Teams and team work

The purpose of this class activity was to build an emergency shelter. Our team was made up of 7 people. 2 people acted as the leaders while the rest were blindfolded to reduce their ability to see.  Leaders could see but were not allowed to use their hands. I was in rest of the team. My role in the team involved electing the leaders and collaborating with other team members in erecting the emergency shelter.  Due to the blindfold, it was impossible to see what other members of the group were doing.

The leaders directed the activities, and we collaborated to complete the tasks.  Materials used in building the shelter were regular sheet and toothpicks, rubber bands, sticky notes, and cardstock.  It was challenging to carry out the tasks without seeing what exactly I was doing. However, the guidance of the leaders was important throughout the activity.  After 15 minutes, the activity was complete. We finally managed to compare notes with the rest of the groups.

To my surprise, our shelter was small and could barely withstand the fan on high speed. Some groups had successfully built theirs while others had not met their objectives. However, it was encouraging to know that people can achieve much with proper guidance. The instructions from our leaders played a key role in achieving the results. Individually, I successfully completed my part unlike some group members.   The activity had allowed the group to develop a wholly collaborative but quasi-competitive dynamic. We all pushed each other, and it paid off. While we did not fully meet our expectations since our shelter was not stable enough to withstand the fan on high speed, it was a fun experience. When I look back to the whole experience, I value the contribution that each member brought to the activity. Without this contribution, the activity could not have been completed in time. 

Step 2: Perception

When I was performing the activity, my mind was focused on the goal. It crossed my mind that the activity would not be successful if I failed to play my part well.  As a result, I felt a sense of urgency to do what was required of me.  Other team members also carried out their activities at the desired pace. All I hoped for was a successful completion of the activity. I knew that with good collaboration among team members, we would achieve the desired outcome.

In the beginning, I was anxious and didn’t fully understand what the team was required to do. Some team members were simply excited about the activity ahead. However, the leaders played a critical role at this stage to ensure that members understood their roles and responsibilities clearly.  When the activity began, there was a feeling of cohesion as all members actively contributed to the tasks.  Members explored actions related to the task, shared feelings and ideas. As the activity continued, I developed trust for others and asked for help when deemed necessary. 

Concerning our team performance, I felt proud that we were able to build the structure even though we did not meet our expectations. I thought that just like an ordinary structure, walls should be strong enough to withstand force winds. A well-built structure is much more storm-resistant. This means that the physical geometry of a building determines its aerodynamic elements and how well it can withstand strong winds. Unfortunately, our structure was unstable to withstand wind forces from the fan.   Most importantly, failure motivates me to try again and work harder. Any time I fail to meet my expectations, I learn from my experience. This experience will help me in future.

Step 3: Lesson learned

I learned a lot from the team activity. The experience taught me what it takes to succeed in a team. I gained a hard work ethic from my team experience. I also learned the importance of working as a team as well as the importance of having a common vision among team members.  Additionally, the activity helped me gain important qualities of being a team player. Some of the valuable skills that I obtained and strengthened include how to be a better listener, to be a team player, not to be afraid of constructive criticism and to be a problem solver.

The activity required the use of various skills. Communication skill was the most commonly used throughout the activity.  As a team member, I learned the importance of being able to clearly and succinctly express my ideas to others.  I also learned that a large part of communication involves listening. It would not be possible to achieve what the team achieved without communication.  However, it was clear that working in a team may prove difficult than working as an individual. This is particularly so when team members failed to cooperate.  In relation to the IPE core competency, I learned the importance of collaboration and role clarification. The two elements are critical to the success of any team activity.

Step 4: Plan

I would like to improve on my communication skills.  I was cautious when making my contribution and only did so after soliciting ideas from group members.  In such as group where creativity was needed in order to generate ideas or solutions to the problem, my ability to communicate was crucial. To achieve this, I plan to engage in different activities as detailed in the plan.  The first step in my plan is to enroll into a communication training class. The second step is to learn the art of communication.

a. Training

I plan to enroll in a communications class. In this class, I will learn how to better communicate my message and why individuals choose to communicate in a particular way. I believe that the communication class will be interesting and relatable, specifically because I plan to have constant interactions with others or even engage others in group work.

b. Learn to Listen, be brief and specific

This is the art of communication. People want to be heard. Listening and asking for clarification is important in improving communication. With enough practice, I will learn how to be relevant without giving too much information.

Sherry Roberts is the author of this paper. A senior editor at MeldaResearch.Com in Top Cheap Essay Writing Services. If you need a similar paper you can place your order from cheap reliable essay writing service services.