Reflective Writing on Teamwork Task - Assignment Example

Topic: Reflective writing on teamwork task to find out reasons why Coca-Cola decided to invest in Innocent brand and the advantages and disadvantages of this ownership.

Introduction

A reflective log of my experience in teamwork roles while undertaking the management lectures. My efforts to do further personal studies and group discussions made it easier to understand more concepts relating to the various components of management. To complete the course outline, we were required to perm a teamwork activity and incorporate the various concepts learned learning process (Gurrie, 2015).

Teamwork has always been credited for more effective results and this is dependent on the efficiency and the strategies adopted by the group members to deliver the delegated task. In this session, our group was randomly selected from the class to discuss a topic and present to the lecturer a reflective log highlighting the different activities involved in the process (Boddy, 2017). We were assigned the role of finding out the various reasons why coca cola, a non-alcoholic producing drinks company decided to invest in the Innocent Brand of products. In addition to that were expected to discuss the advantages and disadvantages associated with this form of ownership(Singh, 2017).

The group was composed of 6 members from the class although some two members were not available following unknown reasons to the members. One of the remaining members was having some challenges and hence they could not contribute fully to some activities of the group since she was having depression and was only able to attend the discussions and the various meetings (Gurrie, 2015).

Reflection on teamwork

To start off the activities of the group, I and one of the group members agreed to find the contacts of the various group members and form an online group to discuss the way forward. The first agenda was to select a group leader who would guide us throughout the task then agreed on the date for the first meeting to start off the main process. Since most of us had been involved in group discussions and teamwork responsibilities earlier, we all agreed that we would adopt the Tuckman and Jensen’s model of group development to maximize the productivity of the group. This would also ensure that all members available actively participate in the process (Boddy, 2017).

To form a real live group, the team leader started off by facilitating an interactive meeting where members got to know each other. Owing to the limited task and limitation quorum, the team leader guided us through the expectation of the group and mentioned some of the critical issues which we had to prioritize. The objectives and some of the possible challenges likely to be faced were also extensively discussed (Beebe, 2013).

We noted that we had to have vast roles to accomplish the task within a limited duration and members and briefly discussed some time management skills which the team leader emphasized were very crucial to enable us to meet the objectives of the group. The values of discipline, commitment and communication skills were included in the key values required from the group members. We agreed to be sending our team member who was going through depression emails on what we will be discussing and also inform her progress made the group (Schmidt-Wilk, 2017).

Personal role in the group

Having accomplished the above task, we distributed the different roles outlined among ourselves according to the personal skills and capabilities of the different members (Beebe, 2013). The member who was unwell was given the task of writing the introduction since it was easy to draft. I volunteered to collect data since I have strong communication skills which would enable me to conduct interviews effectively. This was also motivated by my passion for research work which has seen me do several research projects both at school and in the society. I was assigned an additional role in preparing a schedule which would monitor the progress of the group in relation to the available time (Combe, 2014).

Data collection process involved conduction of some interviews with some management team from both companies. The internet played an enormous role as it was my main platform for my data collection by reading peer-reviewed articles and online interviews (Martynova, 2014). I was able to acquire basic financial reports for both companies pre and post the ownership changes which guided me in analyzing the financial impact of the partnership.Social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter were crucial to getting responses from the consumers of both products concerning their view on the partnership project of these two companies. I distributed some questionnaires to some students which enabled me to find out on customer preferences following the partnership (Boddy, 2017).

The scheduling model was generated using an online schedule making which was easy to use, access, efficient and requires less time than manual drafting. This enabled me to save enough time to concentrate on the data collection process (Beebe, 2013).

Key personal skills employed

Time management skill is essential for the effective accomplishment of any delegated task. My competent skills such as prioritization of various roles, self-discipline, elimination of time wasters in my daily schedule, and ensuring the creation of daily to-do list played a major role. Punctuality enabled me to conduct interviews with some individuals who had earlier insisted on the punctuality since they had a busy fixed schedule (Kim, 2010).

Communication skill is very essential in the modern world and involves the ability to communicate effectively through writing, behavior, speech or use of signals (Bartol, 1998). I made efforts to form and sustain trust and good rapport with my interviewees, ensured that my questions were good structures and clear to avoid ambiguity during the interview sessions (Boddy, 2017).

Through my participation in the group, flexibility was among the few skills I noted I needed to improve on in the subsequent projects. Some of the activities required often derailment from the usual schedule which would inconvenience subsequently affecting reducing my productivity in the group (Martynova, 2014). The team leader commented on my inability to perform multiple tasks and cope with adjustments initially but improved eventually.

Knowledge gained understanding of the range of events that can be created for group assignment

Through the entire process, I learned to appreciate the role of teamwork and the various stages of group formation. The Tuckman’s group development theory which I can relate to the various events of our group enabled us to understand better the different dynamics involved in teamwork activities (Combe, 2014). The skills and the different strategies applied in teamwork can be used both at school levels and for workplaces. The merging of the individual abilities and strengths has contributed to the success of various organizations. Division of labor and breaking down of the delegated responsibilities to various manageable tasks makes the work easier. I learned that management requires delegation of various roles to archive expected outcomes (Lenz, 2007).

Challenges in teamwork are unavoidable including personal problems to the structural shortcoming. For our team, the only challenge was structural whereby most of the members felt that the task was too complex for a small group. This was as a result of the failure of some members to participate consequently making the group members work under pressure (Bartol, 1998).

Conclusion

My three key learning about teamwork are:

1. The success of a team is determined by the sense of integrity, shared values, commitment and working as a common unit.

Through the study, I realized team members tend to grow a bond in forming the group which is sustained throughout (Kim, 2010). The bond allowed members to be free to share ideas, motivate the other members and learn from each other. Eventually, the group was able to work as a common unity with common goals and level of commitment hence the effectiveness in delegating our responsibilities. This can be useful in my workplace as teamwork with colleagues can result in improved productivity of the employees (Lenz, 2007).

2. The team leader is the main driving force the effectiveness of the outcomes is dependent on his ability to bring about a paramount and encourage teamwork.

This was a recommendable observation from the team leader who was fully committed to the activities of the group and we all were motivated by his enthusiasm. This was a lesson I ought to remember throughout my career that success of group members is dependent on my leadership skills in cases where I will be delegated the responsibility of a team leader (Combe, 2014).

3. Working as a group promotes teamwork which is an essential tool for development of skills and innovation through brainstorming.

I learned that working alongside other group members one is able to realize some weaknesses and deficient skills which they can work on to better their productivity in future teamwork activities. This encourages me to participate in more teamwork activities both at school and work to be more competent in management techniques (Martynova, 2014).