Leadership in Health Care: Personal Experience in Teams - Essay Example

"Leadership in Health Care: Personal Experience in Teams" is a great example of a paper on the health system.
Health workers have to always work as a team. There are scenarios that were successes to me as I worked with my team.  One of them is when we were stuck in a difficulty and we had to give suggestions on how to handle it. This helped us to learn effectively from each other. This team was a learning team focusing on helping each of the members to learn. The project was a complicated one and it did not seem like one could manage it alone. Teamwork was more effective than if one handled the task individually. As it always happens in teams, conflicts occur. By being able to cope with these conflicts, the interpersonal skills of every individual were developed. In being the leader of this team and in developing my interdependence, responsibility, and self-esteem, I strengthened my personal development and relationships that are not work-related (Barr & Dowding, 2012).

Challenges

One of the challenges that were encountered was power struggles. This is because individuals are different and they hold different opinions and at some point, a leader has to rein in discipline among team members and give each individual a chance to explain his/ her solution. Another challenge is that of having diverse personalities. This calls for an understanding of one other, with the guidance of the leader. Mistrust was also an issue as it barred the team from working effectively.

Characteristics of a Good Team Member

One of the characteristics of a good team member that I embody is that of being straightforward and honest. These team members are to be trustworthy enough not to let out the secrets of the team. They are serious about the task. They tell things as they are, regardless of how they are. A good team member is the one who does their assigned work, and on time (Barr & Dowding, 2012). This member has a sense of fairness and equity which is good for the motivation of other team members. Again, good communication skills were needed, to make someone a good member of a team.  This needs being in a position to put thoughts into words for the other members to understand. Also, a good team member is the one who can be relied on, as they never disappoint others by failing in their duties.

Perceived strengths and skills

Some of the perceived strengths that can be pointed out among the team members are being incredibly organized, being able to get things done by motivating other members, and helping other members resolve their disagreement. Effective organization is seen in how a member organizes others in performing a certain activity, reminding them of meetings, and keeping the team strictly adherent to the agenda of the meetings. The perceived skills are such as being able to communicate effectively and dispense interpersonal skills well (Barr & Dowding, 2012).

Other Team Related Skills to Develop

Apart from the above strengths and skills, there are other team-related skills that I will work to develop through this course. Some of them include being able to research information that is hard to find, taking part more in group discussions, and being patient enough to work in a team. To honor the above skills I have to grasp present opportunities in order to practice and get timely and accurate feedback on the performance.