Reflective Writing on AWOL Adventure Client Privacy Incident

This report presents a reflective analysis of a consulting project with AWOL Adventure, a technology-based company in the sports photography market. The student, along with their team, was tasked with market analysis, identifying strengths and weaknesses, and evaluating competitors. The assignment faced challenges, primarily the client's withholding of crucial information, which hindered the team's ability to provide comprehensive recommendations. The report utilizes Gibbs' reflective model to analyze the situation, feelings, evaluation, and action plan. The student reflects on the importance of building trust with clients, the impact of information asymmetry, and the need for proactive communication and relationship-building. The analysis covers the application of SWOT analysis, market analysis, and strategic recommendations, emphasizing the importance of maintaining client confidentiality and privacy. The report concludes with an action plan focused on improving communication and professional conduct in future consulting engagements.

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REFLECTIVE WRITING USING GIBBS REFLECTION MODEL IN CLIENT PRIVACY
INCIDENT
by (Name)
New Enterprise Development Reflective Writing
Professor
The Name of the School
Location
The Date

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Introduction
My team members and I had been assigned to practice with AWOL Adventure, a
technology-based company specializing in delivering photos to the competitors at a sporting
event. The company uploads these photos from mass participating events such as marathon and
cycling. After the event, the participant can purchase their photos from the company’s website.
My team members were: Kishore Anand, Aneesh Shamsudeen, Akhila Jacob, Sravan Reddy and
Mahesh. We worked under the supervision of our tutor, Mr. John.
Our objectives in involving in this practice were to broaden the use of their platform to
undertake a thorough market analysis, to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the plan, and
to evaluate competitors and size of the market which AWOL Adventure was entering. We were
consulting with the company to achieve its market objectives. The main competitors were
MarathonPhotos, SportCam, and MarathonFoto. Our major challenge was to find out how to
enter this market and broaden the company’s platform.
Explanation of the situation
We were a consulting team trusted by the management to focus on the strategies to enter
the digital photo sharing platform. I must acknowledge that this was quite a challenging task for
my team and me. For a few reasons, we found this an uphill task that the company was still at the
growth stage and competition was stiff in the market. On the part of the team, we had no
experience to the extent of consulting in photography. This was our chance to learn by being
involved in the actual task. We undertook this challenge by analyzing both internal and external
environment of the AWOL Adventures. Also, we had to ascertain the condition of the market
and come up with strategic approaches for our client. The major problem that we ensued was

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lack of trust from the client. The management failed to give us some vital information about their
marketing plans, financial reports, their market research, information on the organizational
structure and their business model. This was after making all the efforts to convince them of the
importance of the information therein for our undertaking. This had a limiting factor to our scope
of delivery. The critical evaluation of the whole situation is well captured by Gibbs (1988) model
on reflection. His theory is generally accepted as a tool to present situational reflective analysis.
Description
Our task was to lay down a strategy which will be used by our client in broadening their
market and also to harbor a competitive advantage. To do this, we utilized the SWOT analysis to
brainstorm about the strategy (Hindle, 2009). We also carried out market analysis and proceeded
to give relevant recommendations on the market strategy to be applied.
However, we faced various challenges. Though we completed our assignment, it was
after hurdles of information withholding from the client. There was lack of trust between the
team and AWOL Adventure management. We had failed to establish and develop a good
relationship from the commencement of our assignment.
Feelings
The whole event of AWOL Adventure consultation was a lifetime career experience.
Being a newbie in the field, creating team synergy and coming with ultimate problem analysis to
the company’s product and the market was an achievement. Thought on my part, I felt not
competent enough and not up to the task which we were undertaking, but that did not deter us
from achieving our major objectives and to learn from the project. As a team, we worked

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together in cohesiveness for the common good of attaining consultant objectives (Rutkowski,
2013).
On the other hand, the incident of the client withholding some information to us
humiliated the team members and me. It is important to create and develop a good working
relationship with the client. Good relationship creates a trustworthy environment. When trust
exists between the client and the service provider, there is a free flow of information. There was
no trust between our client and us which made them withhold critical information for fear of
trade secrets and business privacy. This was a failure on us because we failed from the onset to
establish and develop a good relationship with our client which created a gap of mistrust. The
client feared that we could use the organization information in a way that will harm its business
prospects. Though I knew what we were supposed to do initially, fear and anxiety had engulfed
me, I failed to give it the consideration it deserved, and maybe I could have averted the scenario
by sharing the situation with my team.
Evaluation
I had a collective responsibility together with my team, to make an analysis of the firm
and come up with recommendations for the findings. It was also our responsibility to make sure
that we created a good working condition where trust would be created. Each of the members
had a collective duty in making sure we carry out our study of the company and come up with
the best analysis and recommendations. I must attest that each one of us played his role well for
the attainment of our ultimate goal. Although our newness in the consulting field built high
anxiety at the start of the project, we managed to remain focused. The major fear was how

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effective we would be in accomplishing the project and how do we meet expectations and
standards perceived by the client.
Besides doing consulting services to AWOL Adventure, the team had a responsibility to
maintain confidentiality and privacy of the company. AWOL Adventure management did not
feel safe with her trade secrets and private information. This worked against our efforts to
provide the best consultancy services to AWOL Adventures. Though it did not thwart our
objectives, we felt that more was required from the client side. We saw the need to build trust
with the client is paramount.
Analysis
My anticipation heightened the level of my anxiety that the newness in the field would
make us less up to the task, the same feeling was engulfing the other team members. To add on
this, we were unable to convince the client to give all relevant information about our task. It was
evident that we failed to convince the management of our reputations in offering the consulting
services. They did not trust us and therefore opted to withhold some crucial documents and
information. We overlooked the need and importance of establishing and developing a good
relationship with the client. Everyone in the team was to blame for the mishap as anyone could
have intervened and created an urge of establishing that relationship. Though it is clear anyone in
the room should have made an intervention, the informal intervention as described by Koocher
and Keith-Spiegel (2010) was most appropriate in that incident.
Conclusion
Although we accomplished the task, we did not fully utilize the relevant resources in
arriving at our conclusions. This was as a result of information withholding by the client due to

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our failure to establish a good relationship. From the incident, I have learned the art of
establishing and building corporate trust and having personal confidence in a comparable
situation. I now acknowledge, through the experience I gained, that I should act but not over
trivial matters that might distort the intended objectives. Also, I have come to know that
experience is important as it helps to build confidence, reduce anxiety and confusion of
responsibility so that I can act with more autonomy. I realized that strong working relationship is
important as it will create friendship and understanding amongst the staff, and this will play a
role in building a cohesive team (Rutkowski et al., 2013).
Action plan
In my career, I have known the need to become more proactive especially a situation
which is likely to cause harm to the client and never to assume that the other member of staff
will act professionally. I will continue to practice Gibbs reflective model for personal growth and
will aim to become more confident when confronted with a similar situation. As the management
and a consultant trainee, I aim to consistently uphold professionalism and always take due
diligence care when undertaking any responsibility given.
Changes in norms and behaviors
After the incident, I have decided to change my behaviors. The first one being that I will
never assume my colleague will act by the set rules and guidelines. I will always be conscious to
see that due care is taken and guidelines adhered to me being at the forefront without the
assumption of the other person’s behavior. Gibbs model has allowed me to rationally reflect and
evaluate myself and has helped me identify some of my behavioral weaknesses.

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References
Gibbs, G. (1988) Learning by doing: a guide to teaching and learning methods. Oxford: Further
Education Unit.
Hindle, T., (2009) SWOT analysis. The Economist. Available at:
https://www.economist.com/node/14301503 [Accessed May 8, 2018].
Koocher, G. and Spiegel, K. S. (2010) 'Peers Nip Misconduct in the Bud', Nature, 466(2), 438-
440
Rutkowski, G. K., Gruder, C. L., & Romer, D. (2013). 'Group cohesiveness, social norms, and
bystander intervention,' Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 44(3), 545-552.