Team Dynamics in Health Intervention

This reflective account is concerned with the teamwork required to create a poster about health improvement intervention. I identified the themes of communication and collaboration during the activity. I will use Driscoll’s reflective model to analyse my role within my team as a whole (2007).

What?

Our main task was to design and develop health improvement interventions and create an academic poster to advertise our concept of intervention. This work focused on a Scottish Government public health priority. In order to achieve the required aim, we had to act as a team to gain a better outcome. My group began work on the poster instinctively in compliance with Tuckman’s model. The theory focuses on how a team tackles a task from the initial formation of the team through the completion of the project (Thorpe, 2010). Bruce Tuckman developed 5 stages of his model such as forming, storming, norming, performing, adjourning. Tuckman's model shows me the fact that, groups do not start fully formed and functioning. It explains that, teams grow through defined stages, from their creation as groups of individuals, to cohesive, task-focused teams (The Happy Manager, 2020). In the beginning, we decided to work with ‘A Scotland where we eat well, have a healthy weight, and are physically active’. As a group, we share the task and we made a clear plan of our work. I suggested that, adolescents could be the target audience and the intervention could be based in a school. The group accepted the idea with no objections. I focused on the government’s diet and physical activity recommendations. I carried out a literature search to identify existing intervention applying to a healthy diet and physical activity preventing obesity. My research covers information applying to the government’s diet and physical recommendations, adolescents' caloric needs, obesity prevalence among young adults, and health intervention preventing obesity amongst children and teenagers. I discovered the government created many guidelines and it is leading to a few good health interventions across the country. However, I start wonder that the intervention could be carried out differently to obtain a bigger interest from young adults. I shared with the group through our online group chat and collect several interesting data that I researched.

So What?

According to Belbin, my position in the group was multi-faceted. After analysing the team roles, I discovered that, I felt comfortable with the role of resource investigator, team worker, and plant (BELBIN Associates, 2020). My participation in this project was significant and made me feel an important part of my group. I enjoyed working in a team environment, and I get along well with the people. Working as a part of a team to design the poster helped me to develop and improve my leadership, management, and teamwork abilities, as mentioned in the NMC code (NMC, 2018). When we start planning the poster, one of the students implemented a system to help organise group activity and communication between the members of the group to enhance our productivity as a team. It helped us to delegate responsibilities and collaborate better, which led to accomplish the poster with satisfaction. Adequate communication plays an important role in keeping the team together and makes the work atmosphere positive and lively. Effective team communication creates awareness, understanding, and skilfulness all team members and helps to complete their tasks (Hassall, 2009). Although, communication was a challenging element for me during designing the poster, the group had to communicate online using some sort of communicators such as WhatsApp or Zoom. This situation occurs due to the Covit-19 pandemic and we were not allowed to meet each other face-to-face. Texting or posting some information using online communicators did not allow me to express all my thoughts. Moreover, online conferences were challenging, because of technological barriers such as network disturbances such as’ ’slow’’ computers and traffic congestion during a certain time of the day (Kimble et al., 2004).

Now What?

I did not think about my knowledge applying to teamwork and useful skills in this matter until I reflected on my experience with designing the poster. I realize I need to gain an understanding of different teamwork models and interaction between members of the group. I used Tuckman’s team model and Belbin team roles in the purpose of this reflection to support my critical thinking about teamwork (BELBIN Associates, 2020) (Thorpe, 2010). Reflecting on my contribution, participation, and communication skills while working on the poster, I understand that, I am a really good team player. Nevertheless, I still have to improve my self-esteem and self- confidence, which is essential in my future work as a nurse according to the NMC code, 2018. The exercise further helped me to improve many vital skills, which I learned in the past. During the project I had to use my reached facilities to active listening and good English communication. These techniques had significant prominence, when the group was looking for a solution and trying to find a compromise in building the poster. Moreover, this teamwork experience taught me how to interact better with the group. The long online group analysis and discussion show me how to deal with a different point of view and critic. I am not a native citizen of Scotland and I would like to stress the fact that, I noticed cultural differences between me and other members of the group. The differences are barely noticeable in everyday life; however, in teamwork, they can be significant and could even be a cause of conflict. I think that overcoming these differences requires me and a group of good interpersonal skills.

My participation in the project shows me about my strengths and weaknesses that I was not aware of. Definitely, I am a creative and good team player; however, I need to work on my expression and my communication skills. In the future, I have to improve these skills to be under attended better and take more seriously by the group. I think, if I prepared better myself to show and explain my point of view during a discussion that will improve teamwork and my self- confidence.