TEAM REFLECTION

Overall, as a team, we worked very well together. The team structure and dynamic worked extremely well making an effective, positive working environment. We believe this was key in ensuring that the project was completed to the best of our ability. In this section we have reflected on what worked for our team throughout the duration of the project.

TEAM ETHICS

At the start of the project the team decided to embed strong team ethics into the project. The team discussed the fact that good teamwork comes from good ethics to abide by. The team set out team ethics as follows:

1. Everyone in the team should be treated with respect

2. Stay positive to maintain a pleasant work environment

3. Togetherness to achieve common goal

4. Trust all members

The team ethics that were put in place were agreed by all members and meant the working environment was enjoyable and pleasant to be in. It also made the group work closer together which all had a positive effect on the quality of the project.

TEAM BUILDING

The group used team building activities to get to know one another better. While in Stuttgart the team attended events and played sport together to bond and form a closer friendship. The team also travelled to other cities and towns and by spending more time away from project work the team could socialise in a more relaxed environment - out of the computer laboratory.

Team building helped improve team morale which meant productivity was enhanced for the project work. It also enhanced the working environment as everyone was more connected with one another. Consequently, the team were more efficient, and this then produced a better quality of work from all members. Furthermore, the team bought into the project objectives as everyone had to work at their best not just for themselves but for everyone else in the team. This meant that the team were working towards a common goal which was another incentive for a strong work ethic.

TEAM COMMUNICATION

Communication was integral to good teamwork throughout the project. The team took communication very seriously and used many different techniques to express ideas and share information. Verbal communication was the team’s main source of contact, especially at team meetings with the Secretary taking official minutes as a record. A Google Drive was utilised to create and share documents, technical data and work files. Outside of laboratory time, a Facebook group chat was used for any additional discussion, be it project related or to organise trips away. The team ensured communication was always open, honest and respectful to maintain a good team morale and ensure transparency between all members.

DECISION MAKING

Being able to make decisions as a team was an important part of the project. When discussing ideas, it was important for the team to include all members on important decisions. This meant that all members knew what was happening and could have a say on the best course of action. All members were viewed uniquely and hence all ideas were taken individually. Creativity and different viewpoints were expected from all members which gave the team high quality discussions on topics of interest. By having in-depth deliberation, the team could make high quality decisions together and this would mean all decisions were made unanimously. This method of decision making kept a strong togetherness within the team as all opinions were encouraged to be heard and discussed.

To resolve issues the team adopted the CAR method:-

C - Context - describe the situation, what happened?

A - Action - how did you combat this situation?

R - Result - why was the result good/ bad?

This ensured a positive result was made quickly and efficiently. The team agreed on this procedure from the beginning of the project which meant all members were on the same page when trying to solve a problem.

TEAM STRUCTURE

The team implemented a hierarchical structure to the team organisation. The team agreed that a leader should be assigned to oversee the project. The Team Leader chaired meetings which meant they were much more productive as decisions could be made quickly after detailed discussions. Tasks were also delegated efficiently and evenly due to the respected position of the team leader which meant workload was distributed in the way that best suited the team.

The team split each technical section of the project into teams which allowed individuals to be responsible for just one section each and not have to worry about several sections that were technically challenging.