Reflective Journal: Working with Teams, Improving Social Skills and Presenting Information

Reflective journal
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Working with others (group / team work) and interpersonal communication.

Experience
I have participated in different organizations such as CSSA which has presented me with opportunities to work with teams in accomplishing a common objective. CSSA was suitable because it exposed me to various situations that necessitates group work interactions. For instance, CSSA organizes different events such as cultural events that enables members to socialize. During the Chinese festivals that were organized by CSSA, I interact with other members and share my experiences and give them advice on cultural awareness and other issues concerning professional development. Besides, the association also organized and planned various student performances to showcase and this presented me with opportunities to interact and learn about the different perspectives that people about the society. However, the disadvantage with CSSA is that most members that I interacted with were Chinese nationals which restricted me to listen to people from other diverse communities. Working in teams has helped me learn how to cooperate and worked together with other organizational members to ensure that effective strategies are implemented to promote success in delivery of a predetermined goal. I have learned that when working with teams, people from different social background have various views and perspectives that when considered, they promote better decision making and increase the quality of the outcomes; this is possible because individuals have different competences which when utilized properly help in facilitating the success of the team. Additionally, tasks were delegated among the team members based on their capabilities.
Reflection
I learned that working with teams helps in completing tasks in time and that teamwork facilitates personal and professional growth. For instance, apart from gaining effective professional skills, I also developed better interpersonal skills. For example, I have developed abilities to related and communicate effectively with my subordinates. Interpersonal communication helped me engage in communication that facilitated the exchange of ideas and information that promoted better decision-making. Furthermore, interpersonal communication enabled me to learn to listen to views and opinions of team members, and it has enabled me to appreciate the perspectives of people from the different cultural background.
Experimentation
For future development and professional practice, I will improve on facilitating communication that promote cohesion in the teams. Besides, this is helpful in addressing conflicts among the team members (Tuckman, 1965). Successful communication is needed for clear conveying of ideas to the team and providing direction to the team, and ensures that no member of the team is confused about instructions provided.

Emotional Intelligence (EI) and resilience

Experience
I have participated in intern programs in different organizations and this has provided me with opportunities for working and experiencing the activities, duties and responsibilities for a marketing executive. Additionally, during my intern, I was a...