Firstly, I shall let you know more a group’s dynamic and the delicate issues surrounding this topic.
The projects to be completed each semester were getting harder and the workload was also increasing proportionately. No group could afford to have extra stress loaded onto them just because there was an inactive member. Having experienced this first hand for a few of my projects, I have very little tolerance for such scenarios.
Perhaps I have been too sheltered having came from a JC where there is hardly or no group work at all in our curriculum. Merit was always based on individual effort and the phrase “you reap what you sow” definitely rang true. Probably that is why I could not tolerate a free-loading member, for lack of a better word.
Honestly speaking, this is only the second group that I have worked with that does not have this irking problem which plagues many groups. Having been granted the permission to join this group by Ai Yat made me one very happy EV student! *laughs* The team that I am working with consists of individuals who I know to be hardworking and driven. That was a very comforting thought which quelled my huge fear of having to work with members who did not put in as much as they should which burdens the rest of the group. The fact that we had 1 extra member than the rest of the teams was a bonus for us.
So I thought to myself, things are now picking up. Perhaps there is light at the end of the tunnel after all! It was evident that each individual member is conscientious and willing to go the extra mile if needed, irregardless of their stand on the business idea. This was an important for the team to go forward and embark on our journey.
Second Stage
Each person’s roles and responsibilities were mapped out accordingly. We all knew what we had to do. Having done our EP project, most, if not all of us referred to our past projects for help. This was done to get the best results from all the different projects. Well, this seemed to be a good idea. Compiling and learning from all our previous projects. On the other hand, this means that people might get possessive over their old ideas. This shall be elaborated further into the journal.
Second and a half Stage
Each of us were getting to be more comfortable with each other as we spent more time together in the process of writing up for the first task ahead, the feasibility report. Being the efficient group we were*grin*, we started working on the ideas for the presentation simultaneously. Jokes and bantering were not uncommon now, as opposed to the first few meetings when everyone was still slightly shy. Being the talkative person I was, I helped (or at lest I hope I did) to draw everyone into discussions and tried to make things more intimate. Amy was my previous EP group mate, and we were more or less in sync in thinking. This was easy as we knew what the other was saying. The same for Haz, having worked with him for another project.
I have spoken to Patsy and Alger during my course at SIM, but never really got the chance to talk to them much. Philip, less than ten sentences. Huilin on the other extreme, not even a single word. ☺
The group allocation was based on Belbin personalities, and thus the mismatch of characters. To cut to the chase, I discovered, to my amazement that Philip was actually a nice person to work with. Huilin was also rather talkative once the ice was chipped away, This futher reinforces the age old saying “Never judge a book by its cover.”
I could not ask for more from this group.
Presentation Stage
Presentation was quite a breeze to prepare for since most of the required material was already gathered. We met up to compile it and to have a dry run before we actually presented it.
On the day of the presentation, I do not know what happened exactly, but somehow most of the people in the class who I considered to be powerhouses did not shine as much as they did before. Was this because of the incompatibility in grouping? Or was this because we did not take it as seriously as we did?
Even I was disappointed in the manner which I presented as I consider myself to be quite comfortable with handling presentations. First of all, before our presentation commenced, I was hardly excited. I barely felt an ounce of adrenalin rush, which I usually do before presentations. And this was not because I was a seasoned or skilful speaker. I think deep down, I knew that I simply did not have as much drive. Forgive me for comparing to the EP presentation. But what else could I compare it against? I am sure everyone in that room that day was rating themselves based on their past performance.
This was a deeper underlying problem. In the deepest corner of my heart, I was not convinced of the idea that we were selling. I injected as much fervor and passion as I could, but there was still this unbreakable barrier that blocked me from presenting the best I can. I was fooling myself, and when a person is not convinced of what they are doing, it is very difficult to carry across the enthusiasm to the investors and audience. I felt wretched that I thought that way. It was not a bearable feeling. My less than spectacular performance left me drained.
Last stage
I did become more convinced of the service eventually, but it still lacked a personal drive and passion. There was a very important lesson to be learnt here. Do what you really love, if not, it would be like a hoax. There is very little way that you can put your heart and soul into something if you did not feel zeal and even a craze for the idea.
Despite having grown closer to my group members, there were still issues that failed to be ironed out. This is highlighted below.
The Team
This is just my personal reflection, not meant to pinpoint anybody or anything. Our group had an autocratic management style. What the person at the top said was more or less to be accepted most of the times. My group had people who had rather strong opinions and from my observations, I sensed that there were people who were unhappy with this. There was a hairline crack in the group due to this little problem.
There were several instances where it was proven that an autocratic style of management did not earn the best results. It showed that whoever at the top may not necessarily be right all the time, no matter how talented or experienced. This further deepened the crack. Although it was never a major issue, it lay unspoken in the air. Nevertheless, credit should be given to the group, as we did not let this hinder our progress at all. Putting that aside, we still managed to work well together and put in our best for the report. I would not have swapped for any other member as this is a group that works well together. In fact, I think we were so efficient that we did not have as much time as we would have liked to get to know each other even better.
A Before and After Comparison
From what I had in EP, I had the mentality that EV would not be much different. This is true to a certain extent. I was given the privilege to be able to join the group of my choice and in doing so; I escaped the grouping my classmates underwent. If time was turned back, I do not think that I would have objected to being shuffled elsewhere. Since the point of the Belbin exercise was to remove us from our comfort zones, and also simulating the work environment. I did however experience it in the form of new group mates.
Ups and downs
The management style sometimes left me feeling less than chirpy, but since we were all friends, it was yesterday’s news in comparison with the more urgent task of completing the business plan. This goes to show that people are capable of rising above situations and make the best out of everything.
Other than that, there were very little glitches that were not tackled swiftly.
This may sound clichéd to you but I became closer to certain members of the group and that was really worthwhile. The beauty of people from different walks of life coming together to work is something that leaves me feeling elated and contented.
End of a wonderful course
I would be lying if I said that after two semesters of EP and EV, I had no aspiration to start a small business of my own. I now know that it is attainable and within my reach.
