In my last post I touched on that fact that even if you don’t meet your goals, there’s always lessons to be learned, and these lessons guide future successes.
One of the most common aspects of the communications field, and probably one of the most difficult things to master, is teamwork. I had always considered myself to be great at teamwork, and a great team member. I’ve worked in many groups before, never with much conflict because every member respected each other enough to work with the ideas that were put forward by one another. But what do you do when you find yourself in a group where some members’ negative personal feelings perpetuate a lack of communication in addressing issues?
Here’s some of the key lessons I’ve learned from group work this year:
1. Establish expectations from day one.
Discuss the quality of the final product that everyone would like to turn in. Discuss the best way to communicate when things aren’t going according to plan. Talk about the best way that each person responds to conflict and constructive criticism. Understanding your group members needs and expectations will lead to a more cohesive working team.
2. Let the little things go.
When working by yourself you are in full control. When working with others, situations around bound to arise where what the team members are doing are not what you would do. Learn to recognize when something that is occurring differently from how you would approach it doesn’t actually impact the quality of work being done. Every team member needs to feel like they contributed, and suggesting insignificant changes will likely make you come across as difficult to work with.
3. Recognize the work that others put in.
Any resentment that may build up, or any imbalance of work load that may be occurring can easily be forgiven by recognizing the effort that another has done. This is true even if other team members may not be aware of an imbalance or any building resentment. It’s important to appreciate your team members because this will contribute to an overall well-functioning team.
4. Apologize.
Perhaps the most important lesson. It is difficult for most people to be able to recognize when they’ve hurt another person, or overstepped their boundaries, or exhibited poor sportsmanship/behaviour. The ability to recognize when this has been done and apologize for it is an invaluable quality. Everyone makes mistakes, and when it comes to working with others this is especially true. The most beneficial aspect of working in teams is learning how to work with others. Being stubborn and not trying to see another person’s side of a situation will not provide you the skills to effectively manage people.
communiKATE 