Adjourning

This week I read about the five stages of team development: forming, storming, norming, performing, and adjourning.

Being part of a group, project, or organizations is an amazing experience to be part of.  There is much learning and growing that in is involved with any of these activities.  Learning form the different readings this week have enabled me to look at where I stand as a leader and make me aware of the certain steps and procedures to be able to lead in a more professional way.

I have been part of many groups, Lets look at the adjourning phase for several of the groups in which you I have been involved.

There are many aspects when a group finishes a project or their goal has been accomplished.  How do you say good-bye and why is it so hard?  I have to admit some groups are easier to leave than others. 

I feel that the groups that were the hardest to detach from were the high performing groups that were organized, there was trust among each other and we valued each other’s opinion even if we did not agree. We created continuity and met the goal and vision of the project.

One group that I participated in that was hardest to leave was one of planning a conference. I have planned many conferences and they are with different groups of people, this particular year was amazing.  The leader followed the five steps and everyone felt valued and there was great trust among this group.

The closing or the adjourning of this group was that we were all invited to the canyon.  We were all assigned a food dish to bring and we went to the canyon and cooked hamburgers and had different things to eat. We all socialized and then we sat in a circle and discussed what worked and what didn’t work.  The leader gave us a yellow flower at the end.  It felt as though we were complete, we felt valued for what we had done.

Going to school on line has been an experience.  I have though several times of how I will adjourn from Walden University. I have learned so much from different colleagues and I really want to meet everyone in person. What I think would be a great thing is that we all walk together.  I am not sure that this is not realistic however.  I know that it will be hard for me.  I have learned so much from everyone. I would like just to gather to talk about goals and meet the person that we have been communicating with. 

Adjourning a group is an essential part of any product.  It gives each person a sense of closure and value.  It will validate your performance and enable you to move on to the next step or for the next leadership role that you challenge to take on.  It also creates a life long relationship with the members that you worked with.