Question

Write an essay of a minimum 10 pages

5.3. Individual essay (50%) Recall a successful group project (e.g. a group project of a course, of a student association, etc.) you were a part of. Describe size, status, cohesiveness of the group, and your role in the group. What was the the group project? What makes the project a successful one? Draw o learm from the OB lectures to elaborate. The essay should double-spaced on standard-sized paper (8.5" x 11") with 1" mar sides. Use 12 pt, Times New Roman font. 10 pages minimum. I Dec. 2017 Criteria a lt of information but some of which is not elevant 15 Phowide relevant 10 1-15 l0

Answer 1

This is about the group project that i was part of in college. The memory of this project is still so fresh in my mind as it was one of the most successful project which helped me learn so many things. The project team consists of 7 members including me and all of us were working together for the first time. Some of us shared a good bond but with some it was the first interaction. All of us knew from the start that we need to work effectively in order to make this a success. The project was about doing community service and we chose to help the students of government schools in the city where the situation is challenging and the students are not having enough materials and support to study.

So the goal was to cover as many schools as we can and provide them basic study material, paint their walls with alphabets and other appealing pictures so as to make it look happening for the students. We were given two days to perform the activity and then came up with the result. Now the most important thing was to decide which all schools need immediate attention and out of those how many we can actually cover. So i took in charge of this and prepare a plan to carry out the activity over a span of two days. There were many things which we need to keep in mind but the most crucial was the route planning for this in order to cover the maximum number of schools possible.

All the members in the team were given a role which they need to take care of. At first some members were not happy with their role but i tried to convince them that it is crucial to follow the plan or we will not be able to pull it off. It took some time for everyone to realize the importance of their part in the project. The next big thing was cohesiveness among the team. The team comprised of people from varied cultures and therefore it was a bit difficult for all of us to gel up in the first instance. After a lot of fun activities and late night practice sessions we developed a healthy bond which is necessary for the group project.

Some members were arranging the study material, others were collecting stencils and stationery to paint on walls while few were arranging the vehicles and ensuring smooth coordination for the two days. I chalked down a list of 6 schools which we will be covering keeping the route plan in mind. There were 2 other schools which were actually far and i kept them aside for if we get some time left after covering those 6 schools. The team was all geared up for the project day and we ensured that we have all the material and things in place to support the activity.

I have already informed the school principals about our arrival and the activity that we will be doing. We started at around 7 am in the morning and to our surprise the students were already waiting very eagerly for us at the school gate which gave us the much needed encouragement to start the day on high. The activity started with the 1st school as 2 of us started painting the walls with the stencils of alphabets, 2 of us were distributing the study material like charts depicting the basic items along with notebooks and 2 of us were talking to students to understand their knowledge level and accordingly help them in reading and writing. I was helping the teams for any adhoc requirement and also arranging food items for the team members.

The activity went for three hours before winded up with the walls beautifully painted and students were smiling and enjoying a break from their regular learning style and had a amazing time while learning some new things as well. The activity went on to the 2nd and 3rd school but till the end of the day all of us were very tired but then a student came and said to one of the team member that this is the best in school for him and this for us was huge compliment and brought smile to all of our faces and helped in ending the day one at a positive note.

The team was all charged up for the 2nd day and also they have now developed a bit more understanding of how to go about the activity and the time taken to paint the walls and teaching basic stuff using blackboard took lesser time as it took on the first day. The thing going in my mind was that somehow if we can cover the 2 schools which i kept as separate then it would be great but i was a bit skeptic for that. The situation for some of the schools were really a matter of concern and somehow i was getting a feeling of proud for helping these students. The team was very determined and by the 5th school we went our bonding was clearly visible. There was more coordination and the every team member was helping each other.

There were no second thoughts when i asked the team if we can cover 2 more schools and everyone was enjoying the activity by then. This was the biggest achievement for us as a team. What started as a project work for team members became a team activity as friends. We not only covered 8 schools in those two days but also got the award for the best project work and appreciated highly by all the faculties and colleagues. The main thing which made this project successful for me was the trust and coordination among the team members which really brought the best out of everyone.

I always used to believe that I do not perform well in groups and likes to learn alone. Even though I always knew that group work had many positive values, I was more comfortable with the lecture-based approach and resisted group work merely because it involved change, not because it had a collaborative learning approach. However, during this project work, I came to realize that I learn more effectively in group. Working with this team was like an adventure for me, there were both exciting and challenging times while preparing for this project but at the end the outcome was so satisfying that it not only gave birth to a strong team but also gave us friends for life.