Reflective Essay On Group Work

My family, abilities, and faith have greatly impacted my capability and motivation to work in groups and teams. I was raised by two introverts and grew up with an extroverted sibling. When I first thought about how my family taught me about teamwork, my mind drew a tremendous blank, but I now realize that my dad, mom, and brother all played a major role in how I perceive and participate in group communication. My organization skills and Christian faith have also heavily contributed to how I work in groups. Overall, these contributions have had both negatively and positively affected how I communicate in groups, yet I believe that these influences have caused more good than harm in the end.

My father greatly affected my work ethic. At fifteen, he was forced by his father to work in the steel mills of Pittsburgh. That harsh order made him a diligent person and a firm believer in hard work. My brother and I would spend our Saturdays weeding and cleaning. We worked as a team, yet we also worked independently at the same time. If we

I am typically not a highly sensitive person, and as I stated before, I speak very directly without any frills; however, my mom taught me that the frills are sometimes necessary in relationships and teamwork. It is important to be cautious of other people’s feelings. I watched my mom time and time again apologize to people she thought she offended. Most of the time her apologies were completely unnecessary, but her sensitivity towards others helped me become aware that my words and tone matter in interpersonal communication. I now find myself being more discreet and polite in group situations. I still struggle with bluntness, but thanks to my mother, I have developed a radar for what is appropriate to say. When groups are happy and comfortable with each other, the group can operate more efficiently and