Personal Experience as a Member of the Project Team - Example

Personal Experience as a Member of the Project Team Name Institution Abstract Teamwork skills are part of the skills required in the professional and academic arena. As a student, it is critical to participate in teamwork in order to achieve these skills. Working in the group will remain a memorable moment because of its impacts in my life. I cannot forget the ups and downs resulting from disagreements and the problems experienced in making acceptable comprehensive decisions. Positive collaboration, clearly defined roles, and clarity of purpose has worked well for the team. However, decision-making has been a major hitch to teamwork. This was a result of team members having differing opinions regarding the best approaches to a problem. In addition, there was a loophole in conflict management. The group emulated Tuckman’s teamwork theory in the development process. The development processes involved include forming, storming, norming, and performing. In order to improve the group, it is essential to consider adequate training, task analysis, conflict management, decision-making, constant evaluation and feedback, creativity, innovation, friendly support and open communication. Introduction According to Thomas, a team is a group people sharing a purpose (Thomas, 1992). Excellent teamwork plays a vital role in fulfilling a common goal in team projects. Every team member has a role to play and may take different responsibilities. In different stages of teamwork, conflicts occur because members have different standpoints that need harmonization. Working in a team project is an easy way that helps students identify issues and solve team-related problems. It has helped me understand the essence of working in a collaborative environment, and taught me how to exercise my interpersonal skills. Teamwork has been the most effective method for learning the appropriate techniques of negotiating with peers and engaging with diverse members. What has worked well? Interdependence is one of the key attributes of effective teamwork (Tarricone & Luca, 2002). Positive interdependence has worked well for the team. Creating positive interdependence within team members requires the participation of every member (Frey, Fisher & Everlove, 2009). In this respect, every member has had a responsibility to play in the team. The team set interdependent goals that required every member to participate. The approach used ensured that every member understood the assigned role, as well as the course objective that must be achieved at the end of the semester. This restrained team members from diverting from the course goals and objectives. Equal distribution of resources ensured that every member had adequate information about the assignment. Everyone understood that it was impossible to complete the task without the contribution of other members. Face-to-face interactions have also worked well for the team. They encouraged the exchange of ideas and prepared team members for the presentations. Individual and group accountability have worked effectively for the team. Every member was aware of the consequences of substantial work on each team member. Group work promoted the frequent use of interpersonal and group skills including the ability to identify one’s strengths and weaknesses. Group members have also learned the importance of having skills in conflict resolution. Ensuring honesty among team members has enabled members have confidence on the works of fellow teammates. What has not worked well? During the teamwork, I realized that making a concrete decision is not an easy task. Morrison (2012) identifies decision-making as a key problem faced by teams. The team lacked effective guidance about making harmonized decisions. Members had diverse opinions resulting to unsatisfactory decisions about ideas that could help the team produce presentable work. In this respect, I am convinced that the team needed a different approach towards decision-making. Personality conflicts were also evident, leading to ineffective presentation of ideas. Punctuality during group work has also been a main hiccup to the achievement of group goals. The outlined group norms where not effective; hence, they could not help members act accordingly to expectations. The needs of the group The group responded to three main needs, which include task, maintenance and individual needs. The need to accomplish something created the ambition to work hard. Failure to accomplish this task would create tension within the team. Secondly, we focused on developing and maintaining working relationships. Members realized the importance of respecting other people’s opinions and paying attention to every activity. Members learned to maintain cohesion by being effective listeners. Consequently, the team survived till the accomplishment of the task. Thirdly, the group recognized the needs of individuals as crucial to the achievement of group goals. It ensured that group membership fulfilled the desires of each member apart from fulfilling the needs of the group. Development and functioning of the group Any team undergoes a series of developmental phases before becoming a fully functional team. Although these stages pose numerous challenges, they are essential for the success of the team. In my view, the approach used in the development of the team resembled Tuckman’s teamwork theory. This theory explicates four phases of group development that include storming, forming, performing and norming (Kandula, 2006). A group consists of several individuals, thus finding group members was the first action needed. The behavior of individual students was driven by the desire to fit somewhere and be accepted by other peers. At this development stage, individuals focused on busy routines such as team organization. The team structure was loose, and norms did not exist. There was confusion because of fragmented communication and lack of sufficient leadership. There was a free and chaotic environment as individuals lacked clear objectives. Trial and error methods hampered communication, productivity and progress. Individuals got acquainted with each other and decided to form a group. I got attracted to students who had similar attitudes and common goals. The balance theory of group formation describes my choice of team members. According to this theory, people get attracted towards a group because of similar attitudes and common goals (Sahu, n.d). The storming phase involves the formation of mutual understanding among group members (Kandula, 2006). There was an agreement that every member would put efforts to secure a clear role in the team. Members collaborated as they made attempts to define issues and the manner to solve problems. At this point, I realized that intra-team conflicts and differences in terms of interests and approaches arose. While some members developed frustrations, others came out openly with their views. At this point, every member became part of the team despite the conflicts about what the team had to do. At this juncture, I noted that the performance of the team was a bit slow because of conflicts and confrontations. At this phase, there may be some loss of performance or focus on the assigned task (The Happy Manager, 2013). I also realized that it was vital to tolerate each team member and their dissimilarities. The norming phase includes a mutual understanding between members, setting a clear conduct code, endorsing leaders and a realistic evaluation of activities that must embrace the overall objective (Kandula, 2006). The assignment aimed at meeting the course objectives. Consequently, the team had to determine a common goal regarding the course. Creating a vision was a necessity for the team to have a clear target. Some members had to drop their ideas and accept the ideas of other members for the team to function effectively. In addition, each group member took responsibility and had the ambition to work for the success of the team. The result of this phase was a substantive team structure ready to achieve a common goal. Finally, the team had to perform the assigned task according to the course descriptions. The performing stage involves increased focus on the task and team relationships (The Happy Manager, 2013). At this stage, there was a lot of focus on oneness and work towards a common objective. Members had to accomplish task-oriented roles through effective planning and execution. Group members worked with a clear purpose and leveraged on the strengths of other members. Cooperating on arising issues was a prime characteristic of this stage. It was easy to note that the commitment of each member was essential for the success of the group. Through the four phases, I learn that effective communication and disciple are crucial to make a team work efficiently and in unity. In addition, mutual respect, trust and understanding are necessary to achieve a common goal. Recommendation on improvement From my experience, course team assignments may bring either negative or positive experiences for students. These experiences may influence students’ attitudes towards team participation. There is a need to provide adequate training for students who participate in teamwork. Course teams can work successfully after spending time on development and training. Sufficient training can enable students understand the dynamics of teamwork and help them create high performance teams. This goes hand-in-hand with training individuals to become leaders. I believe that constant examination of the group is essential for the success of the group. A successful team should examine itself and improve its processes and practices constantly (Healthfield, 2013). This can improve the team’s ability to identify possible failures and move forward. Moreover, providing regular feedback is essential for the team members to stay on track. Feedback works effectively with open discussions that provide positive recommendations on the actions of team members. Open communication is crucial for the success of the team. It involves conducting an open dialogue that enables members express their problems in a non-defensive manner. Open communication is also about being truthful in all aspects of the project. Acting truthfully is crucial for a healthy relationship among group members because it creates a sense of trust. It is unrespectable to expose the secrets of the team or details of the team project without the permission of other members. In addition, avoiding negativity can help enhance the activities of the team. This encompasses shunning feelings of ill-will and jealousy. Team members should not participate in unhealthy or unproductive discussions. Creating team norms is critical for the team to succeed. This refers to a set of guidelines or rules established to shape interactions among team members. They can help to shape the behavior of team members especially in times of conflicts, as well as address issues related to punctuality. With these norms, team members can correct each other’s behavior and eliminate actions that are dysfunctional or activities that may negatively impact the team’s success. Creativity and innovation are also helpful for a team to thrive. This involves coming up with useful ideas that enhance the efficiency of the team. Conflict management is compulsory to solve conflicts within the team (Shine, 2012). Conflicts have been a foremost challenge in the team because conflict resolution was not an easy task. The team can perform well if there are conflict management strategies. A conflict management strategy can ensure that the different opinions of team members do not influence the performance of the team. It can also provide alternate solutions in case of even split of preference. Acting as a good example to one another would also improve the performance of group members. This should involve taking the appropriate actions and making fair decisions that consider the needs of each member. It should also involve recognizing the opinions of other members and using friendly approach to correct members who act against the expected behavior. It is also critical to set ground rules concerning the decision making process. Every member of the group seemed to take authority over the decision-making process, leading to unnecessary conflicts within the team. It can work well if there are decisions concerning who has the final decision or whether decision-making should be through group consensus. Analyzing the task before distribution would also help members understand every aspect of the task. It would ensure that members do the tasks that correspond to their ability, thus avoiding overloading some group members. It can reduce the level of confusions especially in the early stages of group development. Another critical aspect is the creation of a supportive atmosphere within the group. This means providing appropriate assistance whenever needed. Some members may not be as strong as others and thus, may not be aggressive enough to meet the group’s needs. Team members should offer support through guidance and follow-up. Accepting change is also an effective technique of improving the performance of a team. It ensures that the team grows in all aspects thus, avoiding stagnation. Conclusion Teamwork is a core aspect in education because it allows students collaborate and learn how to use interpersonal skills. In spite of the many challenges, my team managed to accomplish the required task in an effective manner. Positive interdependent worked effectively despite some loopholes in the decision-making process. The teams approach ensured that members understood the main aim of the group. Face-to-face interaction promoted effective sharing of ideas among group members. Group and individual accountability ensured that members acted responsibly towards one another and the task. From this experience, I have realized that a thriving teamwork involves understanding goals, communicating openly, acting respectively, acting interdependently, practicing honesty, having a strong sense of belonging, constant evaluation and feedback, and being innovative and creative. In addition, participative leadership and training are essential for the group’s success. Finally, decision-making is a core in the entire process. References Frey, N., Fisher, D., & Everlove, S. (2009). Productive group work: How to engage students, build teamwork, and promote understanding. Alexandria, Va: ASCD. Healthfield, H. M. (2013) Tips for better teamwork. About.com Retrieved 4 June 2013 from http://humanresources.about.com/od/teambuilding/f/team_work.htm Kandula, S. R. (2006). Performance management: Strategies, interventions, drivers. New Delhi: PHI Learning. Morrison, K. (2012). School leadership and complexity theory. London: Routledge/Falmer. Sahu, R. K. (n.d) Group Dynamics & Team Building. India:Excel Books. Shine (2013) 10 Tips for Quality Teamwork. Shine.com. Retrieved 4 June 2013 from http://info.shine.com/Career-Advice-Articles/Career-Advice/10-tips-for-quality-teamwork/1091/cid2.aspx Tarricone, P., & Luca, J. (2002). Successful teamwork: A case study. Retrieved 4 June 2013 from http://www.deakin.edu.au/itl/assets/resources/pd/tl-modules/teaching-approach/group-assignments/case-studies/case-study-edith-cowan-university.pdf The Happy Manager (2013). Teamwork Theory: Tuckman’s Stages of Group Development. Retrieved 4 June 2013 from http://www.the-happy-manager.com/articles/teamwork-theory/ Thomas, G. (1992). Effective classroom teamwork: Support or intrusion?. London: Routledge. Read More