Final Blog

I would like to personally thank everyone in my group and the rest of the class and Dr. Williams for sharing so much knowledge with me as well as others over the last 8 weeks. This hasn't been an easy journey but I can say I made it through another course and I'm thankful. I have read blogs, discussions and comments in which I've learned a great deal from all of them including the well thought out feedback. I want to wish everyone Good Luck on your journey to your Masters.

Monica Owens-Davis
monica.owens-davis@waldenu.edu

Adjourning

When I think of the 5 stages of team development I can most definitely relate to all o them. The adjourning phase is the last phase in which group members discuss things they have accomplished, things that didn't go right, some things they could have done differently while in the group. When I think of groups I've been apart of I can say that most of my experience with the adjourning phase was mostly we discussed things that resulted in a great outcome and when we come together again for the next project how we can make things go smoother as it relates to working together. In some groups I've been in such as groups at school or work related groups I have kept in contact with some of those people who I worked well with; we decided to exchange numbers for future references. Another positive outcome was once our project was done I have had a few groups to have a final celebration/luncheon. I felt appreciated and that my input in those groups were needed and it made me feel like I mattered and was apart of a group who made things happen. A closing ritual we used was prayer. I'm from the south and we do a lot of praying, not saying other people from other places don't. I feel that adjourning is an essential stage of teamwork because it's a great time to express things that happened while preparing for a project such as goals of the group, accomplishments of the group and failures. It also let the group know who all provided valuable input and how could things have been different and what can be done the next time they all work together.

Conflict/Disagreements

          I've had many disagreements and conflicts with co-workers, family members, and in personal relationships in my life. The most recent conflict I've had is with a co-worker who I've worked with for quite sometime now and she asked someone else something about something I was doing in the classroom. I was at a loss for words because we work together daily and I couldn't understand why she would ask them and not me because we work together. My first thought was to just go off and be real ugly about it since she showed me no consideration when she went to someone else. I ended up taking the high road, first I prayed that the Lord help me hold my tongue so I wouldn't say anything too harsh that could lead to a physical altercation. I did confront her about it all in which she denied and I wasn't surprised one bit, so I talked and let her know that we work together if she need to know anything to ask me and no one else. I also made it my business to let her know we need to respect one another and have to reciprocate that respect. It can't be one of us respect the other while the other doesn't respect the other person. We have to work together as a team and if not someone has to go elsewhere. Needless to say that issue has been resolved and things are going smoothly. The strategies I used was to first talk to the co-worker and the other strategy was to offer suggestions on what she need to know that's going on in the classroom ways we could work together better so that type of conflict wouldn't come up again between the two of us.

Evaluation

  When I thought of how I communicate all I could think of is I speak so that others can understand me and if not I do what's needed so that people get a clear understanding of  what I'm talking about. In every speaking engagement or conversation I've had so far in my life, I give eye contact, I do make some facial expressions which aren't bad like they use to be. I just breathe and go with the flow. I want to have the audience remember some of the things I've said to them. I also want to be a good listener as well in which I am; it took some practice for me to stop wanting to always jump in the conversation while the other person is speaking instead of being a great listening ear. When I'm speaking I often doubt myself because I may think I didn't engage the crowd enough but others will always tell me how great I was and how they love listening to me speak. Others think I'm a skilled professional at speeches or just talking period whereas I don't think I'm that great. I can say that others especially people who don't know us seem to be better at evaluating us.