Introduction
In the case of today’s work environment, where collaboration is increasingly becoming paramount, communicating effectively is analogous to being the force that nourishes collective intentions. On the other hand, amid the rush of ideas and the whirlwind of activity that often defines team projects, there can be an occurrence where all the elements of communication can be silenced, bringing misunderstandings, conflicts and missed opportunities. This reflective journal explores an event that brought a deep understanding of communication in collaboration. In the context of a communication breakdown during a team meeting, I examined the Gibbs Reflective Cycle, which helped me find an answer for why things went wrong and how the incident made me feel, think, and act afterwards. This analysis also allows me to form action steps to help me draw from these experiences to approach future interactions. It also shapes a culture of understanding, open dialogue, and mutual existence in our team.
Description
In the bustling atmosphere of our team meeting, excitement and energy were palpable as we gathered to discuss our upcoming project presentation. We had thought that was all there was to it, but ideas came flooding, and then plans were being made with great enthusiasm. Nevertheless, despite the apparent harmony, a crucial misunderstanding occurred, which led to a breakdown of our sense of teamwork. The meeting focused on the division of tasks for the presentation, which is our project’s main component. Regardless of our collective dedication and desire to help, it turned out sad that the meeting did not end beneficially. A deep sense of disappointment and even hopelessness was sensed over the previously raised hopes. The incomprehension became apparent gradually as the conversation developed. Over time, opposing opinions and ideas likely arose among them, and questions like who should do what have risen. The situation was worsening as the communication lapses became more apparent. Initially, the creative session was going great with new idea generation. It took a twist, and the thread became a knot of uncertainties and pending homework tasks. The original thrill and hash, which created an environment of mutual support, was now covered with a veil of apprehension and chaos.
As team members were overwhelmed by the outcomes of the meeting, emotions were flying high. The beginning was tough to cope with as we could not handle the circumstances, and everything seemed to be a puzzle. At a point when our roles became less apparent, and that initial plan, with it all beautifully plotted out, had no more sense than the air we breathed. Although I realized that miscommunication may have adversely impacted the project’s progress, the frustration was getting the better of me. Amid our collaborated exploration of the turmoil, an ongoing unease remained somewhat tucked inside, energized by a string of questions revolving around what was to be the following scenario and what were the ramifications of the loss of abilities that could never be retrieved(Nurlatifah et al., 2023).
Feelings
I was in a massive puzzle with many pieces everywhere in the meeting with my coworkers. People would continually express their personal views and pretend to be experts all the time, and it was not easy to understand what role each of them had to play in this situation. Initially, I was more perplexed to tell the truth. The journey I was about to embark on with his uncertainties suddenly took over everything that had existed before, and I was left feeling disoriented. Things got so scrambled that you needed help figuring out what to do right then. Moreover, with each passing minute, the way forward became less and less visible.
As we tried to make sense of it all, the anger and frustration crawled inside. It would have been better if our work seemed like getting closer to life instead of going around in circles like we were all doing. An endless tangle was around us, which seemed we did not know how to escape. As you can see, apart from all the other feelings, there was a mathematical curve of anxiety that was constantly growing. The biggest worry I had all along was that he got the dates all mixed up, which is why our project has been troubled. Whether I should worry about what may come in the future always made my stomach anxious. Despite all these feelings, I felt we should not lose hope. We kept on fighting, no matter the difficulty. Therefore, even though I had many negative emotions, I had that one ray of light that helped to brighten me up. Our teamwork and efforts could eventually get us through the situation and help us rectify it. Despite the turbulence of our feelings pounding inside our narrow vessel, between our will and our teamwork, we will find the right way to go throughout this batting.
Evaluation
Looking at where we went wrong in our communication reminds us that several factors contributed to it going off track. It was not a single thing—it was the combination of everything. It was like a cornered spider with many intermingled threads. One significant problem was the confusion of who was supposed to do what for the task. We thought a whole lot about it but did not bother with the actual act of confirming our mutual understanding. That is why our problem was finally solved by the end of the meeting, but only through long and detailed explanations resolving all our misunderstandings.
Further, we needed someone to monitor the flow of discussions. The situation became chaotic without somebody who kept us centred and on the right path, teable. It felt like we had started to drive a bus, but there was no one in the driving seat through which way we were to go. That missing a goal to work on made it even more impossible to find a way out of the disorientation and get things back in order.
We should not go back to that time; these questions were not only the development reason for our communications gap but the very essence of it. Precise tasks and duties for everybody were there, but no one to organize all this, and it is no wonder know how everything became screwed up. It is crucial that we as a group ensure that everyone knows who is responsible for what and who the point person is; that way, we will stay on track and out of this kind of trouble in the future. However, a small quantity of clarity and focus will help us not have problems like this at the beginning of the next season and work as a good team.
Analysis
When you do in-depth research into what took place, therein comes the indisputable fact that communication is the absolute requirement for the success of teamwork. Above all, the need to make the project’s preliminary stages successful becomes even more crucial amid complicated projects, and everyone is active in generating ideas and making decisions, which increases the risk of misunderstandings(Adeani et al., 2020). However, that is not all about us -it was something that we could live through and survive despite various unmatched situations and circumstances colliding and giving us no chance. The primary issue was that we needed to have a well-defined role and duty for each team member in the initial stages of our collaboration. When everybody is confused about their roles, it becomes easy to follow the wires and make the operations go off track (Rinzy, 2020).
In addition, our collaboration could have been better since no strategy was made for working effectively; thus, everyone started to lead in different ways. Moreover, what made everything even worse was that there needed to be someone in charge to keep us on task. To be without a strong leader like in the case, we became like men without a direction; our efforts seemed to be leading us nowhere fast. Adding up all the instances explains why things went sour the way they did. It was as if a wicked wind of misinterpretation and whirlwind perception that dissipated our plan had the potential to wreck our project (Markkanen et al., 2020). Though it is a sad reality, we have learned our lesson; therefore, we will do our best to prevent such a scenario in the featured situations. Fixing this mess was a rather tricky task. We solved this by appointing a leader after fine-tuning roles and creating good coordination. This way, we will avoid facing the same problem in the future and keep our teamwork cruising smoothly.
Conclusion
After our recent communication meltdown, a straightforward truth has made me ashamed: It is a vital requirement to work together effectively. To maintain growing cooperative initiatives, it is imperative to create an atmosphere where each is involved, bringing people close and the information flows easily among them (Bassot, 2015). Going forward, we must implement a strict communication mode that explains what is required from each individual and gives everyone a chance to communicate without any doubt about who is responsible for what. Clear roles and responsibilities are just as necessary as anything else to keep bees calmly working, and that is everyone’s job to ensure they are succinctly defined.
However, it is not just to dictate rules and guidelines; instead, it has a broader meaning and purpose. We must ensure that part of the team commits to embracing the free flow of ideas from everyone. A culture where everyone feels recognized and valued will be created, central to mutual respect and cooperation to attain the goal(Rodham et al., 2020). As we cultivate this free and frank conversation and are transparent about our challenges, we can engage in an approach that will reverse the trends as we march towards the common good. Only some of the times will it be easy, but we are sure of teamwork and effective communication, and in this way, we can achieve great results.
Action Plan
Equipped with vital lessons learned in this introspective reflection, I am determined to take action based on forthcoming solutions to the recurring problems which led to our most recent communication breakdown. Firstly, I will promote timely review-like status updates or check-ins so the team members can update the team on their progress and seek clarification if any clarification is required. Rodham et al. (2020) stated, “By building a culture of open communication, the same can be kept up to speed with the overall purpose and keeping the alignment with it.”
Additionally, I will lead the structures of clear communication channels internally and externally. This, for instance, may entail documentation stating the clear-out role, duties, and responsibilities of each team member, and this type of setting will reduce the chances of ambiguities and misunderstanding. Furthermore, I will make some of the group tasks a part of the agenda so that if there is a need for a separate leader or facilitator, they can take care of the team’s much-needed tasks. Moreover, I become conscious about taking responsibility for these interaction processes among team members. Consequently, I will enhance my communication skills, listen attentively to my fellows, and express concisely and naturally all the ideas and issues I may bring up. My mission is to set an example. Others will also join the movement I promote, and the community will be defined by the free flow of ideas and active participation in relationship building, from which the collaboration will form a solid foundation.
In conclusion, the recent discord between the members of our group was an eye-opener, which revealed how general collaborative efforts are with problems and demonstrated what can be achieved in an environment that promotes growth and self-awareness. By realizing that we are stronger together and that the challenges we face are surmountable thanks to the knowledge gained from this moment, we can draw confidence from knowing that we can move past any obstacles and be stronger as individuals and as a community than ever.
References
Adeani, I. S., Febriani, R. B., & Syafryadin, S. (2020). Using GIBBS� reflective cycle in making reflections of literary analysis. Indonesian EFL Journal, 6(2), 139. https://doi.org/10.25134/ieflj.v6i2.3382
Bassot, B. (2015). The reflective practice guide: An interdisciplinary approach to critical reflection. Routledge.
Markkanen, P., Välimäki, M., Anttila, M., & Kuuskorpi, M. (2020). A reflective cycle: Understanding challenging situations in a school setting. Educational Research, 62(1), 46-62. https://doi.org/10.1080/00131881.2020.1711790
Nurlatifah, L., Purnawarman, P., & Sukyadi, D. (2023). Implementing reflective assessment using Gibbs’ reflective cycle in assessing students’ writing skills. THE 3RD INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON PROGRESSIVE EDUCATION (ICOPE) 2021: Harmonizing Competencies in Education Transformation towards Society 5.0. https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0143375
Rinzy, A. (2020). A self-reflection-critiquing qualitative research article using the Gibbs model of the reflective cycle.
Rodham, K., Bains, K., Westbrook, J., Stanulewicz, N., Byrne-Davis, L., Hart, J., & Chater, A. (2020). Rapid review: Reflective practice in crises. https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/e8tqn
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