission: Introduction This is my personal reflective diary. It is my own reflection on the progress of my learning, especially in relation to my participation in group project and how it has helped my achievement as an individual and as a group member. My experience has surely influenced my perception of group work. Generally, I am pleased with the presentation, both at the personal and group level- not that we did very well (Pavitt 8). On the contrary, we achieved low marks. But it is worth appreciating that we did our best in the presentation inspite of some of us, I for instance, not being good at it. Instead of sitting back and worrying about the performance, I have decided to look on the bright side as well as pick out crucial lessons. For instance, it was a step and a lesson for the many future group projects I may take part in. In addition, there is reason to understand my, and our, weaknesses as revealed in the whole project: planning and presentation (Pavitt 4). For instance, there was a degree of unpreparedness and lack of confidence. From these mistakes, I can make positive adjustments for future projects. In this paper I am exploring these factors in detail. Reflection on Group Achievements I regret to say that I’m not happy about the marks we achieved. Performance is a crucial mirror of effort. This score however offers a lesson, that it is not about ‘how much’ work you do but ‘how’ you do it. Upon reflection now, I realize that we deserved the marks awarded. When I say well ‘deserved’, I do not mean that this is the best we could have done. But it is the best we did. Nonetheless, I am happy about the efforts that each group member put in both the planning stage and the presentation. Still we should have done much better. I think one of the mistakes we did was to let every group member present a section of the paper (Ketchum 123). We did not realize that not all people are good at it. In addition, even if that were so, some people are much better at it than others. In the end, our presentation seemed to have provoked different attitudes and reactions in the audience- capturing in one moment and not as much in the next (Pavitt 9). Unfortunately, the bad is always more visible than the good side. The crucial lesson I have learnt here is that the word ‘group’ should not be literally understood. It does not mean that all group members do the same thing. Instead, it refers to the maximum exploitation of each member’s unique strength(s) to get the best results for the group. What I Have Learnt About Working in a Group A group is a platform where diverse personalities clash directly. This presents new, unforgiving challenges. Groups thrive on tolerance. But this is not as simplistic as might sound. In a nutshell, it means ‘giving something to get something back’. And we faced a number of problems and challenges in the initial stages of our project. Due to the diverse backgrounds of the group member there were different view points. These did affect our analysis process as people could not easily come to a consensus (Pavitt 4). Besides these, we all had our own personal issues. I, for instance, normally take a while to adjust to new people. Thus, initially, I had a problem warming up to my fellow group members. It took me a while to realize that my group members needed me as much as I needed them. Besides, I must not have been the only one with a sort-of anti-social nature. Others may also have had the same problem. I just did not know it. The moment I let myself loose, all my initial tension departed and I found that it was much easier to talk and contribute (Pavitt 13). I became more productive. In the end, working in a group was not only exhilarating, but it also helped me deal with my anti-social problems. I also learnt first-hand that not everything thing is not what it seems. I have heard this for years now, but I interacted with it first-hand during our group project. For instance, one particular group member was sort-of slow (Ketchum 42). During group discussions, he just sat there as if he did not follow or understand. But he seemed to have a way of looking at the big picture. Sometime, during our little debates, he would finally ask to speak and make us see that we were all actually right. Then he would show us how. He automatically became our group leader. He was a good listener. Functional Approach to our Group Work Although I did not consciously notice this during our group discussions and general operations, later I would notice that through our group leader we had adopted a certain method of management and going about our project. We sought to find a common ground from our diverse points of view (Ketchum 43). Generally, we would all debate over a topic, giving informed opinion from previous authentic work, and taking notes as we go. Then once we have done that we would consider the notes and try to pick out an expressed common ground. This is not to say that we took in all points, but those that seemed factual and largely agreeable amongst us. Those whose points were not taken did not feel bad because during the process of arriving at a consensus they would see the sense in our arguments. This approach did work for us. This is in line with Pavitt’s (1994, 1) argument on Functional Approaches. Basically, he argues that a group should be able to understand its needs and the personalities of the people in the group. If these factors are interpreted relatively accurately, then it can be possible to form a working management approach (“Personal Development Program,”). Of course, we did not do these consciously. Instead, everything seemed to have worked itself towards a good point. I would say that the most successful part was that we all finally got to appreciate our different levels of knowledge (Ketchum 123). We did not turn the whole thing into a competition with every member trying to outdo each other. But I must regret that it took us longer than it should have to do grow into each other and unite for the good of our group. But this style also had its limitations. It consumed so much time. Since we wasted time adjusting to each other, our discussion further did. Although we finally got down to work in approach that works for us, by the time the presentations were around the corner, it was too late to assign that task to one or only a few of our group members who could have done a better job (Ketchum 87). To catch up with time, we assigned different sections of the task to different group members. However, we tended to do everything together. We attended the group discussions together and each made a contribution towards the topic of the hour. Unfortunately, we mistook this all-round participation to mean that we could all do everything. All these explain the weaknesses in our presentation. Although this may be mistaken for a “collaborative approach” (Ketchum, 1) to presentation, it is not. Collaborative presentation involves the coordination of the group members in planning the presentation. Ours, since time was running out, is only an amalgamation of bits of individual presentations (“Personal Development Program,”). The overall effect is that the presentation did not sound unified. It actually felt like different presentations based on the same topic. It is a price we paid for lack of group planning and coordination. What I would do again is to be unselfish as I learnt to do- albeit late. Even as our individuality is important, it must not be put ahead of the group. That individuality should only be permitted for as long as it serves the overall good of the group (Ketchum 79). Otherwise it becomes a liability. But I will not mistake overall participation to mean overall strength. Some of us did express loath for presentation. But we mistook it for laziness or lack of commitment and made them do it. The lesson here is that even as it is the group’s place to help each other in our different areas of difficulty, we should appreciate our weaknesses and exploit only our strengths. Conclusion In conclusion, our group work really taught me so much. I have mentioned most of these in the essay; especially the significance of dividing tasks to people based on their strengths (Ketchum 89). And in a way, the group has helped me break out of my social shell. But equally important is the fact that individual work does not just stop there; it is part of a bigger idea. Indeed, I now aim for certain personal developments. These include: working on my intra/interpersonal skills and the importance of time for the sake of a good result. What I’ have experienced in the group is only a small portion of the society. Otherwise, I must have a good relationship with the world that I wish to serve if I am ever to be productive. I can testify to the argument that group works helps one “find more about him/herself, and build better skills of communication and, consequently, relationship-building (“Personal Development Program,”). Works Cited “Personal Development Program,” Youthline.com. Youthline, n.d. Web. Feb. Ketchum, Daniel. Collaborative Approaches to Public Speaking. March 2011. Feb. 25, 2012. eHow.com. eHow, Pavitt, Charles. Theoretical Commitments Presupposed by 25. 2012. Functional Approaches to Group Discussion, Small Group Research, Nov. 1994, vol. 25 no. 4, p. 520-541 Read More