TEAM BUILDING AND COLLABORATION- -Adjourning

“This week you read about the five stages of team development: forming, storming, norming, performing, and adjourning. Consider the adjourning phase for several of the groups in which you have been involved”. 

                                         

·     Think about which aspects of the groups made for the hardest good-bye.

Personally it is hard to leave a group after becoming familiarized with each person and knowing every individual for who they are. There is a personal bond/relationship already created among the members. The connection makes the members closer to each other as of a family. It is hard to leave a group in the middle of accomplishing the vision and goals that the group agreed upon.

·         Are high-performing groups hardest to leave?

For me it would be hard to leave a high-performing group because I would enjoy the success of the group. When I see the success of the hard work I have put in as a team/group member it could motivate me to work harder for  better results for the team. As a person who is influenced by strong work ethics, I would have a hard time leaving a high-performing group.

                                             

       Groups with the clearest established norms? Which of the groups that you participated in was hardest to leave?

Have varying experience in participating and leaving groups or teams; I must say one group that I was involved in and had clearest established norms was my previous university. 

·         Why?

When I left, it wasn't goodbye; it was a see you later occasion.  I knew that even though I was leaving, the group would continue. We still keep the link alive.

                                                  

·     What sorts of closing rituals have you experienced or wish you had experienced?

I am not a good candidate for any kind closing rituals. I have the tendency of having emotional attachments and at the end I feel sad. But saying a proper goodbye is important to me because I believe that the opportunity to meet with the same individuals again  is possible. I think it is important to have proper goodbyes because it brings closure to everyone. 

                                        

·         How do you imagine that you will adjourn from the group of colleagues you have formed while working on your master’s degree in this program?

I hope that there will be a way for us to keep in touch and share wisdom, knowledge, visions for the best of the early childhood arena. I personally believe that we have an understanding among us and a strong relationship. At the beginning of every course, I look for the names that I am familiar with because of the connection and understanding that I have with my online colleagues.  Many of us have been working together from the very first course. So we learned together and learned from each other so far and this will continue. I hope there will be ways for us to keep in touch.

·         Why is adjourning an essential stage of teamwork?

In the adjourning stage the project is coming/ has come to an end and the team members are moving off into different directions (Abudi G, 2011). During the adjourning stage group/team members get the opportunity to analyze their success and failures. This is an essential part of the adjourning and very helpful procedure for the individuals regarding the success of their next project. Members may also opt to maintain friendships even if they will no longer be working together (O'Hair, & Wiemann, 2009). I personally believe that adjourning is an essential stage of teamwork.

 

References:

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

O’Hair, D., & Wiemann, M. (2009). Real communication: An introduction. New York: Bedford/St. Martin’s.