As I am beginning to wrap up this semester, I've been thinking about some of the most valuable things that I have learned over the past couple of months. I have learned so much about healthcare in the United States and all of the stuff my textbooks and professors have taught me. However, when I look back at this semester, I think about how I have really developed in my ability to work in a group. In all of my classes, we have been required to do multiple group projects. At the beginning of the semester in these groups, I found myself doing what I had always done, which was taking control and trying to get as much done myself as possible. Throughout the semester, I've learned how that is a terrible way to work in a group and that in my future career I am going to need to be able to work more collaboratively and be willing to let other people take on the work as well. I realized that these were group projects for a reason, and that they were not meant to be done by one person.
I think that for the last couple of group projects of the semester I handled it a lot better than I was at the beginning. I was working more collaboratively with everyone instead of just splitting up the work and having each person do their own part. I think that this all can go to back to the importance of relationships as well. Healthcare is a team effort, and it is imperative that you build strong relationships with your colleagues because you never know when you may need them. Being a leader is about understanding the people around you and making the best effort to ensure that everyone is working towards a common goal.
Outstanding post on your self-reflection. I also dreaded group projects at first for a lot of reasons. A mentor told me that productive professional adult life, in general, rarely takes place on an individual level. Your abilities to communicate, plan, prioritize, delegate, accept delegation, participate, and effectively work on a team (or not) as either the leader or as a member will profoundly impact your future successes. This is where "people skills" also come into play. The more you do it in an academic environment, the better polished you'll be after graduation.
ReplyDeleteSelf-reflection is very important, I'm glad you chose this as a topic for your post.
ReplyDeleteGroup projects are always difficult, but they are also going to be a part of life. You will work with others the rest of your life at work. If you decide to go to grad school, you will have group projects in nearly every class. Learning on how to best draw from your groupmates' strengths and keep everyone motivated is important. There is a lot of literature out there on how to work effectively as a team, I encourage you to do a little research over break!