Navigating the Waves of Online Group Communication

Introduction

The communication is an essential part of group working as it helps the group members to remain together and ensures the working environment remains lively and positive. The importance of group communication is that it assists to develop enhanced understanding as well as increased productivity among members of the group (Opper et al., 2019). In this assignment, I am going to reflect on the communication experience I had while establishing relationship and interacting with students like me and my teachers in the online class. In order to present the reflection, the Gibb’ cycle is to be used. The benefit of using Gibb’s cycle for reflection is that it allows to create focus on systematic consideration of experience at separate phases during an entire learning experience (Kanofsky and C CCPA, 2019). Thus, the model is to be used as it would help me to explore the way, in separate phases of my experience, I was able to determine my strength and weakness in my action. The six stages of Gibb’s reflective cycle to be followed are description, feelings, evaluation, analysis, conclusion and action plan (Kanofsky and C CCPA, 2019).

Description

The description phase includes detailed explanation of the facts that happened during the experience (Constantinou et al., 2020). During my current academic year, it was announced by the university that they have formed a group for us regardless of the person’s involved at the start to complete the course. We were allowed to meet in a discussion link via students online to present ourselves and to discuss the course and ask questions. Therefore, we wrote our names, phone numbers and WhatsApp accounts so that we could contact each other at any time to communicate and discuss on the course. The group included mental health nurses, adults’ nurses and paramedics nurses. In most cases, it was my responsibility to initiate the communication whereas other members remain inactive and waited for me in each aspect to put up their point and ideas in completing the course with one another. This leads me at times to experience hindrance in communicating my ideas and at one session made me to raise my voice as well as interfere between communication of team members to place my ideas. It raised conflict and chaos at the session and many team members disapproved to talk to me. However, I apologised to them and mentioned it would not be repeated to which they were pleased and led to me avoid facing any other objection from them. However, during the entire course, though I supported and listened to others during the interaction, very few were willing to listen and approve my ideas to complete the course.

Feelings

In feelings phase, the description of the way a person felt during their experience is explained (Li et al., 2020). At the initiation of the first communication with the group members, I felt apprehended as I did not know how the group would react toward me as we have different backgrounds and different professional experiences. I was anxious about working with the group via WhatsApp and online discussion since I preferred face-to-face communication over online interaction. However, after talking and discussing together we were all satisfied by each member’s quality, strength and determination to succeed in the group. I felt being a leader of group as I was always initiating the communication even though others did not ever reflect such behaviour toward me to consider as leader in the group or toward others. I felt angry and ignored when the other group members avoided to listen to me. However, I currently feel that others avoided to listen to me because I was impatient, avoided to have listening attitude and executed unnecessary judgement in making communication.

Evaluation

The evaluation phase is determining what was positive and negative in the experience (Okamoto et al., 2017). The presence of self-awareness in group interaction is essential as it allows ability to individuals and team members to shift from always trying to talking to minutely listening to others instead (Amini et al., 2019). However, I lacked effective self-awareness in making communication in the group which as negative aspect because it led me avoid trying to listen to other group member’s idea and then communicate my ideas in front of them without interrupting others. It is evident as I always tried to talk instead of listening to others which after not been allowed led my ego to raise my voice in placing my point at first over the others. According to NMC, the nurses need to compassionate and void ego in making communication (NMC, 2018). Thus, I also violated the NMC Code. The NMC Code of Practise mentions that the attitude of the nurses in making communication is required to participative and non-discriminatory (NMC, 2018). However, I feel that I failed to maintain participative and non-discriminatory interaction with the group members. This is evident as I though myself to be the self-declared leader in making communication as I was always initiating the communication which led me to consider that others require to listen to me at first and develop a discriminatory attitude. It was a negative experience as it led me to involve in conflict and ignored by other team members to be included in the group.

The Department of Health (2012) mentions that there are six key values of nurses which are care, communication, competence, courage, compassion and commitment (NHS, 2012). In my experience, the positive aspect was that I had the value of courage to accept my flaws and have effective value of competence in determining the actions to be taken to resolve raised conflict in communication. Moreover, the other positive aspect is that I expressed commitment towards making the communication between team members work. This is because I accepted my flaws and ensure changed actions are appropriately taken with commitment so that the key focus of completing the course as a group is achieved.

Analysis

The analysis phase is considering what might have been done to enhance the experience (Demir and Ercan, 2019). According my experience, I think that I might have been enthusiastic in understand when to speak and when to say quietly. This is because it may have led me to avoid raising my voice and involve in conflict as well as get opportunity in putting my points and ideas to other members in the interaction instead of being ignored. I also analysed that being collaborative and intending to develop enhanced rapport might have helped me in setting better interaction with other group members. This is because I think lack of trust towards me and positive relationship led others to ignore me in the group to be listened.

Conclusion

The experience leads me to conclude that I lack effective listening attitude, self-awareness skills, control over ego and knowledge of when to speak and keep quiet. These lacks skill led me to face hindrance in making effective communication in the group meeting. However, I do have enhanced commitment, courage and competence values along with have active ability to be honest, be kind and develop open communication.

Action Plan

The plan of action for future is involving in training regarding the way communication is to be made successfully in team conversations. Moreover, I intend to improve my listening skill and enhance collaboration skills by communicating with experience team members who have previously worked in teams and have been successful in making effective communication in the team. I also intend to improve my self-awareness skill in making group communication and avoid creating non-discriminatory practice in communication.

According to self-assessment, my initial communication skills present were initiating meaningful interaction and having honesty attitude in making interaction. This is evident as it was me who always initiated the communication and due to its meaningfulness, all the group members acted positively to participate in the interaction. Moreover, I have an honest attitude in making communication as I never faked my involvement and even apologised for the wrong I did in the communication by raising my voice. I also have effective skill of making open communication in team where all the members are equally able to participate and interact. Mu initial self-assessment mentioned that I lack patience in continuing group communication. However, I expressed effective professional value of being competent, commitment and courageous in making effective communication with the team member in the course.

The final self-assessment regarding my communication skills mentions that I lack effective ability to share personal ideas with others in the team. This is evident as I was always ignored in the group communication during the course by other team members whenever I tried to mention my ideas. My final self-assessment mentions that I lack enhanced value of empathy and compassion to build communication within team embers. I also found that I lacked effective ability to be collaborative in making communication. This is evident as I have no concept of when to peak and when to remain silent so that others can inform their ideas as well as they have time and patience in listening to my ideas. I also found that I lacked effective listening skill and confused about the role to be played in making enhanced communication with group members. In final assessment, I also found I lack effective ability to be kind at all times towards team members in making communication and have issue to developing trust towards me by other group members during communication that hindered the establishment of effective interaction.

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References

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