Multicultural Team Perspective

Introduction

My name is Hajara, and I have written this reflective report regarding the project on branding and communication on Embrace beauty salon. By using applying the Gibbs reflection cycle, theory, as well as analysis, this report provides my personal reflection on the project management, in which I will provide the grant chart, team plan, and mind mapping. Following this, I will provide a reflection on the teamwork, which consist of the communication tools we used in my team, conflicts encountered, the issue of culture/diversity, contribution of the members, and deadline. Finally, I will provide the advantages and disadvantages of leadership style used in my team. My team was composed of four members, namely, Hajara Umar, an African; Issy Mason a British; Kirt Katikumjorn, an Asian and Camelia Nguyen, an Asian.

Project management

Personal reflection refers to a fundamental aspect of a person’s personal endeavours, which are based on either the individual’s professional occupation, or learning process. The Gibbs reflective models provides a significant cycle that assists in carrying out an individual personal reflection, which is based on a past experience (Wilson & Miller, 2018). Using the Gibbs cycle model, I will provide the experiences of my project management, and this will include a presentation of the grant chart, team plan, as well as mind mapping.

My team and the supervisor, Judy, decided that we would be holding a meeting every week, between Tuesday and Thursday. The meeting was purposely meant to update the progress, as well as information that occurred within each week.

Our first plan was to come up with a PESTEL analysis. I feel that this was a significant step we made for our project. Judy provided us with some suitable websites, which we could use to enhance our information on PESTEL. In order to come up with the PESTEL analysis, my team was able to discuss the current strategies, as well as other business information. This enabled us to compile a significant analysis of the environment in which Embrace beauty salon was operating in. However, I feel that it we could have had an extensive research by visiting the school library, in order to get various useful scholarly books and journals for reference. With this, we could have made an extensive research other than just discussing amongst ourselves.

Our next plan was to come up with a SWOT analysis, in which case, we purposed to ask out client about the problems she was encountering, as well as the strategies that she had recently implemented. The SWOT analysis was to assist my team in implementing the most suitable strategy that could be used for the clientele. I feel that this was another significant step that my team took. We were able to talk to Angela and she provided with significant information that we needed in formulating a suitable strategy for Embrace beauty salon. However, I feel that other than focusing on the client alone to conduct the SWOT analysis, we should have also looked deeper into the firm’s organizational culture, capabilities, resources such as brand equity and value chain activities. This could have provided us with additional information, for coming up with a better SWOT analysis, as the client could not tell us all that we needed to know.

Thereafter, we came up with the final proposal after the survey questions had been formulated and presented to the participants. The survey was categorized into four major parts, which included the profiling question, customer acquisition, customer engagement, as well as branding question. The report was completed and sent to Judy for approval. Thereafter, the presentation was finished on 10th December. I feel that this was a great achievement for my team, as we had a few challenges, which we managed to overcome. I also feel I had the best team; we collaborated and presented a good work at the end of our project. However, I feel that if given another chance, we can do a better work, as we would easily manage the challenges we had. Moreover, we could adopt scholarly work for our research, in order to present better analysis.

Mind Mapping

Mind mapping refers to a management tool, which entails visual information that aids in structuring, organising, memorising, arranging, brainstorming, and learning information in a special way (Davies, 2011). It builds our capacity to be able to thing effectively in a way that is tied to our imagination, as well as our ability to establish association using various information chunks (Kokotovich, 2008). The mind mapping for my project is presented in the figure below:

Figure representing the mind mapping for my project

This section uses Gibbs reflective cycle model, theories, as well as analysis in discussing the following:

In order to stay connected fully with other another in my team, we used Microsoft teams and WhatsApp in communicating and working collaboratively on tasks. Microsoft team is a productivity tool, used in streamlining communication within a team, in a bid of enhancing collaboration within a team (Bovee & Thill, 2012). On the other hand, WhatsApp provides a convenient way of communication for a team, owing to the fact that it allows the team members to stay updated on any arising issue, and of importance, is the fact that it provides timely notification, in case of any information (Montag et al., 2015). In my opinion, I feel my team would rather have used Microsoft team exclusively instead of mixing it with WhatsApp, majorly because WhatsApp is distractive as it mixes private communication and the team’s communication. It is evident that people value a separate of their private communication and team communication, and moreover, it is rather unprofessional to mix the two in one account (Church & De Oliveira, 2013).

On the other hand, communication via Microsoft team is exclusively for the team, thus enhancing effective communication for the team, in an efficient and quicker way, without any form of distraction. Secondly, Microsoft teams provide additional features such as video conferencing, which enhances visibility and transparency. However, this feature lacks in WhatsApp (Anglano, 2014; cited in Cardon & Marshall, 2015). However, I would have wanted my team to use Troop Messenger, which aids in sharing knowledge between team members, and also enhances collaborative teamwork. It also allows members to share files, which make their task even easier than before. Moreover, it keeps a team’s conversation history just like message, as well as video and voice calls and thus, secure them using a server-side encryption (Seufert et al., 2016). Overall, with Microsoft team, my team was able to have an effective communication.

People often have different viewpoints, which in most instances, escalate to conflict in a team. How these conflicts are handled determine whether they work for the advantage or disadvantage of the team (Shaw et al., 2011). Conflict is not regarded as necessarily bad though, owing to the fact that healthy and also constructive conflicts depict a component of highly-functioning teams. When people, having varying viewpoints, opinions, as well as tasks are faced with a project or a challenge, it is evident that a combined effort could surpass what any other group could achieve. As such, team members need to be open to such differences and not let them be detrimental to the team (Farh et al., 2010).

My team was faced with two main conflicts; first, we disagreed on meeting times, and second, we also disagreed on the structure of the report. However, we worked well together. I feel that differing on meeting times was expected, owing to the fact that we had different schedules in our personal lives. Moreover, we differed on the structure of the report, majorly because we had different opinions, which each of us felt could work best for our project. Of importance is the fact that we came to an agreement and set out meeting times, without any cause of alarm, which could lead to the downfall of the team.

I would urge that the next time we have a team, we should solve it amicably through the following ways. First, when all my team members have a solution, yet cannot reach a common ground, a third party, like the team leader, could aid in finding a compromise. This involves having a give and take on all sides. However, all the members would certainly walk out dissatisfied (Greer et al., 2011). Secondly, the conflict could be handled person-to-person by using facts and relating the conflict issue to the team, and the project needs. This calls for collaboration, here the team members will need to be honest, and open, in order to come up with a resolution (Wang & Ting, 2011).

Culture/ diversity

Diversity refers to the differences across various dimensions, which include culture, physical abilities, sexual orientation, age, socio-economic status, as well as race (Bouncken & Winkler, 2010). In other words, it is the recognition that people are unique and have their personal frames of references, which are moulded by external, as well as internal factors. When a team is composed of diverse individuals from different cultures, collaborative work is then enhanced in a wildly-diverse thinking (Stahl et al., 2010). In my team, we had cultural diversity, where it was composed of an African, a British, and two Asians.

I feel that working in a team of individuals from different cultural backgrounds makes the team members to step out of their comfort zones, and as such, consider a variety of new thought processes by being opened to different ways of thinking. It was very thoughtful for us to come up with a diverse team, owing to the fact that it enhanced cognitive flexibility in my team, whereby, we were able to tackle various obstacles (Crisp & Turner, 2011). We were able to provide potential solutions whilst challenging one another’s viewpoint, in a way that enables us to identify the best solution for issue. Secondly, having a diverse team enabled us to have an increased creativity, owing to the fact that a diverse team resists conformity. Overall, the next time I happen to have a come up with a team, I would urge that all members be selected from different cultural backgrounds. This is contrary to my team, where two individuals shared the same cultural background. I believe that with this, the team would gain more from diversity and thus, enhancing the success of the team.

Contribution

The success of any team or any project depends on the ability of the team members to contribute significantly towards meeting the objective of the project or the team. It is notable that some members may be working better as compared to others. However, when all team members have been granted the sense of individual ownership in the project, they believe that their contributions are valued. Moreover, if they see that their team leader contributed equally, and as such, leads by example, they become motivated towards contributing their best work (Duch et al., 2010).

In my team, every individual contributed equally. Our communication was also open and entailed honesty. I felt that my team members never held any information regarding any expected difficulty, or any aspect, which was related to the task. When problems arose, any member in a crisis could call on the team to assist in solving the problem. Every individual was given an opportunity to speak, and this aided in building assertiveness, as well as self-confidence in the team members. Every suggestion from any team member was accommodated and assessed objectively whilst considering the idea itself, and not taking into account the team member, who is proposing the idea.

Other than my team members having contributed equally, I would suggest that next time I have such a team, everyone should be made a leader by using a collaborative approach, rather than a hierarchical approach model. In this regard, whilst considering a collaborative structure, all members of the team are obligated to have a leadership role in various parts of the project, based on their strengths, as well as talents (Bouncken & Winkler, 2010). In other words, rather than having a strict division in the team, between the leader and the followers, all team members should be tasked to have significant leadership roles in particular contexts, and in others, they become followers. Moreover, all team members should contribute enthusiastically towards all the project aspects. They should have a positive attitude and keep high motivation. In this regard, they will be able to contribute new ideas, as well as solutions, listen to various ideas, as well as suggestions of other members of the team and all members should be readily available to help others with any problem (Mach et al., 2010).

Deadline

It is significant for the team leader to take the responsibility of gearing up its project team, in order to manage the deadline set for the project. Deadline management is noted to be a tough task, especially if the team has a diverse, skilled, differently abled, as well as experienced team members, who purpose to meet the milestones in the stipulated timeframe. Management of a deadline needs a collective effort of the team (Wheelan, 2014). However, the team leader has to understand that not every individual might be having an experience of working, with an aim of meeting a deadline, and that all team members have varied working pace, different experience, as well as different skills.

My team was able to meet the set deadline, owing to the fact that we were committed towards meeting the set deadline. As a team, we had scheduled to interview more than one customer, in order to meet the deadline. We had also decided to use an online interview, in interviewing the Embrace beauty customer, in order to catch up with time by not travelling to where they were. Of importance, is the fact that we finished our presentation and reported before the deadline. I felt that we were able to handle our tasks effectively and in due time, owing to the fact that we prepared for it. We were able to plan our work, were organised and had a clear communication regarding the set deadlines for each task, meant for each individual and for the entire team. As a team, we were able to break down various project deliverables significantly, in order to identify the required resources, with a right skill set, in order to catch up with time. The diversity of our team aided us in managing this, and moreover, the positive spirit that we had acted to our advantage (Mohammed et al., 2015).

The next time, I happen to have such a team, I would recommend that we have a delivery timeline, as well as the expectation guidelines for each of the tasks required of us to do at a given time. In case an issue arises, then the entire team would be able to highlight its concerns, bring forth significant update progress in given intervals, in order to allow all members to keep up with the time schedule set for them (Mohammed & Alipour, 2014).

Leadership style refers to the manner, as well as the approach of direct provision, implementation of plans, as well as motivation of people. It includes the entire pattern involved in explicating and implicating actions, which are performed by team leaders (Ruggieri & Abbate, 2013). In my team, the team leader applied democratic or participative leadership style. In this type of leadership, the leader purposes to approach various problem-solving ideas from his or her followers. In this regard, he or she tends to accommodate the ideas of the followers, whilst making significant decisions (Rast III et al., 2013). It is worth noting that as a team, we could meet and each of us could offer our suggestions when there arises a problem that needs to be solved, for example, setting times for the meeting and the coming up with the final structure of the report. I feel that the leader is the ultimate authority when it comes to all matters. However, this was not the case with my team, owing to the fact that the leader was bestowed with respect, as well as love for his subordinates.

The advantages of leadership style are that it leads to increased productivity, as the leader is able to delegate tasks to the followers effectively and efficiently, thus increasing the workability of the followers (Wheelan, 2014). It is evident that good leaders are able to determine the strengths, as well as weaknesses of their followers, and as such, they are able to delegate them work accordingly. It also leads to efficient labour division, which consequently results in a high work output from the followers (Bucic et al., 2010). Secondly, leadership style boosts the follower’s moral, and this leads to a higher advantage for the project that the team is handling, owing to the fact that it fosters loyalty and trust from the followers.

On the other hand, the disadvantages of leadership style are that first, it leads to a clash of various personalities. Notably, followers may have the feeling that they should or cannot relate with their leaders and this results into disputes, which consequently wastes time, as well as reduces productivity (Sauer, 2011). In this regard, leaders should be obligated to have excellent skills, to be able to effectively adapt to their styles of leadership, thus meshing with their followers’ differing personalities. The second disadvantage is that leadership style consumes time, which could be used in performing tasks. Ensuring that followers are provided with resources, as well as training, reduces productivity. In other words, whilst spending much time in leading and also instructing followers, leaders often fail to perform their required duties in the team, thus reducing their productivity in the team (Yang et al., 2011).

Dig deeper into Mpharm Personal Statement with our selection of articles.

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