Challenges encountered

How others reacted?

At some points, the other students took my suggestions and at other times, the students acted according to their individual opinions. At times, when my suggestions were not accepted, I felt embarrassed. I think this is natural and obvious in terms of penetrating an unknown environment and acting accordingly. In the perspectives of other students, I think they were wrong to humiliate me in front of the others.

Communication issues

In the initial stages, I was very shy and lacked confidence to speak with the team members. Most of the students hailed from India and Pakistan, therefore language barrier was a major issue. Considering the opinions of Gibert, Tozer and Westoby (2017, p.82), I felt that I spoke very fast, which the other students might not have understood. Here, I need to point out that English is my second language. In the beginning of the communication, I was very nervous while communicating with the other students. However, the supervisors and trainers provided adequate motivation and encouragement, which helped me to restore confidence.

Self-performance review

Experience of working in a new team

The team, in which I was placed, was diversified. According to Hallowell (1999, p.5), the managers need to have sound knowledge of the team, before the initiation of the division of labour. With the guidance and support of the trainers, I gained confidence to reflect on my teamwork. The nature of the teamwork was diversified, which indicated obviousness of conflicts, arising due to differentiation of opinions. However, at the end of the teamwork, I learned about the importance of negotiation. In this context, I can point out about four approaches, which I think is appropriate for exposing an appropriate attitude towards negotiating on an issue. I think that the transformative approach is apt for negotiation, as it alters the scenario of partnerships in the teams. According to the propositions of Holbrook (2010, p.359), I can say that this approach has enhanced the parameter of emotional intelligence in my characteristic traits, driving me towards the path of leadership.

I think my performance in the team proved to be beneficial in terms of developing new skills of conflict management, creative thinking, decision making, problem-solving, self-organization skills, chairing meetings and others. In this context, plans for using the problem-solving cycle and design thinking would be effective for me in terms of achieving personal development. I think creating action plans would be a planned and reasoned approach. Apart from this, I can highlight the assumptions of Katzenbach and Smith (1993, p.78) regarding taking self-assessment personality tests would be effective for me to measure the extent to which I have excelled in accomplishing my duties. Evaluation of the exposed performance would help me to detect the areas in which I need to improve.

Execution of the suggestions

When my opinions were not considered, I felt like my ‘human moment to be disappearing’. On the contrary, when my suggestions were considered by the students, I felt on a ‘high tech and high touch’. I felt that with the assistance and coordination of the other students, I could visualize my future performance based on long term goals. Here, I can relate the science of teamwork, which proceeds on the integrated structure of progress, reflection, and visualization of the road ahead. Affirming with the opinions of Lohuis et al. (2016, p.410), I felt that this approach seemed to be effective for me in terms of progressing on the path of leadership.

Feelings while presenting the elevator in class

Once I was ill and cannot attend the lecture and seminars on the ways to prepare an elevator pitch. I decided to hand over the elevator pitch, which I prepared, to one of my teammates at his office. When I was asked to make the presentation on the elevator pitch, I was nervous and lacked self-confidence. I told the supervisors that I am afraid.

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