ENEG20001 Engineering Practice: Teamwork and Self-Review Essay

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This essay reflects on the importance of teamwork and self-review in engineering practice, drawing from personal experiences in leading a team. It discusses the positive and negative impacts of teamwork, emphasizing the need for effective team management, coordination, and a harmonious working environment. The essay also highlights the value of self-review in understanding personal strengths and weaknesses, improving professional skills, and enhancing communication and leadership abilities. The author reflects on their growth as an engineer, emphasizing the importance of self-belief, motivation, and continuous learning in achieving personal and professional goals. This document is available on Desklib, where students can find a variety of study resources.
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Learning Outcome 6
What?
Team work is an essential element of an entity or enterprise (Galegher, Kraut and Egido
2014). Team work is the coming together of people to work on a specified target together. The
essence of teamwork is to deliver targets within a specified time along with others (Carter et al.
2016).
Positive impact:
A team may be comprised of people from the same field or a team might have people of
varied background who work together to meet a specific target. While working in a company, I
was the head of a team comprising of 10 people from various backgrounds. My team was
working on building a eco-friendly heat transmitter, wherein the work was divided amongst the
team members. Being the head of the team, I was responsible for the smooth functioning of my
team members. Irrespective of the position one is holding, it is imperative to keep in mind that
when a team works together, everyone should be given their due and should be given enough
scope to exercise their talent (O’Niell et al. 2015).
Negative impact:
Right after the formation of a group, the team member has to identify the area of strength
of the team members and work towards achieving better goals. Sometimes, the talent of an
individual goes unnoticed in a team because team work is not everyone’s ball game. . There is a
need for effective team management and understanding of the needs and requirements of the
work assigned. Teams should have collective participation and there shall be co-ordination and
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interaction that is fruitful for the development of the team. Working in a team gives way to
disharmony and jealousy sometimes. Unhealthy competition in a team is not good for the project.
The negative aspect of working in a team is that there might be disharmony or difference in
opinion but it is my duty being the team leader to create a harmonious and happy working
environment (Huang, Wordley and Pearson 2017).
What else?
I cannot work independently and therefore the team members have to strike coordination
amongst themselves to reach the target efficiently and without any acrimony. There might be
trouble in electing the team leader and taking orders from someone the team members see as peer
but the team members have to respect the opinions given by me as the team leader. Co-
ordination and team participation has to be initiated by the team leader and workshops should be
held to ensure team works in a harmonious way.
What now?
To be an ideal team I have to conduct a SWOT analysis analyzing the strength and
weakness of the team and find out ways to recommend a better functioning. Being the team
leader I have to delegate tasks to my members and the members have to constantly seek ideas
from me. The goal of working in a team is to achieve bigger goals by cooperating with each
other and complementing one another. Teams function to their potential with the help of
effective team planning and management (Dios et al. 2017). It is not important what position I
am holding but how I am directing my team or myself to work in a conducive environment to
meet targets and deadlines.
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Learning Outcome 7
Self review helps me understand my flaws, shortcomings and how I need to work on my
goals to be a better professional.
I have been a part of a wholesome learning experience while working under the
supervision of well qualified and immensely talented people (Morri and Tanno 2015). Reflecting
upon my experiences, I have come to realize that academic learning is enriching but to be able to
put the education to good use is a different game altogether. Applying class lectures to daily
activities requires talent and reasoning and that can only be achieved by working with others in a
stress situations. Introspecting into my personal growth as an engineer, I have tried to factor in
my strength and weakness and how I can improve myself to better suit the needs of my company.
Through team work, I have learnt to coordinate with my peers, learn management skills and have
also learnt to work in stress situations with a calm and composed outlook. It is very important to
be aware of one’s limits and domain of strength to excel in a competitive world (Mezirow 2018).
How we perceive ourselves and how the world perceives us are two different things and
everyday is a new challenge to prove our worth to the world.
In the quest to excel in my field, I have tried to steer myself towards knowledge
enhancement and exploring my personal objectives. Being able to communicate with a large
group of people and being under the surveillance of qualified supervisors I have channeled my
resources towards a more holistic approach. I have realized my potential to work in tough
situations and give results. I have developed confidence through public speaking which was an
intimidating task for while growing up. I have received applause and appreciation for meeting
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targets and that has worked as a career boost for me. To be appreciated for hard work always
serves as an incentive.
Critically evaluating myself, I have understood the power of self belief and motivation
and have realized that believing in oneself can help achieve bigger targets in life. The take home
message from working in a group and heading a team of 10 people, I have realized my innate
power to take charge and control tough situations. Sometimes, the task of managing people gets
unnerving and daunting but the secret is in keeping calm and managing the situation with the
best of my potential. Although there have been instances where I have lost my calm but in the
due process, it has only been a process of self evaluation and self learning. It is widely said that
only way to learn and excel in life is to understand the flaws and work on them (Dunning, Health
and Suls 2018). I have realized my shortcomings and have found ways to improve myself.
Overall, the experience of leading a team has not only taught me time management but has also
taught me the essence of working in a group, respecting opinions and coming up with solutions
in the best interest of the team.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
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