Reflective Essay: Coventry University Graduates Reunion 2019 Event

This reflective essay discusses the experience of organizing the Coventry University graduates reunion 2019, highlighting the challenges and lessons learned in leadership and communication. The author, who led the event planning, reflects on initial overconfidence and the difficulties encountered when team members proposed alternative ideas. The essay acknowledges a lack of effective communication and the importance of considering diverse perspectives. Ultimately, the author recognizes the need to improve leadership skills by fostering open communication, valuing team input, and providing constructive feedback. The essay concludes with a commitment to applying these lessons in future leadership roles, emphasizing the significance of collaboration and mutual support.

Running head: REFLECTIVE ESSAY
The event of Coventry University graduates reunion 2019 was an outstanding event. It was
really great to see the excitement and energy among each and every one who attended the reunion.
We, being the senior students of the University were given the task of arranging the event. The
tremendous efforts of ours have resulted in such an outstanding event. The parent volunteers of our
university have also demonstrated their very best efforts of theirs to make the event memorable and
successful.
Planning a good and successful reunion in college requires a large scale coordination and
communication (Zackriso, Seibol and Rice 2015). Our team (my classmates) was allocated with the
task of initiating the whole event. It required a good range of creativity for creating a well-balanced
program which everyone would enjoy. We had organised a very passionate a committed group of
volunteers. Being, the leader of my group, I decided to delegate the work of organising and planning
the reunion in advance. Hence, I was very well-planned about the entire thing. Hence, I was thinking
that everything would be planned in my way. I instructed by team members what to do. Everything
was going well. I contacted the Alumni associated of the college by assessing the information from
the college website. They provided us with helpful resources for the planning process including the
online archives, the assistance required for the on-campus as well as the class lists. I divided the work
within my class mates. I also appointed a director for overseeing the logistics for the big-picture.
I decided to form a committee by meeting them in person and conference calling. However,
there were some members who were against this idea of mine. Hence, I got disappointed for some
time. Actually, when I was organising the entire event, I wanted it to be in my way. But, there were
times when my team members were going against me and they proposed their ideas to execute the
work (Katz, Lazarsfeld and Roper 2017). For example, one of them suggested to add some dished into
the menu which I thought of eliminating as they were expensive and also have the possibility to cause
serious allergies. I had already set a budget that include the costs of the venue reservations, the
cleaning services as well as the catering and decorations. But including those dishes in the menu made
the budget exceed. Hence, it was very difficult for me to manage everything within that cost. At that
time, I could not communicate with them in proper manner. I spoke rudely as things were not

happening like I wanted. However, I went with the flow. We went for asking donations for the
reunion and holding fundraisers. We also sell tickets for the special events to be held during the
reunion and finally we created a balanced program.
Events earlier in the program used to focus on creating ample of spaces for the old friends to
gather and recollect (Martin and Schwartz 2015). Hence, we tried our best to focus on creating moods
that would encourage people for remembering their days they spend together in the university.
However, after the successful completion of the event I realised that I need to work towards
developing and improving my leadership skills. From the whole process I realised that I had poor
communication skills and that I should seek for my peer point of views before taking any decision
(Downey and Bedar 2018). They might have some better plans to execute as compared to what I have.
With the same, I should also give them space to practice their plans and encourage them towards
bringing in creative and innovative ideas. I have planned to do so by taking in proper measures. I
would strategically use the communication for producing enthusiasm and fostering an environment
for open support and exchange (Cohen and Lotan 2014). I would work towards establishing a well
clear performance expectation and holding people accountable for delivering on their promises on
work to their leaders. With the same, I would also help in allowing by team members apply new
knowledge and skills. I shall also be practicing voluntary, immediate and detailed feedback to them. I
have realised that the way I behaved in the event planning by quitting communicating effectively with
my team members as they went against my decision was wrong. Hence, I would never follow this
approach. This had made the communication flow within us, weak and as a result, I skipped many
things in between. Hence, I would work towards improving my leadership skills in managing the
relationships in between me and my team mates or followers in my near future.

References:
Cohen, E.G. and Lotan, R.A., 2014. Designing Groupwork: Strategies for the Heterogeneous
Classroom Third Edition. Teachers College Press.
Downey, D.H. and Bedard, J.C., 2018. Coordination and communication challenges in global
group audits. Auditing: A Journal of Practice and Theory.
Katz, E., Lazarsfeld, P.F. and Roper, E., 2017. Personal influence: The part played by people
in the flow of mass communications. Routledge.
Martin, A.C. and Schwartz, E., 2015. Making space for active learning: The art and practice
of teaching. Teachers College Press.
Zackrison, E.J., Seibold, D.R. and Rice, R.E., 2015. Organizational coordination and
communication: A critical review and integrative model. Annals of the International
Communication Association, 39(1), pp.195-233.