Mai Trần Anh Khôi
BABAWE22400
Workshop1
Around the beginning of this semester, I had the opportunity to work with a club at IU University
as the Marketing team leader. Our club is one of the university's largest and oldest clubs, formed
to organize and manage small to large events for students inside and outside the school to
participate. In addition, our club is formed by 7 departments, which include: Program
Department, External Relations Department, Public Relations Department, Media Department,
Sales Department, Operation Department, and Human Resources Department. With these
departments, we have 11 members on the club board of directors, including 1 president, 2 vice
presidents, and 8 leaders. It would be unusual when there are 7 departments but it also has 8
leaders. The reason for that is my position as a marketing leader. I am the only leader who does
not belong to any specific department, my role is managing and working with 3 other leaders in
the Public Relations (PR), Media, and Sales Department.
My job description at the beginning is setting the vision for marketing, liaising with other
departments, preparing communication strategies or campaigns, and other paperwork. Those
tasks seem to be effortless; However, in real work, when you are leading, and working with
various types of people, there are numerous difficulties.
In this reflection, I will discuss what issues I have faced, how I apply the methods I have learned,
and what lessons I gained after experiencing the position. At each stage in my term, I always
observed new lessons I had never known.
As people know, to lead a group or team, a leader is required several aspects such as soft skills,
intensive knowledge, and experience. I used to work in many roles from member to leader,
especially in social media positions, and cooperate with countless people. Hence, before I
applied for this position, I confidently said that I had enough ability to undertake the Marketing
leader in my club. However, this position was extremely different from my experiences. Some
reasons were for the tasks, but most of it was those people who I had to work with.
Similar to other organizations, clubs, or groups, we had 5 stages of group development: forming,
storming, norming, performing, and adjourning. At the beginning of our term, the club board of
directors had a chance to introduce themselves; And set missions, and visions for the overall
club. On the one hand, when almost all of us were strangers, our first tasks were performed
easily, we were excited about our new positions and had several questions in our minds. But on
the other hand, each of us had anxious, suspicious feelings when we did not know each other and
the tasks we performed were not perfect for we could not express our views or opinions. This
forming stage had an advantage because arguments did not occur, but it did not last long because
when dissents and problems happened the group would turn to the storming stage.
One of our first and biggest accidents was losing our Facebook page, which was created in 2014.
At that time, our club board of directors was extremely confused because the recruitment and the
first rase fund event were coming; If we did not have enough newbies or financial strength, our
club could have canceled several events. Moreover, the worst problem was the Marketing
department had a responsibility to create a new page for the club and run the first rase fund
event, which had to be prepared in less than a month. In that terrible accident, the board of
directors had countless meetings that could last until midnight. When each leader had to face
problems and exhaustion, conflicts happened. The first argument occurred during an online
meeting about creating a new page or restoring the old page. When two opinions were shown,
half of the group decided to find the first admin who had been an IU student for more than seven
years which meant no one knew who we had to look for. Meanwhile, other leaders intended to
create a new page for the urgent time. Because we did not understand and neither trust in others,
we protected our point overly and refused every other comment. Therefore, we decided to invite
the third parties who were the president of the previous term. She hosted the next meeting for our
board of directors and suggested we listen to other opinions instead of insisting our views were
correct. In the end, we chose to separate two teams, one team would find the former of the page
by contacting the old board of directors, and the Marketing department would make up a plan to
create a new page. At that time, I understood the importance of the third-parties.
Because of the essential of the third parties, if the person who plays that role cannot maintain
their stance or that individual does not have permission from arguers to participate in the
conversation, it will create more conflicts among other members. One example is in our
Marketing department when we were making the raise fund event. That event was selling
lanyards for students and I had to design that merchandise and plan the strategy to sell it. Our
Marketing department had a Messenger group, which included the president, vice presidents,
Marketing leader, Public Relations leader, Media leader, Sales leader, and Human Resources
leader, to communicate and keep track of the tasks. This group was private and only those
members in the group could access the information. At that time, I was sent several plans and
designs for the event to let other leaders give their points of view so I could discuss with them if
there existed any problem. It would be normal if there were only leaders in that group discussed
with the others, but one leader in that group could not protect that leader’s view and decided to
invite the third parties unofficially. The leader took the screenshot of our conversation and sent it
to third parties so that person could give opinions and the leader could improve the personal
point. I felt insulted and upset by that action because that third party was the one who abused that
leader recently and I was the one who protected that leader in front of other members in that
department; Moreover, I was always willing to observe opinions to improve myself but not by
that method. However, in that situation, I did make a mistake. Instead of expressing my feelings
and pointing out the leader’s mistake, I chose to keep that in mind and have a fight with the
leader who would work with me in that term and even in the future. Though we had been through
a tough time, fortunately, when we both calmed down and had a conversation we understood our
mistakes and realized the reason that led to the fight was not only because of the third parties but
also because we could not believe in each other, and get used to our working style.
The next problem that I faced was solving other leadership issues from my leaders in the
Marketing department. I understand that leadership is not the skill that would naturally exist in
the individual but it has to be learned through several experiences. Thus, it is usual when a leader
makes a mistake and the members are upset. As I mentioned, my position was different from
other positions. Somehow it could be said that I did not have any members. In addition, my job
description did not include leading a group of members. Therefore, solving other leaders’ issues
was not my responsibility. Despite ignoring that and letting leaders solve it, I took part in and
gave my suggestions to solve those problems. At that time, everything I did was because I did
not intend to see conflicts in my department, but over time, I learned that when you work in a
group, especially as a leader, other leaders’ or members’ problems are your problems and
together, you and they have to solve it.
In the same situation, my work was described as a communicant who would send information
and needs from the Marketing department to the other departments, which did not include
conciliating discomfort between leaders from the Marketing department and leaders from the
other departments. Many fights happened and I had to be the third party, I knew that sometimes,
whatever you were in and you wanted to protect the place that you belonged, you still had to be
neutral to observe every opinion from each person to point out the problems and give the
solution that both sides are satisfied.
Another event that made me understand the importance of the feedback meeting and its methods.
After every event, our club and board of directors always have feedback meetings. In the first
meeting that occurred in our first term, we could not express our feelings or completely point out
the others’ mistakes, which resulted in repeating those mistakes in the next event. After that the
next feedback meeting was disastrous. We expressed our anger to the others and made that
meeting became a fight, so we had to stop that and find another way to feedback each other.
After that, we decided to set new rules which protect us from fights. The rules included: Do not
interrupt when one leader is speaking; When a fight happens it will be stopped and changed to
another topic from other leaders, after that, when those leaders are calmed, it will be kept
discussing; After solutions are given and approved by other leaders the one who made that
mistake will never let it happen again and others will never mention it in every situation. Not
only that, we also use SBI model to solve our problem once and for all. This model showed the
specific situations why it harmed us, and how we could solve it. That model positively affected
our feedback meeting, we could see our problem and solve it. Since that occation, the norming
stage had happened.
After everything had been through our performances were improve, especially in my Marketing
Department. We achieved several remarkable goals that we had set from the first time, and some
achievements had never happened to our club. For instance, the number of members who decide
to quit the club has been minimized; Though we lost our page on Facebook, we confidently say
that our Marketing is one of the best compared to other clubs; The number of merchandise that
we have sold from the first raise fund event achieved record sales in every term.
Working in groups holds a vital significance in both professional and personal realms. As we
conclude our discussion, let's underscore the profound impacts of collaborative efforts. Group
work not only leverages the diverse strengths of its members but also fosters an environment ripe
for innovation, problem-solving, and personal growth. When individuals come together, they
bring unique perspectives, skills, and experiences that contribute to a richer, more comprehensive
understanding of the tasks at hand. This diversity enables groups to tackle complex problems
more effectively than any individual could alone.
Moreover, working in a group enhances communication skills. The necessity to convey ideas
clearly and listen actively to others promotes a deeper understanding and respect among team
members. This interaction is crucial in building interpersonal skills, which are indispensable in
today’s interconnected world. Through collaboration, individuals learn to navigate different
viewpoints, manage conflicts constructively, and build consensus, all of which are essential for
personal and professional relationships.
Groups also foster a sense of accountability and motivation. The shared responsibility
encourages members to stay committed and strive for excellence, knowing that their contribution
impacts the entire group’s success. This collective effort often results in higher productivity and a
more satisfying outcome, as the synergy of the group amplifies individual contributions.
Furthermore, group work cultivates a supportive network, providing a safety net where members
can seek advice, feedback, and encouragement. This network can be a source of inspiration and
resilience, helping individuals to persevere through challenges and celebrate successes together.
In conclusion, the importance of working in groups cannot be overstated. It transforms
individuals into a cohesive unit that can achieve remarkable feats, nurtures essential life skills,
and creates a supportive community. As we navigate an increasingly complex world, the ability
to collaborate effectively remains one of the most valuable skills we can develop. Embracing
group work is not just a strategy for success; it is a cornerstone of personal and collective
growth.
References:
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