TEAM BUILDING AND COLLABORATION- PART 1

“This week you read about the five stages of team development: forming, storming, norming, performing, and adjourning. Consider the adjourning phase for several of the groups in which you have been involved”.

·     Think about which aspects of the groups made for the hardest good-bye.

For me personally it is hard to leave a group after familiarized with each and every individual for who they are. There is a personal bond/relationship already created among the members. The connection makes the members closer to each other as of a family.
It is hard to leave a group in the middle of accomplishing the vision and goals that the group agreed upon.

·         Are high-performing groups hardest to leave?

For me it would be hard to leave a high-performing group because I would enjoy the success of the group. When I see the success of the hard work I have put in as a team/group member it could motivate me to work harder for the better results for the team. As a person who is influenced by strong work ethics, I would have a hard time leaving a high-performing group.

       Groups with the clearest established norms? Which of the groups that you participated in was hardest to leave?

I do not have much experience in participating and leaving groups or teams. But one group that I was involved and had clearest established norms was my previous employment.

·         Why?

It was owned by a former educator. She had all the good intentions, vision, and a great plan. She is a very organized person herself, and she managed a very organized program with very up-to-date rules, routines, protocols and procedures. She was a great leader. Just as Dr .Wolfe explained, the role of a leader also is that they’re the ones who have to represent hope (Laureate Education, 2011). She always represented hope and appreciation of the hard work was never underestimated. The group was a very diverse one and so did the children and families of the program. Everyone respected the differences and valued the opinions. Unfortunately, she had to down size her program. So she decided to move it back to her own home, where she first started. For me it was a long drive and I did not want to work that far away from my kindergartner. So I had to make the unfortunate decision of saying good bye.

·     What sorts of closing rituals have you experienced or wish you had experienced?

I am not a good candidate for any kind closing rituals. I have the tendency of having emotional attachments and at the end I feel sad. But saying proper goodbye is important to me because I believe that the opportunity to meet with the same individuals is possible. When we were leaving the program our director/owner had a get together at her home. She took care of every little detail of the event. It was recognition of service, appreciation of hard work, as well as a saying goodbye. I think it is important to have proper goodbyes because it brings closure to everyone. 

·         How do you imagine that you will adjourn from the group of colleagues you have formed while working on your master’s degree in this program?

I hope that there will be a way for us to keep in touch and share wisdom, knowledge, visions for the best of the early childhood arena. I personally believe that we have an understanding among us and a strong relationship. At the beginning of every course, I look for the names that I am familiar with because of the connection and understanding that I have with my online colleagues. Nothing against the new colleagues, but most of us are working together from the very first course. So we learnt together and learnt from each other so far and this will continue, I hope there will be ways for us to keep in touch.

·         Why is adjourning an essential stage of teamwork?

In the adjourning stage the project is coming to an end and the team members are moving off into different directions (Abudi G, 2011). During adjourning stage group/team members get the opportunity to analyze their success and failures. This is an essential part of the adjourning and very helpful procedure for the individuals regarding the success of their next project. Members may also opt to maintain friendships even if they will no longer be working together (O'Hair, & Wiemann, 2009). I personally believe that adjourning is an essential stage of teamwork.

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.