Individual Observation Report
The meeting took place at the college pavilion where a group of students arranging a charity event to help the disadvantaged met to work on the strategies to be implemented. The main aim of the meeting was to discuss the milestone that had been achieved and the number of students who had already registered to take part in the event. The participants in the meeting were five members who had initiated the program and, therefore, formed a larger part of the organizing committee for the event. In the team, different members had varying roles designated to them. The chairperson was responsible for seeking administrative support from relevant firms that could support the initiative and, therefore, the members looked out to their leaders to provide key information regarding the interested firms. The role played by the leader was to ensure that the team functions as planned and that necessary steps were taken to ensure the goals and objectives are delivered. The leader was also bestowed with the responsibility to ensure that the relationship among team members remained solid and that small conflicts were dealt with amicably. The vice chairperson was also present and deputized the roles played by the chairperson. The vice chairperson also carried out the role of supervising the undertakings of the rest of the team and ensuring that all members remained active in their roles. A secretary for the group was also present and had the responsibility of recording the events at the meeting, ensuring storage of records and providing members with necessary items they required to perform their roles. The other two members were tasked with the responsibility of organizing the event and keeping those who were willing to participate in the event informed on the steps already taken by the team. The two members were also given the responsibility to reach out to well-wishers through social media platforms including Facebook and Instagram and sending text messages to those who had expressed willingness to participate in the event.
The team communication was effective considering the fact that everyone was given a chance to express their views with members exhibiting appropriate listening skills. Communication was enhanced through an enthusiastic and encouraging atmosphere with disagreements solved amicably ensuring that, in the end, relationships based on trust and mutual respect were restored. Contributions by members were discussed in an accommodative manner to ensure that everyone had an opportunity to add to the ideas of other members and bring out creative ideas. The chairperson played a key role of maintaining a balanced team environment with abilities including problem solving and openness to addressing problems proved by the leader. The group’s climate and culture was based on effective feedback mechanism where every idea addressed was met with satisfactory feedback from fellow members and the leader himself who proved to have extraordinary levels of impartiality to views expressed at the meeting. In case of any contentions regarding the ideas brought forward by the members, the leader intervened and made everyone suggest their own views on the issue in efforts to reach a solution that was acceptable to everyone.
There was no individual dominance in the meeting with every member being given sufficient space to amicably express his or her views. The chairperson played a key role in creating an equal atmosphere by contributing and sharing in the opinions raised just like all other members. All the team members were aware of the shared vision and the mission that was necessary in motivating them to maintain a harmonized environment. The policies of the team clearly encouraged members to contribute equally to promote a friendly atmosphere within the team. With efforts on improving cohesiveness in the tem, all members were aware of the fact that to ensure their goals were achieved, co-operation was a key consideration in the discussion.
Communication patterns shown at the meeting included vertical communication such that the leader was accorded respect by members who acknowledged that authority came from their chairperson. The leader was involved in giving instructions to the members who were keen to express their views on the instructions given with the leader giving them the opportunity to express personal opinions on how they felt about the information delivered. While giving the instructions, the leader proved to be competent in his role as he built confidence among members while exhibiting higher degree of knowhow on the way in which they could approach the charity event. The leader also made relevant communication on the steps taken so far by the team and the relevant corporations that had agreed to support the initiative through making donations in the form of financial and physical resources. The other communication pattern involved horizontal communication where everyone was involved in brainstorming on the remaining activities and ways in which goals could be achieved with minimal hindrances.
The implication of the communication patterns is that they formed the basis through which the team made sure it avoided unhealthy competition in discussing the ideas brought forward while at the same time ensuring that members participated equally. The horizontal communication patterns ensured that the relationship among members of the team remained desirable through trust and respect for all views raised. The horizontal patterns ensured that all members co-operated and that the issues raised were tackled in the appropriate way. The leader played a key role in enhancing vertical communication through giving instructions to team members and providing information on the relevant issues that needed to be addressed.
The instructions from the leader were important since they reminded the members of the goals initially set and the remaining phases that needed to be undertaken to achieve their objectives. Through vertical communication, the chairperson was able to give feedback on the efforts he and his deputy had made in reaching out to organizations to support their initiative.
Improvement on team communication could be done through adhering to the high level interdependence which would see all members getting equally involved in the operations. With the goals made clear by the team leader, the only ways that could be used to enhance effective communication is to ensure that interpersonal differences were dealt with in ways that adhered to the team’s principles that foster independence. Members have to acknowledge the fact that coordination is key to successfully achieving the goals of the team and that the only way to enhance coordination is through effective interpersonal relationships. The group dynamics need to be considered ensuring that members have to acknowledge the reason behind participation in the team’s activities and the fact that they have to respect, encourage and care for other team members to be able to promote relationship based on trust and mutual respect. The leader has to ensure members are given the opportunity to give feedback on any information relevant for the teams’ success with the leader leading by example through making sure that he makes promote communications to members. The team members are likely to emulate the actions of their leader such that in case the leader is unable to make right communication, the members may feel that there is no need to raise their opinions. The leader needs to understand the diverse characteristics of the team members since while some member may be proficient in making verbal communications, others are better when given the chance to give their feedback in writing. This then makes the members to communicate what they feel is best for them easily.
References
Sharma, R., Kansal, M., & Paliwal, P. (2012). Effective and Efficient Team Work: Makes Things Happen More Than Anything Else in Organizations. International Journal of Social Science & Interdisciplinary Research, 154-160.
Tinuke, F. (2013). Towards Effective Team Building in the Workplace. International Journal of Education and Research, 1-12.
Appendix
Information Flow among Members during the Meeting
