MMM211 – Team Dynamics

Trimester 2, 2021
Assessment 3 – Written Reflection (Self/Peer)
Part b
Written reflection

Receiving feedback from my team members was very important for me as it would help me
to know how well I can handle group interactions and how to people feel about working with
me. I was a bit nervous while receiving the final feedback form from my group members but
I also got random feedback while working on the tasks throughout the trimester. The thing
that surprised me the most was that these feedbacks were mostly full of encouragement and
appreciation. I was quite satisfied and happy receiving the feedbacks from my team mates. It
made me happy that my team members are so supportive and encouraging. There were hardly
any conflicts and if any, they were resolved then and there peacefully. This was what the
most my team members liked about me. Collectively putting the team forward and addressing
everyone equally. I also got random feedbacks after making any decision or keeping my point
of view. Firstly, I came up with the idea of the festival and I asked for everyone’s feedback
by asking whether the festival idea was up to their satisfaction or not. This took me by my
surprise that everyone gladly agreed to work on my idea. Small suggestions from the team
members were always accepted which induced the sense of participation within the other
members. I mostly made an effort to bring up new ideas and plan team meetings so, the role
my team members assigned me was either the plant or the coordinator as I was the one who
came up with most of the ideas and implemented them. The feedback was mostly about my
decision-making skills and how I handled the team. My team mates also believed that I heard
their queries and suggestions patiently and some of them decided that I was a coordinator to
the team. Each response and feedback from the team member was encouraging which would
help me to perform better in future in group projects. The feedback boosted my decision-
making skills and now I am more confident to voice my opinions and suggestions in future
team projects. The feedbacks will also help me in improving my communication skills as it
will give me a better idea about what other people want from me. All in all, I was satisfied to
receive the feedback from my fellow group members and it encouraged me to work harder in
my future team projects.

The sixth and seventh questions in the feedback form were to be included by our choice.
Something what we personally wanted feedback on. I asked those two questions about my
decision-making skills and communication skills respectively. Those questions were
important to me as I want to improve my decision-making and communication skills to work
more efficiently in further group projects and I think that my teammates opinions about my
skills would help me to improve myself in those areas. I personally think that my decision-
making abilities are good. I don’t force my opinions or decisions on anyone but, seek
individual feedback about the decision I have made. In the feedback given by my group
members, they all were really satisfied by my decision-making skills. Their response was
exactly what I wanted to hear. They think that I make decisions keeping everyone’s
suggestions and opinions in mind. The seventh question was about my interaction and
communication skills. It is important for me to know that how do I handle the interactions
and whether I am a good listener or not. communication is the most important factor to make
a successful team and the feedback of each team member is important about how I
communicated with them.

The process to obtain feedback was a bit time-consuming for me. We were working on our
project report and at the same time, we had to provide and receive feedbacks from the team
members so it was a bit hectic and time consuming for us as our main focus was to submit
our group report on time. The process of providing feedback and answering the questions
about my team mates was not so difficult as all of the team members were very interactive
and participated in every group meeting so it was easy to work with them. The only difficulty
in giving and receiving the feedbacks was the time. We took a lot of time to complete the
forms as we were working on the report. The easiest thing was to write the strengths and what
I enjoyed the most about working with my team members. They were very supportive and
cooperative that those questions in the feedback forms were answered in no time. I made sure
that my responses to the questions have an impact on my team members so that they can
improve themselves and work on the areas that they need improvement in. I also made sure to
keep my answers honest and point out what skills they lacked such as time management
skills. All in all, the process of providing the feedback was time-consuming but, once we
started working on it, it took no time to complete as the answers were spontaneous and
obvious.

In past I have been in two teams for group assignment purposes. The purpose of two teams
was completely different. in both of the team projects, each member was allowed to choose
and contact whomever they wanted in their group. There was full authority given over whom
we wanted to choose as a group member. The first project was a power point presentation
regarding team contributions and how did we manage to contact the members and work as a
team. The second project was a group report based on a charity and how it works. The main
purpose of both the team projects was to lay emphasis on one of the learning outcomes that
were taught throughout the trimester. My experience working in those teams was quite
satisfactory. Talking about my current MMM211 team, my current role in the team was
pretty much the same. Just like my previous teams, I took the initiative to reach out to each
and every group member and ask for their respective contact details so that it would be easier
to contact the members. Though this time, the team members were a little late responding to
my email and providing their contact details so it made the whole process a bit late. Whereas,
in my previous team experience, the members responded quite early and the work was started
soon. My contributions in the previous as well as current team were also similar. Previously, I
came up with the ideas about the project and assign the team roles. The other members did
not participate much in the decision-making process. In the previous team I usually assigned
the tasks to each team member and they agreed to. But this time, it was a little different. As
usual, I came up with the festival idea and everyone was expressing their opinions and giving
suggestions about the idea. Also, unlike me assigning the team roles in my previous teams,
this time we decided to pick the roles and responsibilities that we wanted to work on. The
team members were to choose what they want to do and what part of the report they want to
work on. This time was slightly different experience for me to work in this team. Some of the
team interactions and tasks were similar while others were slightly different but we made
both the teams work very efficiently and smoothly.
Belbin’s theory of team roles includes nine roles that are namely identified as implementer,
co-ordinator, shaper, plant, resource-investigator, monitor-evaluator, team worker, completer-
finisher and specialist (Kriek, Drikus, 2019). The purpose of this theory of team roles is to
assist the team in identifying team roles, to help teams balance themselves in terms of role
resources, to assist members of the team to be allocated functional roles aligned with team
role preferences and to help them identify the areas where they do not have role
representation and to adjust accordingly (Kriek, Drikus, 2019). For a team to function
smoothly and perfectly, both task-oriented, and social/emotional oriented behaviours are
necessary. Task-oriented behaviours are those which concentrate on getting things done, such
as seeking information or proposing solutions. Social/emotional-oriented behaviours are
those which maintain team processes, for example, by building on and supporting other
people views, or releasing tension. These roles often changed over time as the project is
discussed (Prichard J S, Stanton A N, 1999). My team members assigned me with different
roles. Some think that I am the plant because I have good decision-making qualities, have a
creative management, usually generate ideas and have good problem-solving skills. I agree to
them as I believe I have these qualities which make me the plant of the group. the other
members think that I am the coordinator of the group which mainly involves clarifying of the
goals. Although, it was completely on the group members as to what task they wanted to
work on, I provided them with proper resources and ideas on how they can complete their
tasks successfully. I usually managed the team meetings and time management was also in
my hands so it was bit of a responsibility for me to work in the team but, the team members
did their best to cooperate with me which made them very great team workers. Now, talking
about my roles and responsibilities throughout the trimester, in the start I made an effort to
reach out to the team members twice. After that, I made a group chat where we discussed our
roles and team meeting times. I brought up the festival idea and made sure that everyone
agreed to the plan. All of the suggestions were taken into consideration and roles were
assigned accordingly. All in all, throughout the trimester, I realized that I was involved in
important decision-making process. Based on my tasks and responsibilities, I would
personally consider myself as The Plant as I consider myself creative and am able to think of
new and creative ideas. In all the teams or groups, I have been in, I always stand forward to
provide a creative idea. So, I completely agree with my group members who believe that I
imply the role of a coordinator and the plant. These two roles are very important for me as
they tell me about my position in the group. each team member has a strength and I believe
that my strength is decision-making and time management. I also take part in assigning the
roles and responsibilities which make it an important part of the team coordinator role. These
roles are important for me and will help me boost my confidence in future team projects.

References

Kriek, Drikus 2019, Team Leadership: theories and techniques, ‘ team roles’, pg.: 135-137

Prichard J S, Stanton A N, 1999,  Journal of Management Development , 1999, Vol. 18 Issue

8.
 Appendix 1
Feedback table

Questions Team member Team member Team member Team member

1 2 3 4
Q1: Team Member’s First
Ricky Tran Vannuth Mao Andrew Hua Cameron Nathan
and Last Name Conroy Atlas
Q2: What are two of Ishpreet
communicated to Ishpreet portrayed She has good Ishpreet has great
Ishpreet’s strengths in
the team very well a good communication leadership
relation to teamwork during the project
communication and decision- qualities and she
and was always is very creative
and leadership making
ahead of
skills qualities. She
everything during
arranges
our meeting taking
charge of initiating
everything

conversations and beforehand.

breaking the ice
between everyone.
Q3: What did you enjoy Ishpreet was very
helpful in She addresses She puts the
about working with She involves with
providing myself the queries of whole team
Ishpreet? the team well and
with critical the team together and
always assists us.
information for members very works collectively

part of the project well and has so that no one is

which helped me good interaction left out which is a

a lot in skills which plus point

completing my makes her a fun working with her

objective, which person to work in the team

I am grateful for. with

Q4: According to Belbin’s
theory of team roles, which Roles with most Based on Belbin's Ishpreet would According to me,
role/s do you think suited suit Ishpreet the theory of team be the plant of ishpreet would be
ishpreet and why most are the plant roles, the our group as she the coordinator as
or the coordinator suited was in charge of she assigned us
coordinator as Ishpreet since she making all the our tasks and
she is very is helpful to make important made sure the
creative and sure we achieve decisions and work Is sone
came up with the the objectives. she also effectively.
idea. introduced the
festival idea.
Q5: What advice can you
provide to Ishpreet around There was not I found no There could be She was a good
what they could much that could problem with her. some time team member and
improve on, when they next have been She did her job management did her job very
work in a team? improved, as very well skills that could well so there was
Ishpreet did be improved nothing in
everything very particular that
well and to the needs
best of her ability improvement

Q6: What would you say It was very clear She collaborates She was very She made good
about Ishpreet's decision and with teamwork creative and was decisions
making skills? communicative well and has a the one regarding group
as she knew what good leadership responsible for project and made
she was doing skills. arranging team sure that the tasks
and what she was meeting so that were completed
talking about, an everything ran on time. She did a
example of this is smoothly. She good job
when she choose makes good implementing the
the theme of the decisions. festival idea.
festival for the
group, with all
endorsers,
sponsors, etc.
Q7: How did the It was very easy She interacts with
communication with Ishpreet as she was the team well and Ishpreet has Ishpreet
go? replying to all had a great great communicated
matters very discussion with communication very well with the
quickly which I team. skills and was team and made
felt contributed quick to respond sure that each
to completing the to our queries question was
project on time and suggestions answered. She is
and effectively. also a great
listener.