Working alone is comfortable because there is no dependency on others and we can work as per our own schedule, whereas working in a team demands some skill. I would like to talk about my experience when I worked in a team and learned some much-needed lessons to enhance my skills.
Last year, I was in a team of three people to work on my graduation project in college. My teammates were my classmates Dan and Ned. We worked on a project to test and record the proportion of fly ash that can be safely used in concrete to promote the usage of eco-friendly building materials. It was critical to procure accurate results as our project was set to be published in a national journal after completion. So, we divided the work among ourselves to keep track of things easily and I was tasked with testing of the mixes made with different quantities of fly ash. Although, there were disputes when we were dividing work, we were able to solve them by considering everyone’s concerns and discussing them in a civil manner.
We made comprehensive notes of our work including comments on how we can further use the material to promote recycling. I was also in charge of making a presentation which we presented to our professors after gathering our findings. We coordinated well and after our presentation, we received laurels from our professors. Furthermore, we successfully published our project in the journal, which was the greatest accomplishment for us. This was all possible only because of teamwork and I am grateful I had a chance to work in such a team.
Vocabulary:
- Proportion – portion
- Procure – obtain
- Dispute – conflict
- Comprehensive – including all aspects of something
- Laurels - accolades
Part 3 Follow Up - Questions & Answers
1. Do you like to work alone or work with a partner?
I enjoy working independently because I like to be an independent person. However, if a situation demands me to work in a team, I will definitely blend in and work well with my teammates to achieve the goals set. Although I am inclined towards working alone, I am still a good team player and up for helping team members.
2. Is it common to have differences within a group?
Yes, we often see team members argue with one another when they disagree on something. People have distinguished opinions and viewpoints which sometimes do not align with the others in a group. However, there is always a chance for conflict resolution by politely discussing as a team and trying to reach a common ground.
3. Do you enjoy teamwork/group studying?
I currently work with a team of five but my work is quite independent from what the rest of the team does. However, we do have knowledge sharing sessions where we collate ideas to improve our quality of work. These sessions are quite enjoyable as everyone gets a chance to share their thoughts and plan our tasks better accordingly.
4. What are the benefits of studying alone?
The biggest benefit of studying alone is unwavering concentration. Sometimes, in group studies, people get distracted by others which is absent while studying alone. In addition, one can have their own timetable and breaks in between study sessions as per their choice when they are studying independently.
5. What can children learn through teamwork?
There are many things that kids can learn by working together in a team, such as cooperation, respecting others’ opinions and conflict resolution. These are important for children as they are the building blocks for their future and teach them to be good team players.
