Working At A Team Takes Patience And Determination

Working in a team takes patience and determination. Initially during our class, I was able to enjoy the aspect of creativity which came while working in groups of 2 or 3 people. After the initial two weeks of team building, I felt that I was getting to know my classmates better. It was at this time when the idea of a large group project became an assignment. The article by Garvin and Roberto summarizes it well by pointing out that breaking into subgroups allows people to feel more comfortable. What was interesting and fun now became work and a challenge. My small group of two was now a large crowd of six. Strategic planning started off well. Each member was given a topic to research in reference to our land project. The initial idea†¦show more content†¦In my opinion because we allowed each person to research such large buckets we were all over the place. There was a moment when we were all talking at one time, truly having a rigorous debate. Shakema was becoming more frustrated as Rob, Seema and myself battled for the floor to voice what we thought were great ideas. At one point I stopped talking because it was impossible to get a word into the conversation. During my silence Roshni made eye contact with me and decided to calm the group. Wilson summarized it well in the 2005 article The Study of Small Group Interaction, â€Å"The motives of belonging that a person brings to a group affects the developmental potential and direction of the group.† We quickly realized that we were going nowhere and began to work as a team. The reflective mindset played a large role in our group’s success. We were able to manage the relationships with each other as we came to the table with different ideas. In reflecting back on this situation, I realized that I learned how to listen which was the easy part. Being willing to have my mind changed however was challenging. I think when a person feels that their idea is a good one, it is often hard to compromise. However it suddenly became clear that conflict and critical thinking can be productive if used constructively. â€Å"It takes a village to raise a child.† This quote demonstrates the fact that