Sunday, March 22, 2015

Group Process Learning



             A group is a collection of individuals that come together to achieve a stated objective (Bass, 2014). Group work promotes cooperative learning, interpersonal relationships, support, communication, and established trust (Johnson et. al., 2002). This document will briefly discuss a group experience while completing a project. Included in this document will be the collaborative strengths as a team and individually, levels of development, and how the group enhanced team performance during the forming stage of the group and any challenges when the performance did not seem as strong as it could have been. Also included is concepts of what else could have been done to further enhance team performance and trust, team –building and performing, and lessons to take with when working within future groups.
Strengths as a Team and Individually
            Working within a group to complete a project can bring about a positive experience.  Each member of the group has the opportunity to express his or her strengths individually and collaboratively as a team member (DeChurch & Mesmer –Magnus, 2010). The strengths collaboratively as a group included, communication, shared leadership, innovation, and dedication. Communication within the group was extremely good at keeping in contact with one another. Various options of communication was offered, such as, via e –mail, Skype, school group communication, and telephone numbers. Shared leadership occurred by giving each individual of the group a chance to lead appropriately. Each member of the group was able to agree on roles and rules for completing the stated objective, understood the deadlines for completion of work, and respected each other’s efforts. Innovation and dedication within the group reflected through the group’s ability to innovate ideas for the project and dedicate the time to efficiently and effectively complete goals. 
            The group was able to collaborate strengths that introduced each group member’s individual strengths. Each group member showed a different strength in project design, organization, project initiation, management, and direction. The group members understood the value of each member’s diverse strengths and differences. The group was able to effectively utilize individual strengths to focus on decision –making and problem solving, and take action if any challenges was presented. Once the group was able to conclude on each other strengths, the group was then able to focus on enhancing team performance. Through a clear focus on the individual and collaborative group strengths, the group was able to share a sense of purpose, interact well together, and defined the group as a whole.
Enhancing Team Performance
            Group development can be viewed through the concepts of stages of team formation. Stages of team formation focuses on forming (group goes from strangers to a united group), storming (pushing against boundaries), norming (resolve differences and gain appreciation), and performing (achieving and accomplishing) (Johnson et. al., 2002). The forming stage of team performance allows members of the group to politely and positively introduce him or herself and get to know the other group members (Johnson et. al., 2002). The individuals of the group each have a diversified set of skills performing independently and intertwining skills within a group project reflects a sum of his or her pooled performance (Bass, 2014). During this stage the group performance depends on discovering the right answers to understanding the project objectives and goals, and group roles and responsibilities (Bass, 2014).  
            The forming of the group opened up opportunities to identify each member’s creativity and strengths. Each member of the group introduced themselves and provided a brief description of him or herself and experience in working within a group setting. Once all introductions and descriptions was completed, the group was efficient in defining team performance. Understanding of team performance included setting up collective goals, motivation, coordinating, and team –back performance. Each member assured that there was a collective comprehension of expected team performance, such as how well the team would meet all valued objectives. The group was clear on how to enhance the team’s performance and steps it would take to ensure that role and responsibilities of the project objectives was followed.
Team Building and Performance Processing
            Team –building and performance processes can unite group members can unite group members around a common goal and generate greater productivity (Slavin, 2011). Team –building is an ongoing process that helps a group evolve into a cohesive unit (Slavin, 2011). The group members not only shared expectations for accomplishing group tasks, but trusted and supported one another and respected one another’s individual differences. The team –building lead to displaying quality strengths of communication, motivation, and the ability to effectively and efficiently work together. Performance processing lead the group to establish shared leadership and built a relationship of trust in the ability to complete goal objectives. The group individual strengths cohesively established a clear idea and comprehension of what was needed in order to accomplish and develop a plan of action toward successful completion.
Working with Future Groups
            Working within a group brings enlightenment of the importance of acknowledging other’s ideas and strengths. Group work encourages interpersonal relationships, communication, cohesive decision –making, problem –solving, and respect other’s efforts and accomplishments (Slavin, 2011). Working within future groups will enable to bring forth skills and abilities learned from previous successful and unsuccessful group relationships. Skills and abilities learned from successful group relationships collaborated individual strengths, enhanced team performance, and supported team members roles and responsibilities. Skills and abilities learned from an unsuccessful group relationship are acknowledging when inhibitors are limiting the team members and goal objectives, when to share or appoint leadership, and the importance of communication.
Conclusion
            Group work and learning is beneficial to gaining experience and meeting a diverse group or individuals. Group experience brings forth strengths of an individual and enables him or her to collaboratively contribute within a group. Group strengths reflect through various communication methods, shared leadership, and a cohesive comprehension of the group’s goal objectives, roles, and responsibilities. Enhancing team performance during the stage of forming enabled the group to present him or herself in a positive and polite manner. The group was able to gain an understanding of the project objectives, determine roles within the group, responsibilities, and plan of action to follow. Team –building and performance processing united the group as a whole to accomplish common goal objectives. Team –building enhanced the group performance, shared expectations, and support. Performance processing enabled the group to understand shared leadership, shared decision –making, and responsibilities.
References
Bass, B. (2014). Individual capability, team performance, and team productivity. Human Performance and Productivity: Volumes 1, 2, 3: 179.
DeChurch, L. A. & Mesmer –Magnus, J. R. (2010). The cognitive underpinnings of effective teamwork: A meta –analysis. Journal of Applied Psychology, 95, 32.
Johnson, S. D., Suriya, C., Won Yoon, S., Berrett, J. V., & La Fleur, J. (2002). Team development and group processes of virtual learning teams. Computers & Education, 39(4), 379 -393.

Slavin, R. E. (2011). Cooperative learning. Learning and Cognition in Education. Elsevier Academic Press, Boston, 160 -166. 

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