Teamwork means the collaborative effort of a group achieves a common objective. It is
also the collaboration of individuals working towards completing a task most effectively and
efficiently. Teamwork is helpful in a group project because it maximizes team members'
individual strengths and thus brings the best out of each one of them. It also ensures that the
limited resources are well managed and that lesser time is needed to complete a task. This paper
seeks to demonstrate my understanding of effective teamwork, show my ability to work
effectively in a team, and show personal growth and learning.

My team was effective in completing the group project because of the following reasons.
Firstly, my team had well-defined objectives, and we agreed on each stage, what to do and what
not to do. The pre-determined goals helped the group to stay focused all through the project.
Secondly, the team had guiding rules and regulations. The rules guided our conduct while in the
group meetings and spelled out how conflicts and disagreements could be handled. Thirdly, the
group had an effective communication system. This helped each team member develop a sense
of belonging in the group and strengthened relationships. Fourthly, the group was effective
because it had defined roles for each member. This means that each member knew what was
expected of him and how to behave at any given time. This helped avoid conflict of interest,
reduce unnecessary arguments, and enhance creativity as team members perform best in good
areas.
However, few things rendered the group ineffective. Firstly, the group leader did get
along well with members having divergent opinions. The leader did not understand that

embracing diverse views is essential for improving and strengthening an idea. There is also
evidence to prove that teams with divergent views perform better than teams that agree on
everything. Secondly, some of the team members were not fully committed to the goal and could
give excuses for missing meetings. This gave the group lead a hard time and also overburdened
other members. Lastly, the team lacked openness and trust, which are necessary for a successful
team. The lack of openness and trust caused some team members to develop hidden agendas,
which negatively affected the team’s motivation, attitude, and productivity.
There are three things that the team could have done to be more effective. Firstly, the
team, through the leader, could have accommodated diverse views of members. This means that
members who had different opinions from the rest should not have been victimized but
encouraged to express their minds. Secondly, members should have been encouraged to take
their roles in the team seriously. In other words, the group leader should have ensured that each
member is fully committed to the team's goal. Thirdly, the team leader could have sought for
ways to enhance openness and trust among team members. This could have been done by
creating avenues for bonding and getting to know each other.

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