Introduction
This paper deals with assignment 4 we have completed and its evaluation. To analyze any event, it is helpful to use Gibbs’s reflective cycle (Jasper 2003). This framework helps focus on the major aspects of any event and project. Thus, I will provide a brief description of the work. I will reveal my feelings and evaluate the teamwork and my work within the team. The paper includes an analysis of the work and I will draw some conclusions.
I will develop a specific personal action plan to develop certain skills which will help me in my future career. In this paper, I will reflect on the experience of teamwork and the way it affected me. This paper also includes a description of certain challenges our team had to face. Finally, I will also speculate on the way teamwork affected my attitude towards accreditation.
Description
For this assignment, the class was divided into groups. I was in group three with four other students. We had three meetings where we dealt with crucial issues. The first meeting was an introductory meeting and the members of our team introduced themselves. Admittedly, learning more about each member of the team is essential for efficient work (Belbin 1982). It turned out that the members of our team were involved in different fields related to healthcare.
The second meeting was devoted to discussion of the subject and sharing ideas. Each member of the group made a presentation on the matter. The last meeting was devoted to planning. Admittedly, any team must have specific goals and a concise plan to reach the goals (Covey 1994). It is also crucial to distribute roles among the team members (Berkun 2005). Thus, we distributed roles and chose the leader of the group. We also worked out our schedule. We decided to use online sessions for further meetings and updates on the project.
Feelings
I had never worked in a team, so I was worried about the project. I did not know what to do and I had doubts concerning the effectiveness of our team’s work. I was also worried as I was not sure that I could be an effective member of the team for I had not had any experience in accreditation. It was a great relief for me to find out that one member of our team had some experience in accreditation. It was quite stressful to find out that the team members had opposing views on the matter as some were strongly against accreditation while others supported this idea. Eventually, we managed to come to a single conclusion and set deadlines. However, I was really upset when I read the first draft after we had joined all the parts. The parts were written by different people who had different styles. It was challenging to make the paper a complete whole.
Evaluation
Though it was quite challenging, I find this experience beneficial for me as I have learned a lot about working in a team. Now, I can listen to myself and self-develop, which is the most important for a person (Butler 1981). Experiential learning is seen as one of the most effective ways to gain experience (Kolb 1984). I agree with this now as I learned a lot while working in a team. I know how to exchange ideas and collaborate with people of different personality types.
The work was efficient as each member of the group contributed equally to the success of the entire group. Some members helped organize ideas and others helped manage time, etc. As for the most serious challenges, we had certain problems with the process of decision-making. I believe the team spent too much time planning and discussing things, which is ineffective and can jeopardize the project (Arden 2003). It was also difficult for me to accept other people’s views. Nevertheless, I am sure that teamwork needs to be able to find compromises or even accept others’ viewpoints.
Analysis
It was rather difficult to work out a unified point of view on the matter as members of the team had different opinions. Moreover, the members of the team had quite different personality types. It is essential to understand a personality type of a partner as it helps predict his/her behavior and reactions (Rollinson 2008). At the same time, Brain (2002) states that a team where members have different personality types can be also beneficial. I agree with that as I witnessed the benefits of collaboration with people of different personality types. Thus, extroverts in our team helped come to an agreement and effectively share ideas, while introverts helped create the schedule and accumulate data.
Conclusion
In general, this was a beneficial experience for me as I met new people with different backgrounds and personality types. I also learned to collaborate with them efficiently. I will be able to employ this experience in the future. I understand that people differ in terms of their personality types. While working in the team, I changed my attitude towards accreditation. Now, I know that it is difficult to introduce accreditation to any organization. On top of that, it is essential to work out the culture of the organization and train teamwork before introducing accreditation to this organization.
Action Plan
As has been mentioned above, I learned a lot. Nonetheless, I also need to work on my communication skills. Covey (1989) notes that it is essential to be able to listen correctly and react properly. I have to learn to listen carefully. I should also learn to make sure I understand everything clearly. I have to learn how to make the right questions to avoid any misunderstanding and extract the information I need. It can be also helpful for me to learn how to articulate ideas properly to be able to support my opinion. Therefore, I will have to improve my skills to work within a team effectively.
Reference List
Arden, P 2003, It’s not how good you are, it’s how good you want to be, Phaidon, New York.
Belbin, M 1982, Management teams why the succeed or fail, Butterworth-Heinemann, London.
Berkun, S 2005, The art of project management, O’Reilly Media Inc., Sebastopol, CA.
Brain, C 2002, Advanced psychology: applications, issues and perspectives, Nelson Thornes, London.
Butler, PE 1981, Talking to yourself: learning the language of self-support, Harper and Row, San Francisco.
Covey, S 1989, The seven habits of highly effective people – powerful lessons in personal change, Simon & Schuster, New York.
Covey, S 1994, First things first, Simon & Schuster, New York.
Jasper, M 2003, Beginning reflective practice, Nelson Thornes, London.
Kolb, D 1984, Experiential learning: experience as the source of learning and development, FT Press, London.
Rollinson, D 2008, Organisational behaviour and analysis: an integrated approach, Pearson Education, Essex.