Reflective Writing on Teamwork, Self-Management, and Career

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Journal and Reflective Writing
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This reflective writing piece explores the student's experiences and insights related to teamwork, leadership, and self-management, focusing on two key learning outcomes: leading or participating collaboratively in a team and demonstrating critical self-review, self-management, and lifelong learning. The student reflects on the importance of a shared group purpose, building trust among colleagues, and clarifying roles within a team. Challenges faced as a team leader, such as managing conflicts and addressing generational differences, are discussed. The writing also delves into areas for personal development, including time management and decision-making, and how these skills are crucial for career advancement in engineering. The student outlines their career goals, including working for Chess Engineering PTY Ltd and eventually starting their own engineering company, and plans to acquire skills through apprenticeship and formal education. The document is supported by references to relevant literature on teamwork and management.
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REFLECTIVE WRITING 1
Reflective writing
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REFLECTIVE WRITING 2
Learning outcome 6: Lead or participate collaboratively in a team.
What?
During this lesson, I learned that teams are relied upon to produce results. However,
execution is frustrated when colleagues don't function admirably together. A common group
condition is fundamental to the team's success. A group is characterized as a gathering of
individuals cooperating toward a shared objective. Without a target, there is no group. Thoughts
for making a common purpose incorporate: Creating as well as surveying the group's charter.
Discussing why the group exists. Allowing each colleague to express their commitment. Creating
mottoes, images, honors, or notices that depict the group as one unit. Use the official reason to
organize group activities.
So what?
As a team leader, I identified the main aspects in a group that requires critical attention.
Colleagues must believe each other if they are to cooperate effectively. Thoughts for building
trust among colleagues include: Being honest and working to eradicate irreconcilable situations.
Besides, abstain from talking behind each other's back and trust partners. I should believe them
before they will trust me. Giving members the opportunity to be vindicated. Additionally,
knowing everybody's part and being acquainted with the obligation of those elements make
effectiveness and adaptability (Cannon-Bowers, and Salas, 2007). Ideas for illuminating parts of
the group include: Review colleagues' parts frequently and relate colleague desires to the group's
general purpose. Clarifying duties when activity planning. Learning what others do on the team
and figuring out approaches to enable each other. Thirdly, Miscommunication to can make hard
sentiments and undermine the achievement of the group. For instance, error in favor of over
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REFLECTIVE WRITING 3
communicating, trying to see all angles and Working to clear up mistaken assumptions rapidly
and accurately. Also, Reinforcing and perceiving colleague endeavors (Nancarrow et al. 2013).
What else? What now?
As a team leader, I identified some skills that relate to teamwork. First, I am equipped
with conflict solving skills. It involves determining and respecting each side’s point of view then
identifying the area of conflict (Pinto, and Kharbanda, 2005). As such I have solved various
problems among team members as well as giving insights on how to avoid future conflicts.
Colleagues originate from varying backgrounds, with different foundations and points of view. It
is, therefore, important to keep in mind that individuals can and do contrast with each other
(Donnellon, 2006). Team members should attempt to learn as much as you can from others.
Besides, keeping away from comments that attract antagonistic thoughtfulness regarding a man's
one of a kind attributes and trying not to disregard the distinctions among colleagues (Stewart,
and Sims, 2009).
However, from experience working as a team and more so as a team leader can be
challenging. One of the challenges faced was trying to give instructions to a member who is
older by age. The problem is that this particular colleague disliked taking orders from me as I
was younger than him. Nonetheless, as I was chosen team leader, I explained to the teammate
that what he had done was disrespectful. However, the issue was handled amicably.
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REFLECTIVE WRITING 4
Learning outcome 7: Demonstrate critical self-review, self-management, and lifelong
learning.
What?
As a person who wishes to follow a career in engineering, I believe there are some
behaviors that I need to change. First, time management. I have realized that my time
management is abysmal. It is an issue that has been pointed out by colleagues and my supervisor.
Upon self-reflection, I have realized that keeping time and meeting deadlines are some of the
things that I have been lagging behind in (Britton, and Tesser, 2011). I need to change my
procrastination behavior by ensuring the tasks are completed before the deadline. I realize that
time management is necessary for my career, as well as while working in a team. Secondly, I can
be quite indecisive. As a team leader, this had always been a challenge, though a different team
member was always able to complement. I realize that decision-making is an important skill that
works towards achieving goals promptly. I need to become more decisive by making decisions
based on the adequate information available on the situation. Additionally, my lighthearted
indifference has been pointed out as a tendency that shows lack of precision and commitment. As
such, becoming a better timekeeper and decisive should aid in my career.
So what?
Time management is one of my poor qualities. Time and again it has been pointed out to
me that this behavior would cost me projects and business relationships if I did not correct it.
Meeting deadlines is a significant issue in time management. I have a habit of procrastination
that always leads to lack of meeting deadlines. As such, with my poor time management, it could
result in delays in projects, costing more money to my clients and eventually ruining prospect
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REFLECTIVE WRITING 5
business relations. Though I always arrive at my workplace in time, task completion is my worst
time management. I either take longer than average time taken to complete a task, or I tend to
postpone some activities. It leads to accumulation of works that could eventually affect my
efficiency at the workplace (Trueman, and Hartley, 2006).
What else? What now?
I have been working on my career plan. Though some details still require refining as I
work towards attaining my career goals, most aspects have been organized. First I would wish to
work in Chess engineering PTY Ltd. I believe that the corporation is equipped with different
structural and civil engineering resources that would enable me to acquire various skills in
engineering. In the future, I would also like to start my engineering company. Despite my
engineering focus, I would wish to learn an assortment of skills that relate to all areas of
engineering as well as organization competencies (Chess Engineering. 2017). I intend to obtain
these aptitudes through apprenticeship and school learning.
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REFLECTIVE WRITING 6
Bibliography
Britton, B.K., and Tesser, A., 2011. Effects of time-management practices on college grades.
Journal of educational psychology, 83(3), p.405.
Cannon-Bowers, J.A., and Salas, E., 2007. Teamwork competencies: The interaction of team
member knowledge, skills, and attitudes. Workforce Readiness: Competencies and
assessment, pp.151-174.
Chess Engineering. 2017. Australian Engineering Specialists | Chess Industries. [online]
Available at: http://www.chessindustries.com.au/ [Accessed 14 Sep. 2017].
Donnellon, A., 2006. Team talk: The power of language in team dynamics (No. 04; e-book.).
Nancarrow, S.A., Booth, A., Ariss, S., Smith, T., Enderby, P. and Roots, A., 2013. Ten principles
of good interdisciplinary teamwork. Human resources for Health, 11(1), p.19.
Pinto, J.K., and Kharbanda, O.P., 2005. Successful project managers: leading your team to
success. Van Nostrand Reinhold.
Stewart, G.L.M. and Sims, C.C., 2009. Team work and group dynamics (No. 658.4036 S8).
Trueman, M. and Hartley, J., 2006. A comparison between the time-management skills and
academic performance of mature and traditional-entry university students. Higher
education, 32(2), pp.199-215.
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