With the advent of technology, I am able to better reflect on my team’s performance; in this case, reviewing a video-recording of our first meeting.
Feel free to view the video embedded below! Or at: http://www.viddler.com/explore/jsjj88/videos/1
Having not done this before, I watched the video with utmost interest. It is obvious that Kevin and Louis are the visionaries of the team, their knowledge of the subject matter is exceptional and hence, is able to steer the team in the right direction. Meenu, on the other hand, though more reserved, is able to interject at times with highly creative ideas and solutions to the problem.
With a team that consists of people from vastly different backgrounds and cultures, it is amazing that the team could synergize. We spoke the same language of enthusiasm and have a common goal. None of us was afraid of voicing out our opinions. We articulated well, and were able to bring our points across clearly.
Clarifications were also sought and answered effectively when necessary.
However, there are definitely room for improvements. At certain segments of the video, it was apparent that some members were disengaged from the discussions. The group-leader should hence be constantly aware when such situations arise, and step in to engage him/her. In addition, the meeting had the occasional interruptions from eager teammates who wanted to speak up. Perhaps, we should cultivate the habit of waiting for the other party to finish his/her point before we speak. Furthermore, members should be encouraged to participate more actively (guilty was I). Constructive feedback was present, but still lacking and that should be improved on from the next meeting.
All things considered, it was a fruitful and productive meeting. Embarking on this project with a fine start should keep the momentum going and work towards our favour. Nevertheless, we should also reflect upon the mistakes that we made along the way, rectify them, and strive towards being a more effective and dynamic team.
Hi Justin,
ReplyDeleteSince we are from the same team, I believe that some of the minor flaws are evident to the whole team (After watching the video). The important part is that we have noticed the mistakes and to be able to improve on our meeting skills.
As a team, everyone is important. The leader would need the support of his teammates in order to be better. No matter how minor his/her role is, the contributions made are significant to the team's effort. Let's work hard and produce the results that we all want (A!!!)
Cheers,
Kevin Lin :)
Hi Justin,
ReplyDeleteMy team and yours have the same characteristic, that is the members come from different culture and speak different language. However, when we come together as a team, we have to speak the same language and achieve a common goal.
I am glad that your team members were not afraid to speak out during the discussion. Clarification and argument are necessary to find the best way to solve the problem. However, because of the first meeting, every team has something to improve. Lack of involvement of all members seems to be the common problem. The team leader should play his/her role to encourage all members to involve in the discussion in the next meeting.
Having a good start for the CG1102 project, I hope you will succeed in this module.
Regards,
Khoa
Hi Justin,
ReplyDeleteIt is good to see that you have reflected the strengths and weaknesses of your team. We have to improve on our weaknesses, and at the same time, not forgetting to maintain the strengths. Therefore, identifying the strengths is very important in reflections.
You have also suggested ways to improve the meeting. Good job!
Overall, I feel that your entry has a good coverage of areas that should be considered in a reflection. Well done.
Hope you would be able to make your desired improvements in the next meeting.
Happy Chinese New Year!
Jing Mei
I am surprised your first experience with a filmed meeting went so well. I am sure you must have felt awkward initially. However, the lively atmosphere created by your team members surely made you more engaged than usual. This is the good thing about working as a team. Somehow, one can be influenced by active team members and in turn become a better member.
ReplyDeleteRegarding the occasional interruptions, I think this is unpleasant, but it is definitely not affecting the productivity of the meeting. With a lot of ideas urgently wanting to be shared, there should also be a lot of benefits to counter any unpleasantness. It could be the reason why we call it ‘brainSTORMing’. Most often, team members will naturally become patient. This is because disrupting another member’s idea will only disrupt their own idea (unless they are louder) and they most certainly want their point to be clearer.
Hi Justin!
ReplyDeleteIt is evident from your video that your team had a very dynamic and lively exchange of ideas. Each member was brimming with ideas to make your project a success. But at the same time, I did feel that PhiLong and Kevin were directing the way the project was taking form. I feel they should have paused to get confirmation from the rest of the team before they proceeded with the idea. At the same time, it is great that you have quite a few members who spontaneously come up with ideas.
I also appreciate the fact that Meenu didn't hesitate to get things clarified and also spoke up when she didn't understand any particular idea.
From your post I infer that you have given this meeting a lot of thought. I hope you improve upon your weaknesses and thereby make the following meetings more productive and successful.
-Lakshmi
Dear Justin
ReplyDeleteIs there a reason for the lack of constructive feedback? Lack of knowledge or lack of questioning technique? Or perhaps the team didn't establish a set of crteria.
Thanks for placing the clip for everyone to view. It's a great idea.
While your reflection was good, it would have been better if you had stated the criteria for a good meeting and whether you have met them.
Regards
Happy
Hi Everyone!
ReplyDeleteI appreciate all comments from you guys. With all your invaluable remarks, I hope to complement these with my own to improve my performance for my next meeting.
Kevin: I have always looked up to you as a leader. You are exemplary as a leader who leads by example. Having a visionary leader like you helps in fostering solidarity in the team, keeps the team focused in our tasks and motivates us. I strongly believe that a team, no matter how capable the members are, without a good leader, would not live up to its full potential. Conversely, a member has the responsibility of assisting and supporting the leader whenever necessary. In the next meeting, I would attempt to improve on my flaws and work towards being a better team member.
Khoa: Instead of dwelling on the issue of having teammates from different backgrounds, we should leverage on the advantage of having opinions of people who can offer a more balanced viewpoint. Since we would not be working solely with local when we work in the future, it is good to work effectively with a team of different people now.
Jing Mei: No one is perfect; there is always something that we can improve on. Thus, having regular individual and team reflections is vital as it helps in evaluating our weaknesses and strengths. More importantly, putting words into action and making a concerted effort to improve outweighs all the big talk.
Junius: I agree that interruptions are not entirely a bane to the meeting. In my opinion, however, I believe it is simply an act of respect to wait for the speaker to complete his point before interjecting. Team members should be not be aware that constant interruptions may invoke negative feelings in the speaker. As a meeting can always be extended, holding back words for a few minutes would not hurt. With members being more respectful to one another, less conflicts would arise and consequently lead to more fruitful meetings.
Lakshmi: You were very observant indeed. Kevin and Louis were the more domineering speakers throughout the meeting. Being vocal is not detrimental to the meeting progress as this actually raises more ideas. On the other hand, being less vocal is not unfavourable too. Active listeners are able to analyse information and offer useful feedback. A vocal team with no active listeners, does not aid in any way of providing the critical and constructive feedback necessary for improvements. Therefore, a balance has to be achieved.
With that, I agree that I have to speak up and contribute more to the team. My main objective would be to more active in the discussions, and not be ‘left out’ by team.
Regards,
Justin