Adjourning!

       “The adjourning stage is when the team is completing the current project. They will be joining other teams and moving on to other work in the near future. For a high performing team, the end of a project brings on feelings of sadness as the team members have effectively become as one and now are going their separate ways” (Abudi, 2010). I would say teams that are high-performing and have established norms are the most difficult to leave. I believe this may happen because you a have built relationships amongst team members to obtain goals that have been set. The bond created becomes strong as the group moves from the different stages of team building. At the end, when the goal or project has been accomplished a relationship has been built with lasting memories for what has been accomplish by the team.

     One group I can recall being hard to leave was when I was Moral Dance Coach for Dance Marathon when I was a student at Texas Woman’s University. Dance Marathon committee was made of a team of up to ten students that put together a fun filled, theme packed 14 hour event to raise money for Children’s Miracle Network to help support local hospitals in Dallas- Fort Worth area. We would start with our own simple ideas once each person had their position on the team. Then we moved to storming, figuring out how we would want ‘dancers’ to be able to push through the event. We would come up with a theme for the night, decorations, music, group dance, games all to motivate our ‘dancers’ to stay on their feet for the event. Also fund raiser events to help raise additional money. Once the event happened we could see how effective our team had been at planning and now executing our event. Adjourning was fun, but yet sad because we had worked for months on this event and now we would be moving forth with our lives. We would still see each other on campus and still engage in conversations. A closing ritual we did was have a meeting to discuss how much money was raised and discusses the strengths and weaknesses of the night. Also discuss what could we add to improve the event and encourage more ‘dancers.’

                As I adjourn from colleagues during my Master’s coursework, I am sure I will have the same feelings. It will surely be a bittersweet moment. I will be happy to have accomplished my goal to obtain a Master’s. On the other hand, I will miss the connections and discussions I have had with colleagues during the course of my studies. As I move forward, I will have a sense of longing to still be a part of this college community of learners.

References:

Abudi, G. (2010). The five stages of team development: A case study. Retrieved from http://www.projectsmart.co.uk/the-five-stages-of-team-development-a-case-study.html