Team Development Summary- Session One
My first team development session was an introductory session. The main purpose of the session was to get the team members acquainted with each other and to develop the objectives of the team as a whole. The activity on this day was basically just having each of the team members share their personal vision. After discussing each of the team members’ visions, the team then developed a shared vision. The discipline that informed the activities on this day is a shared vision. Successful team development is dependent on the ability of the team to have a shared vision. A shared vision refers to the collective goal that the team wants to achieve as a whole (Paroby & White, 2010). Each member of the team comes with different ideas; hence, they may be hoping to work towards different things. However, by developing a shared vision, the team becomes committed and inspired by a shared goal. A shared vision creates cohesion within a team. The team has a higher chance of success when it has a shared objective (Braham, 1995). Due to the importance of having a shared goal, it was important that creating this goal be the first activity of the team development sessions.
In a team made up of different people with diverse ideas, creating a shared vision is not a simple task. True to the expectations, the team members had different ideas. The main challenge encountered was reaching a consensus on what we wanted as a team. It was important to choose a strategy that would have minimal conflict. We went about this by first allowing all team members to brainstorm. Each member communicated their ideas of the vision they would want for the team. A lot of the ideas were similar; hence, we connected them. The final step of the process was for the team members to choose the best ideas with reasons to support the choices. This led to an elimination process that went on until the final ideas were picked. Although challenging, this activity was successful. All team members agreed with the choices that were made.
What worked for this team session was good communication. All members demonstrated good communication qualities. For instance, every team member allowed teammates a chance to voice their ideas. The team members were also open in sharing their concerns about issues that were discussed in the session. The good communication skills of the team enabled the successful development of the team’s vision. Nevertheless, there were some challenges that were great lessons to consider in the development of future sessions.
The greatest lesson learned in the first session is the importance of choosing the right communication strategy in meetings. This session was held online. The team members used email chats to share information. The problem with this is that it did not allow for immediate feedback. There were some delays in information-sharing that made the session to be longer than necessary. In the future, it will be important to consider the characteristics of the session and choose a conferencing strategy that works for the team at the time.
This session will significantly improve my team facilitation skills in the future. Good team facilitation begins with understanding the nature of the team and its activities. Understanding these factors helps to make better plans about the venue of the meeting, strategies for communicating with the team members, and schedule implementation planning. In this session, the meeting was almost unplanned. The members were simply invited, and all aspects of the team were planned within the meeting. This strategy was certainly the wrong decision to make. Planned team journeys do better than unplanned ones. Planning saves time and effort when the session actually occurs because each team member understands what they are to do. This is a lesson that will be carried forward to future sessions to improve their effectiveness.
In conclusion, this session bears a lot of lessons about team development. Most importantly, I have learned a lot about the importance of developing a shared vision. I had the chance to witness how much a shared vision helps the team members to examine themselves. The team members were able to assess what they each wanted from the group. They were then able to compromise and create a vision that would benefit the team as a whole. The team selected a direction that was different from what a good number of the team members wanted. However, every person was satisfied in the end because the shared vision that was developed was what everybody decided that they collectively wanted.
References
Braham, B. (1995). Creating a learning organization promoting excellence through education. Crisp Learning.
Paroby, D., & White, D. (2010). The role of shared vision and ethics in building an effective learning organization. Southern Journal of Business and Ethics, 2, 133.
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Question 
Team Development Summary: Session One
Overview
The purpose of this assignment is to provide an account in narrative form of your experience conducting your first team development session. You will describe the exercise you chose, how it relates to and supports your chosen discipline (Personal Mastery, Mental Models, or Shared Vision), successes and challenges encountered in the conduct of your session, and your experience and learning as a facilitator. You will also discuss insights obtained about your chosen discipline and its usefulness in helping a group examine itself, choose a new direction, and commit to that direction.
Team Development Summary- Session One
Instructions
In this assignment, you will summarize your first team development session. Conduct your first team session with your selected team before working on this assignment.
Write a summary of your first team development session in a narrative formatâ€,”telling the stories of what happenedâ€,” and answering the following questions:
What exercise did you choose in order to experience the discipline chosen?
Why did you choose this exercise?
How did it go?
What worked or did not work?
What would you do differently next time?
What did you learn about facilitation and planned and unplanned journeys?
What did you learn about your chosen discipline and its potential for helping a group examine itself, choose a new direction, and commit to that direction?
Optional: Include two or three questions you have about this assignment.