Team Development

When thinking about different groups that I have been a part of, groups that were high-performing seemed to be more difficult to leave. With high-performing groups, there is trust and motivation to get things done. Working a summer job for the same company for many years allowed for a high turnover of employees. When the group that I worked with for one summer worked really well together it was very difficult to move on. I trusted this group of employees and they trusted me. As the leader, I did not need to ask for things to be done but instead they were done since goals were clear and expected. Friendships were formed and I can honestly say that tears were shed at the end of the summer, knowing that some would be moving on to other things the next year. We knew that we could count on each other to get the job done, to pick up the slack if needed, and always for encouragement. This ease of the group is what was hardest to leave. We had a pretty good idea about who would be coming back the following year so we were able to say our goodbyes with an end-of-season party but I wish that I had stayed in touch with some of the group more than I did. I have been with two groups of colleagues during this master’s degree program as I took a break for one course right before my son was born. This break made it difficult to interact with others as I had already gotten to know many of my colleagues in the first group. I am slowly starting to get to know this group but much of the early times where we were really sharing about ourselves is no longer! I imagine that while I will be ecstatic to finish the program that I will miss the great wealth of knowledge that I have access to in all of my colleagues. Adjourning is an essential stage of teamwork as there is an opportunity for reflection on how things went on a project and allows for the team itself to improve in the future.

References

Abudi, G. (2010). The five stages of team development: A case study. Retrieved from https://www.projectsmart.co.uk/the-five-stages-of-team-development-a-case-study.php

Conflict Resolution

Conflict or disagreements  in any situation are extremely uncomfortable for me. I feel anxiety and uneasy until there is some type of solution. With that being said, I try to avoid conflict and disagreements at all costs. Unfortunately, not everything can be avoided or ignored so when I do have a disagreement or conflict I generally try to take a step back so as not to respond in anger or without thinking first.

One strategy that may help a lot, especially with conflict in the workplace, would be to take the Third Side, which includes thinking about conflict from all sides and a larger perspective (The Third Side, n.d.). It is so easy to think that your side is the right side and it so important to take a step back and look at the bigger picture. Perhaps getting advice from the insiders and outsiders as suggested through this strategy will help in conflict resolution while at work as well as at home.

Another strategy that I believe will help with conflict or disagreement is using the Three R’s, Respect, Response, and Responsibility (Cheshire, 2007). Whether working with young children or adults, using the Three R’s will help in communication and care. Giving respect to others is not only something that I practice but also teach to my students as well. Being respectful is an important part of being a person and learning how to be respectful is important at a young age. As I teach about respect I must also make sure that I am using it all the time as well. If I am not giving the appropriate response time to an issue at work, that is neither respectful not following the guideline of response for the Three R’s. When I take a step back, perhaps I take too long to return to the disagreement and that can make matters worse. It is important that I use appropriate wait time for all conflicts.

How do you resolve conflicts in co-teaching classrooms? I have worked in a co-teaching classroom for a few years now and sometimes I am not sure if I always resolve issues appropriately. Thank you in advance for your suggestions!

References

The Third Side. (n.d.) What is the third side? Retrieved February 10, 2018 from http://thirdside.williamury.com/what-is-the-third-side/

Chesire, N. (2007). The 3 R’s: Gateway to infant and toddler learning. Dimension of early childhood, 35 (3), 36-38. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu/courses/1/USW1.47418.201840/db/_85219993_1/embedded/Cheshire_3Rs_2007.pdf

Evaluating My Communication

            This week, I asked my husband and a co-worker to evaluate my communication. I also completed these evaluations about my own communication and overall, the results were similar in most areas. Both my co-worker and husband evaluated my communication for all three assessments and the results were in the same range for each. My own evaluation results were different for both the listening styles and communication anxiety. I was actually surprised that my co-worker and husband both gave the same ranges, especially since they interact with me in such different ways.

            Taking these assessments this week, although the wording in the questions was sometimes difficult to figure out, did help me to really look closely at my communication styles. This task, I believe, is one that should be done periodically, especially in reference to verbal aggressiveness so that self-reflection and change can take place if necessary.

            Reading about perception this week has given me insight into myself and my own communication. When reflecting back upon communicating, we are using self-actualization, self-adequacy, and self-denigration. Self-actualization would be the best way to evaluate your own communication, while self-adequacy would show that you were adequate. I feel as if I lean more towards self-adequacy with communication and can always find something that I could change in future communication.

References

O’Hair, D., Wiemann, M., Mullin, D. I., & Teven, J. (2015). Real communication (3^rd. ed). New York: Bedford/St. Martin’s.