Thank You

     WOW, I cannot believe that eight weeks have passed and we are once again nearing the end of yet another learning experience.  This journey through Communicating and Collaborating has been inspiring and stimulating in that it has taught me to consider carefully the role I am partaking when speaking with children, parents, colleagues, friends and those dearest to me.  I considered myself to be very observant and a conscious communicator, but now I also pay attention with my eyes in addition to my ears.

     To all that are reading this, please know that your kind words and support guided me through these weeks and it was with your partnership that made this class effortless and sometimes stress-free. Not only have you taught me a lot, but I have also learned from you.  So with all of this being said know that you are appreciated and I could not have come this far without you.  It has been a pleasure working with all of you and I hope we can stay in touch (my personal email is terrim64@yahoo.com). I wish you all success in the future and am thankful that you have made this learning experience lively, exciting, and successful.

BEST OF LUCK TO YOU ALL!!

Stages of Team Development

     In my experience in working within several groups, the hardest for me to part with are high performing groups.  This is because I feel that we all communicated our needs, formed interdependent partnerships while also building self-confidence and all of this resulted in us developing professionally and as individuals.  My recent group experiences have formed primary groups, long lasting groups that form around the relationships that mean the most to their members, which have been asked to come together at other times to work on other specific programs or celebrations.  Abudi (2010) suggest that it is critical to for a team leader to make time to ensure that the team celebrates their successes and capture best practices for future use.  The teams I have recently been on have done just that, we met, took note of what was effective and exactly what needed to be modified or removed all together. 

     I imagine adjourning from my colleagues by communicating regularly (through their personal blog or email) as to the status of their career.  It is through these contacts that I will obtain information as to how the courses we have taken have benefited them and to attain advice on future courses, endeavors, and life in general.  This for me will be the hardest part of our program as we all have bonded and feel a sense of security with each other.  Undoubtedly we have come to know each other and have connected emotionally by meeting the needs (emotionally and psychologically) of each other.  It is essential it that it allows us to revel in our experience and accomplishments while also forming and maintaining friendships to those we may not have met on our own.

References:

Abudi, G. (2010). The Five Stages of Team Development: A Case Study. Retrieved from http://www.projectsmart.co.uk/the-five-stages-of-team-development-a-case-study.html

O'Hair, D., Wiemann, M., (2009). Real Communication: An Introduction. New York: Bedford/St. Martin's.

Disagreements or Conflicts

     Unfortunately, for this assignment, I did not have any disagreements or conflicts this week.  However, I did experience a conflict of ideas between two colleagues regarding the policies and procedures for use of funds for an organization within the school.  One coworker, co-chair of the committee, questioned the validity of set policies and was adamant about why these policies had to remain and could not be amended.  As I listened to this dispute, there was obvious discord on the co-chair’s part.  She was very aggressive in her tone, body language, and use of words towards the person whom was being questioned. 

     What I witnessed was clearly managed unproductively based on her inaccurate perceptions, by one of the parties.  However, the funds advisor remained composed and did not falter by clarifying the facts behind the specific policies and that these rules were not set by our school but by the district, which showed her willingness to foster a healthy discussion which in turn will help everyone on the committee understand and use this knowledge to make better decisions regarding future expenditure.  The strategies which might have helped this situation would have been the use of retreating to the balcony and considering all that has been stated by listening, understanding, and acknowledging what has been said and to address only the specific concerns.  It is always good to consider and offer alternatives while also reassuring the other party of your intent to resolve the issue.

     As I spoke with other individuals involved in the meeting, they were all taken aback by the assertiveness of the co-chair and stated that they have learned to be more effective when involved in conflicts by giving the speaker the opportunity to voice their concern and actively listening, without interrupting or prejudging.  Most agreed that they stop and think of the school and the interest of all parties (not just their personal points of views) before responding, while also stating facts that support their answer.  They all agreed that not all conflicts are made to win, but most try to do their best by getting to the heart of the conflict and working towards an amicable compromise.