Teamwork & Team Building Experiences

In week 6 of our Communication course, we have been discussing the concept of teamwork, team building, and leadership. Each of these three concepts work together to create a whole: a team or group of people working together to accomplish a vision, task, goal, etc. Successful teamwork does not develop or take place over night; rather it takes commitment, dedication, trust, respect, focus, and determination to work together to accomplish a goal to complete a vision. Team building and development takes place through five stages: forming, storming, norming, performing, and adjourning.


From this week's learning, it became evident that the foundation of teamwork is mutual trust and respect. Without this as the foundation, a team will never be able to bond and be successful. A team needs to build a strong foundation of trust so they know it is safe for them to commit to the cause and know that they will be supported through the journey by their teammates. Each stage of the development of a team has it's own important milestones and markers, but the final stage can sometimes be the most important. The final stage is called adjourning or adjournment, which means "the project is coming to an end and the team members are moving off into different directions," (Abudi, 2010, p. 3).


This week we needed to consider our own experiences with the stages of team development and team building, focusing on our experiences with the final stage mentioned previously and answer the following questions: When was it hardest to leave a team at this stage? Why? What closing rituals and goodbyes have you shared with your team? How do you imagine you will adjourn from the group of colleagues you have formed while working on your master's degree program? Why is adjourning an essential stage of teamwork?


In my opinion from my own personal experiences with teamwork, I think it is hardest to leave a team that is successful and formed a close bond. When you build a team, you must learn to trust one another and support one another - this becomes a major support system in your life - whether it is a team of family or friends, a sports team, a work team, etc. Once you build a strong foundation based on trust and respect, you build strong and powerful relationships and possibly friendships with the other team members. Therefore, a successful, supportive and well bonded team will be most difficult to adjourn from at the completion of the task at hand. From my own experiences with adjournment from a team, closing rituals have ranged from celebrations to handshakes to hugs and tears. Depending on the context and relationships of the team will depend upon the closing ritual utilized. For example, I played softball for 12 years of my life and some of my fondest memories are the end of the season celebrations we shared together in adjournment. Someone was always moving on to a new age group or team or college so it was always time for someone to adjourn to a new team, which was bittersweet. However, celebrating together with a pool party, yummy BBQ food, and games with friends was a great way to commemorate superb teamwork.


As our seventh class begins drawing to a close over the next two weeks, it is interesting to consider how I imagine my adjournment from this program and my new colleagues will be in just a few months. I once again was filled with bittersweet feelings of appreciation, gratitude, excitement, and sadness. I am so thankful to have met and learned from each of my colleagues in each of my courses thus far. I feel as though I have learned something special and been encouraged by every single one of you and for that I am thankful. I feel excited in anticipation of meeting each of you at graduation next summer! I think it would be lovely to celebrate our conclusion next summer at graduation together over lunch or dinner or a drink as we have all worked so hard and grown so much through this experience together as a team. I am also feeling sad to think that I will not be able to speak with each of you so frequently yet hopeful we can remain colleagues and contacts both professionally and personally after the adjournment from this team in a few months. :)


Lastly, I think adjournment is a very important stage of the team development process in that it provides conclusion and closure to a chapter of your life and the completion of a journey. I think it helps us to celebrate our victories and achievements while reflecting on our mistakes, failures, and challenges overcome. This stage can be a relief for some if the team was not successful or compatible but a dread for others who have grown close with their teammates. Either way, adjournment helps us to memorialize a special experience in our lives in which we have learned and grown greatly for the next step of our journeys in life - personally and professionally.




References:

Abudi, G. (2010). The five stages of team development: A case study. Retrieved from http://www.projectsmart.co.uk/the-five-stages-of-team-development-a-case-study.html