Over the past four weeks, my team has met four times over Zoom and kept in contact between meetings through email and comments on our Google docs. I found it very valuable to be able to compare and contrast each of our leadership styles.
Based on information from Northouse, I was able to analyze our different strengths, leadership styles, conflict management strategies, and more. For example, we all took on a democratic style of leadership, though put our own spins on it. The first week, Stacie had us each share our strengths from one of the surveys by Northouse. We wrote down our scores and referred back to them throughout the process. This allowed me to make deeper connections between our respective strengths and how we each led the group.
The most valuable aspect of this project was the personalized feedback from my team members. Since we all knew from the beginning that we would need to provide feedback at the end, it allowed us to analyze each other’s strengths and weaknesses throughout the process. We also had an amount of respect and trust so I felt safe sharing my opinions and having Stacie and Carol share how I did.
Stacie and Carol each mentioned my ability to stay on target and keep to a plan. I agree with this because I am very task-oriented in all aspects of my life. In all assignments, I keep returning to the guidelines and rubric to decide how to proceed. Stacie and Carol each shared that I encouraged them and created a safe atmosphere for ideas. This was not something that I had considered to be a strength so it was enlightening to have both my partners mention it.
As for constructive criticism, each team member mentioned conflict management. Stacie encouraged me to keep building my courage and Carol suggested I be more active when others are having a conflict. I agree with both of these statements because I recognize that I tend to avoid conflict or be more passive when it arises. When Stacie and Carol were going back and forth about specific decisions (such as which proposal to choose or what to include in the slides) I had a difficult time jumping in. In an abundance of politeness, I try to avoid interrupting others. This can be detrimental because I don’t want to jump into a conflict and interrupt, but my jumping in could probably resolve the conflict more quickly.
The most useful piece of feedback I received was from Carol. She explained how my thanking her for finding a resource really made a difference in her perceived value as a part of the team. She explained that this made her feel appreciated when she was having doubts. I make an effort to include everyone in decisions and provide a positive, welcoming atmosphere. It made me feel like I am on the right track to have her mention this.
Overall, I have found this team project to be one of the most useful throughout my program. It allowed me to really see different leadership styles in action and reflect on my own strengths and weaknesses. I have one more course to take before I receive my Master’s and hope I will be able to put into practice what I have learned from this experience in whatever projects there may be.
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