Residential Trip – A Reflection

Residential Trip – A Reflection
Introduction
Reflection constitutes a very crucial aspect of any task. Reflection is termed as the
process of describing a specific incident and using it as the basis upon which evaluations are
done to gain a better understand of the practice and the outcome achieved (Bowden, 2003).
Reflection provides us with a closure regarding the activity done, and helps to integrate the
learning that took place in the task performed. In this essay, I will give a reflective account of the
residential trip I went to as part of our curriculum. In the trip we were given different tasks which
are to be performed in groups. We were a group of 6 and had to complete various tasks as a
teamwork. The various tasks I performed helped me to assess various skills that I possess. In the
essay, I will discuss my feelings, and thought about what went through in those tasks and what I
learned from them about myself. I will base the reflection upon Gibbs Reflective Model. Further,
I will link each events I performed with the personality tests taken during the course learning,
which will help to correlate the skills I possess. Additionally, I will also provide an academic
reference for each event, proving the point I am making.
The event was a great learning experience, and it helped me to come out of my shell and
understand my potential. I was looking forward to going in this residential trip, as the various
activities will help me to not only know the team members well, but it was also a great
opportunity to hone my professional and personal skills. The great amount of activities that was
going to take place in the trip made me excited. As stated by Jane Cooper, residential trips that a
great way to connect with the nature and it is a new experience for people like me who are city
dwellers (Cooper, 2018).
The Myers Briggs Test reveals that I am an Extraverted (25%), Intuitive (12%), Feeling
(25%), and Judging (35%) - ENFJ type of person. As an extrovert (25%), I am good with
handling people and enjoy interacting with them. I seldom feel shy and do not hold back when

communicating. We tend to undermine our potential and our capabilities in life, when we are live
in a cocoon (Lyons, 2018). However, when we come out in the public, we realise what we are
capable of. Thus, the residential trip was a great thing to have happened. I enjoyed the outdoor
games and interacting with my team members.
The trip helped me to notice great potentials within me and introduced me to my inner
self. I have always been a friendly person, but I never thought myself to be great with managing
people and motivating them to perform themselves better. However, during the tasks I saw this
side of myself. Motivating people around is a great leadership skills, and will be beneficial to me
in the future career life. The Gallup poll has proven that around 70% of employees are either
“not engaged” or “actively disengaged” at the workplace (Seppälä, 2016). By motivating
employees, I will be able to help them to achieve their objectives and the target set for them.
During one of the task, we were required to identify the misplaced numbers in a given
time. I contributed greatly to this task by motivating my team members and helping them to
complete the task in the due time. Motivation is a key skill for leaders. Tomas Chamorro-
Premuzic states that the prime task of a leader is to encourage its team members to go beyond
their expectations, and perform the tasks given (Premuzic, 2014). I was able to motivate the team
members, as well also performed well when my turn came. As revealed in the Emotional
Intelligence test, I scored well in the relationship management aspect (6), which substantiate the
fact that I have the skills that is required to manage people effectively.
During another particular task, the need for co-ordination between team members became
very evident. It was clear that as a team we did not perform well. From my perspective, I tried to
be very co-operative, helping my team to accomplish tasks. I was instrumental in making a plan
and helping my team members to cross the obstacles to complete the task. This behaviour can
been found in my Myer Briggs test result (ENFJ) specifically in those areas where coordination
is lacking between teammates, and I can demonstrate my charisma and can make significant

impact on people. The learning from this exercise suggests that my leadership style is adaptable
to different situations (Wade, 2016).
The Barrett Free Values Test reveals that I have a good balance between finding a
common good for all and possessing personal self-interest. I scored the highest in feeling
protected and loved dimension, showing good emotional security, I also scored well in the
commitment, creativity and personal fulfilment dimension. I could sense an overall development
in my personality. The exposure of the activities at the residential trip helped me to enhance
these aspects of my personality. As stated by Dave Mattson, along with the group goals, my
personal achievement are also equally important, in order to succeed in the group task (Mattson,
2017). It motivates the person to go beyond just achieving the target and excel in the tasks
performed. Thus, as a leader I will able to get a pulse of my team members and also my
individual aspirations, which is a great trait of an effective leader.
Another particular aspect in which I lacked during the maze activity was while
performing for my own tasks. I usually got so involved in motivating and cheering for my
teammates that when the time for my performance came, I got exhausted and underperformed.
As per my emotional intelligence results, I scored low in self-management (5), which suggests
that I have low self-confidence about my capability. The task was not a difficult one, but my
inability to assess my energy level worked against me. I should have realized that my
performance was to come up next, and should have done some preparation before going for the
task. I possible reason for the underperformance could be lacking motivation. Before correcting
myself, I need to be aware of the causes for the same, as wrong self-assessment could result in
numerous problems afterwards (Mindtools.com, 2019).
During the ‘Sheep and Shepherd’ task, it was clear that communication would be vital in
completing the task. The team planned and agreed an approach, which proved successful. I
demonstrated good communication and team work, which helped the team complete the task in a