Individual Final Project

Having a chance to form a group with Effie and Renee in MGT 6209, I was excited from the very first beginning when we started to do the group project.  Effie and Renee are full time students and I am a part time student, I was a bit afraid of my time schedule not easy to match with theirs, but I really expected to work with other students from Mainland China that I wanted to know more their culture or even made friend with them.  I believed if all of us understand each other at different situations, we can compromise the time schedule in doing group projects.

When the first assignment was taking place, our group discussion thru “wechat” to share our suggestions and arrange the job division. All of us to discuss which kitchen ware could be adopted, but everyone believed whose idea is the best and argued at different points of own view. In fact, it already spent quite a lot of time in choosing what kitchen products, therefore, we voted to make a decision as it is an efficient way to follow the majority.  

Everyone took her own part from the project, and then come together to become as a whole by final editing. After the projects done, I realized that personality conflict happens among the group due to individual has difference in working style, such as someone  works quickly, completing tasks as soon as she is assigned, while other like the rush of waiting till the deadline is looming. Or even someone likes to work on what appeals to others first, then follow the methodically down others’ checklist from step to step.

Throughout this semester, I observed Effie is a quiet and mature lady, she always stay calm whatever the project’s deadline is approaching. Renee is a lovely girl and willing to follow the instruction what she has been assigned. However, I sometimes frustrated in their responding attitudes, it really hard to get their reply especially when the time was falling in long week-ends.  Indeed, I didn’t feel comfortable to complete the project in very a tight schedule as I always afraid if any ad-hoc incident occurs from my daytime job that would affect me not able to do the group project, that’s way, I took the collaborative approach to meet the needs of all people involved, I would rather take the initiative in doing the whole project by myself and not just waiting for their responds to do so. 

Since Effie and Renee are full-time students and I am a part- time local student, there may have conflicts arise just like cultural differences and communication problem.  For instance, full-time students would be more flexible to time manage the assignment, they can make use of day time and holidays to furnish the project, however, part-time students need to work at daytime as well as OT work at nights that they only use their day off and holidays to do the project. During the long-weekend periods, full-time students usually flying back to their home visiting family members or friends, the limited contact via email or we chat that the part-time local student  thru these channels to work with others for the project’s details

 To resolve group conflict, team members not only aim to maintain a close, mutually supportive relationship with others as relationship importance among the group, but also be cooperative with the other members, try understanding other members’ concerns and expressing individual own concerns in an effort to find a mutually and completely satisfactory solution (win-win).  In the meantime, I adopted some practical strategies to resolve the group’s conflict by reflecting empathy, letting Effie & Renee know how I understand their feeling and concerns, they will then feel heard and diffuses conflict.  Although I do not have to agree with their perspective, I can show my understanding of their feelings.  I did understand full-time students are taking five subjects within a semester, which is really a heavy workload for them to handle. Also, homesick may occur on their own, they miss their family members and friends, which are rational reasons why they would rather take a short stay to fly back home.  Sometimes I think if I were them, I also take the same way to visit my home place frequently. 

In order to get the projects done in the effective and efficient manners, a group leader is necessary among the group to take the lead with the initiative in arranging project’s schedule, fixing the date of progress meeting and project’s deadline for the group by proper time management.  When something has to be fine tone from the project, the group still has sufficient time to modify it.  Frankly say, group conflict sometimes can be avoided or eliminated, just we are lacking of experiences in choosing a suitable person for the team.    

Last but not least, I found Effie is the best from our team to do the presentation, she has good presentation skills that I have never doubt on it, she did a good job in group final project’s presentation by vocal expression with self-confidence that can attract audiences to focus on her. Also, Renee is a good follower and always collaborative for team projects research, having a nice personality to participate in group projects and willing to accept comments from others. Being a group member, I truly enjoy working with Effie and Renee, because each of us can make use of individuals’ strengths to contribute for the team to achieve group’s goals.