Efficient Communication with the Group - Essay Example

Individual Reflection Report Name Date Course Individual Reflection Report Introduction Team work is increasingly becoming common phenomenon in most of the business organizations and learning institutions. This has made it important for individuals to develop knowledge and skills with regards to operations. The concepts of teamwork require a lot of participation from each member in order to ensure that the team is able to achieve its goals and objectives. The roles of each of the team member should also be clearly defined in order to ensure that all the members perform their duties (West, 2012). The interaction among the group members is significant in determining the success of the group. Conflicts within a group are usually common due to the divergence in opinions. However, the interaction and problem solving mechanisms that have been put in place within the group determines the ability of the group to be successful during the process. I was involved in a group work process that was involved in the operation of a business plan for a shoe selling company. Several lessons were learnt during the process. The group was able to achieve its goals and objectives despite a few challenges. This paper is a reflection of the group performance and personal contributions towards achieving the goals and objectives of the group. Discussion Lessons learnt I played an active role during the group work process which contributed to learning different lessons with regards to the roles that I played. During the group work, I learnt an essential lesson which involves problem solving. Although I had been allocated a specific task to perform for the group, it is difficult for an individual to come up with all the information required. This is because of the different aspects can be viewed from a different viewpoint. The individuals should thus present their ideas to the group and ensure that all the members discuss the ideas presented. This is important in enabling the group member to give their views and hence strengthening the points presented by the individuals. The discussion with the members is also useful in adding more information that enables the problem solving process to take place. According to the team work theory, it is important for the group members to ensure that the contributions of the members are analyzed by the entire group (DeChurch, 2010). This is also important in correcting any mistakes or assumptions that the individuals make in their findings. I also learnt that that discussing the individual contributions in the group also brings about new ideas and hence impacting positively on the problem solving process. As an active member of the group, I also learnt that it is important to give the group members an opportunity to critique the ideas presented. This plays an essential role in highlighting any weakness of the ideas that have been presented. I learnt that motivation within the group is an important process. This is because it plays an essential role in boosting the morale of the team members and hence encouraging them to participate actively. As a leader in team, I learnt that the group members usually participate actively in the processes of the team. The motivation of the team members can be carried out through recognizing the good performance of the team members. Announcing the important contribution that the member has made in the group is important during the motivation process. On the other hand, I also learnt that motivation is important in inspiring the members to actively participate in the group work processes. Healthy competition within the team is also important in ensuring that the group is able to achieve its goals and objectives. Motivation in the group plays an important role in creating a healthy competition within the group. This is because each of the group members is motivated to perform better for the purposes of being recognized. This leads to a healthy competition which improves the general performance of the team. According to the group work theory, healthy competition within a group plays an important role in encouraging all the members to participate in the group processes. I learnt that some of the tasks may be difficult for the group members to perform. This therefore requires the motivation of the team members in order to encourage them to perform the complex tasks. Different forms of motivation can also be used to inspire the team members. I also learnt that it is important to ensure that a good relationship is developed among the team members. This plays an important role in encouraging the team members to work together. Developing a good relationship among the team members ensure that the members are able to freely interact with each other. Increased level of bonding among the team members is achieved through the development of a close working relationship among the team members. According to the group work theory, the presence of a good relationship in the group plays an important role in ensuring that the group members know each other better (Salas, 2008). This is important for the group as it promotes consultations among the group members. I also learnt from my role as a leader in the group that developing a good relationship among the members is important in reducing conflicts within the group. The reduction of conflicts within the group is because the members know each other well and hence reducing the incidences of conflicts among the team members. The development of a good relationship among the team members is also important in ensuring that the members are acquainted with each other and thus impacting positively on the team processes. The success of the team is dependant on how the members relate with each other. The coordination of activities within the group is simplified when the members of the group have a good relationship with each other. The lack of a good relationship among the team members leads to the failure of the group to achieve its main goals and objectives. I also learnt from my role as a leader in the team that each of the team members has a unique quality and capabilities. Not all the members of the group are the same in terms of knowledge and ideas. Some of the group members are more knowledgeable that others when it comes to the group activities. However despite this each of the group member has some unique quality which contributes positively to the operations of the team. It is thus important for the group to ensure that the opinion of each of the member is taken seriously. Each member should be allowed to express their opinions regardless of how divergent it may be. This is because it the opinion may have some important information that can be used by the team for the purposes of solving problems. According to the group work theory, it is always important to ensure that the contribution of each of the group member is taken seriously. It is also for this reason that it is important to ensure that each of the group member is given an opportunity to contribute towards the processes of the group. The uniqueness of the group members should be used as an asset by the group at it has a positive impact on the operations of the group. I learnt that each idea in the group counts and it is not good to judge the group members due to the contributions that they have made. Efficient communication with the group is important in terms of ensuring that the operations of the group are successful. I learnt that the presence of an efficient communication enables the group members to clearly understand their roles. The coordination of the activities of the group is dependant on the communication process. This means that the group has to put in place an efficient communication process that enables each group member to fully understand their roles. The presence of an efficient communication process within the group is also important in ensuring that all the group members understand the progress of the group and what needs to be done in order to improve the group performance. I also learnt from my roles that it is important to ensure that efficient communication channels are used. This is for the purpose of ensuring that each of the team members receives any information and fully understands it. The coordination of activities within the group is dependant in the communication process (Xyrichis, 2008). It is also important to consult the group members regarding the suitable communication mean that should be used. This is for the purposes of ensuring that each of the group members is comfortable with the communication method being used in the organization. It is also important to ensure that a feedback mechanism is also put in place within the organization. I learnt that receiving feedback from the team members is important in making improvements on the operations of the team. Recommendations In order to improve on the operations of the team in future, it is recommended that the group should put in place an effective feedback mechanism. The feedback mechanism should ensure that the members are able to give their feedback at any time. The communication mechanism should also be enhanced in order to improve on the feedback mechanism within the group. The group should also ensure that it makes the individual contributions of the members more visible. This will play an important role in ensuring that the incidences of social loafing are reduced. In some incidences, the participation and contributions of the individuals is much lower as compared to when they are working on an individual basis. This means that the motivation of the members should be increased within the group for the purposes of encouraging the members to actively participate in the processes of the group. It is also important to ensure that the all the group members are fully aware of the concepts of motivation. It is also recommended that the monitoring and evaluation of the performance of the group should also be encouraged. This is for the purposes of ensuring that the group is able to make improvements on its processes. A proper monitoring and evaluation is thus important for the purpose of enabling the group to carry out its tasks effectively. It is also recommended that the group should focus on the development of new skills and ideas in order to promote innovations. This is useful during the process of solving problems. Conclusion In conclusion, it is evident that various lessons were learnt from the group work process and the role played. The presence of effective communications is important for a group as it ensures that all the members are aware of the processes taking place. It is also evident that each group member is unique and has the potential of contributing unique ideas which is important in during the process of problem solving. Motivation is also important in the group as it improves on the performance of the group. It is also evident that motivation contributes to positive competition and hence improving on the performance of the group. Developing a good relationship among the employees is also useful in ensuring that the conflicts within the group are minimized. It is also important for the group to ensure that an efficient feedback mechanism is put in place in order to enhance its operations in future. The success of the group work is also dependant on the coordination of activities and problem solving skills. Every group member should also be given an opportunity to contribute towards the success of the team. List of References West, M, 2012, Effective Teamwork: Practical Lessons from Organizational Research, Chichester, West Sussex, UK: BPS Blackwell. DeChurch, L, 2010, "The Cognitive Underpinnings of Effective Teamwork: a Meta-Analysis", Journal of Applied Psychology 95 (1): 32–53. Salas, E, 2008, "On Teams, Teamwork, as well as Team Performance: Discoveries and Developments", Human Factors: The Journal of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society 50 (3): 540–547. Xyrichis, A, 2008, “Teamwork: a Concept Analysis”, Journal of Advanced Nursing 61 (2): 232–241. Read More