Overcoming our challenges
Passion, our group’s research topic, has seen us through an arduous yet fulfilling learning journey in this project. From the start, this research topic very much appealed to us. However, we never expected the challenges that would come our way.
As we embarked on our research and survey questions, we found that this topic became increasingly abstract, as it encompasses numerous psychology theories. Being unfamiliar with these psychology concepts such as personalities, motivation etc, we had to ensure that we understood them clearly before proceeding with our report. Furthermore, due to our group’s tight schedule and as this module required us to submit drafts of sections progressively, we had to work in a relatively controlled and structured manner, which did not allow the flexibility for our group to exercise our preferred working style. For example, I felt that we needed more time to be allocated for research in the initial stages, instead of working on the draft of the introduction which is of course also important, but of less priority than our research.
Despite these challenges, our group remained synergised. Open-minded discussions were held even though there were differences in opinions. Though it was not easy, we were willing to accept the diversity of ideas in order to generate the best idea. Moments of disagreements inevitably surfaced, but stronger friendships were continuously being forged among the group members as we learnt more about each other as a unique individual. Clear signs of empathy for each other were evident when tiredness was displayed through non-verbal cues during busier periods. Encouragement, optimism and cheerfulness within the group certainly overwhelmed fatigue. Our group members were proactive, timely and cooperative in their work.
I have learnt how important honesty and transparency in communication are, in resolving issues and also forming an effective team. It was a surely a joyful experience for me. Interestingly, I felt that it was our group’s deep interest i.e. passion, in this topic that might have been our group's main motivation!
When I was looking through your group's survey topic and questionnaire during class, I was a little concerned if it was too difficult to handle. I am glad your group pulled through it nevertheless. It is exciting to hear that there were much encouragement and optimism in your group. Your group's determination to take up the challenge reaped much benefits like a deeper appreciation of concepts from psychology. But looking practically in view of the various limitations and mid-term tests, it might be wise to be cautious of such abstract topics in future.
As you know, our group vetted your group's report and frankly speaking, the topic was very complex and not easy to apprehend. As u have mentioned, it involved understanding of the human psychology and from reading your report, there was a complex interplay of each concept. Therefore, I could totally imagine how much headache you guys had while doing it.haha. Nevertheless, these problems are usually hard to foresee before you start to embark on the topic. It is fortunate that at least all of you were passionate about the topic and hence, i believed it made the whole process less painful and dreadful.
And yes, I agree that honesty and transparency are very important in communication, especially when you are working as a team. Exchange of ideas would definitely make improvements in the report as the same issue is seen from many perspectives and therefore, the group report would turn out to be more objective.
Be glad that your group managed to produce a decent report despite the difficulty of the topic. Good team spirit!
That aside, I agree that being frank and open-minded will help to prevent misunderstandings among the group members. Furthermore, empathizing with one's group members will also help to motivate everyone and making them more committed to completing the tasks assigned to them.
I guess being open minded is important to prevent any misunderstandings. It will enable us to take criticism positively. The point on transparency and honesty is new and interesting. I believe in such a small group, transparency is much needed to make every member feel that they are part of the team. We shouldn't hide anything from any members as he/she might feel ostracized.
Well done guys!
Thank you for your honest reflection.
I think we all agree that your topic was a difficult one to do (I believe I mentioned this right from the beginning) but as the others have commented, I'm glad your group managed to pull it through!
I'm happy to read that at the end of it all, you had a positive experience despite the challenges faced. I especially like what you said in your third and fourth paragraphs about empathy for each other, the forging of stronger relationships, and the importance of honesty and transparency in communication.