Personal and professional experiences in team group dynamics

¶ … Team Experiences

Working in a team is a skill set that everyone must learn. There are many classes and professions that require individual work, and nearly just as many that require teamwork at some point as well. In my experience, I have had successes and failures working in teams. Last semester in a physiology course, I had to work as part of a team for a final presentation. The presentation took place before the class, the department, and faculty members of the departments, so at least I know I felt some pressure to do well. My team prepared for several weeks. The preparation was not entirely smooth. Management of the team proved difficult. Conflicting opinions and tensions ran rampant throughout the group. We disagreed about many aspects of the experiment and the presentation. The disagreements were fierce and proved to be the greatest challenge of the experience.

I had more than one role on this team. I had the responsibility of planning and organization. I prepared the experiment and the parameters. The experiment had to do with the effect upon blood pressure with regard to the consumption of salt considering factors such as age and gender. Overall, I had to decipher the interaction between salt and blood pressure within the confines of the human body. In the team, I also gathered the data. I compared and analyzed experiment samples. My other role was in the preparation of presentation materials that represented our data and findings. Therefore, I had quite a few responsibilities and quite a bit at stake during this presentation.

Challenging situations often bring out the skills we already have and make apparent the skills we do not. From that experience in a team, I built skills in socialization and interaction. I had to work hard specifically to stay positive and creative an environment that supported positivity. My communication skills additionally improved. I realized that I need more work in skills revolving around conflict and team management. I need to learn how to manage people better and I need more skills in conflict resolution.

In this course, I would like to develop skills in conflict management certainly. I also need to improve in my negotiation. I really am interested in learning how to handle conflicts effectively and learning what makes a small team more efficient overall. I want to also improve my leadership skills, empowering my other team members to succeed. I think it is important that a team feels confident and assured -- that there is trust present in the team so that confidence ensures a quality team experience. I additionally have interest in learning how to boost and maintain morale among the team.

I can contribute to the success of this class and my future teams. Having an open mind will facilitate this. I will be more supportive of myself and my own ideas, which will help me be more supportive to others. If I cannot support myself, how can I learn to really be supportive of others? Confidence begins from within. Setting ground rules and team expectations is another contribution I can bring to current and future teamwork. Recognition and support that each team member will bring different strengths and styles to the team is something else I can contribute. Teams often work because of the complementarity of skills, styles, and personalities. A boring team would be one with members that are all the same. This is the kind of attitude I will bring to the table that will help my team and I be more successful.