Learning Journal

"What will my group be like?", "Will I be able to work with them?", "Will they like me?" Accompanied by these thoughts and butterflies in my stomach, I entered the first lesson of Leadership and Team Building.

Bon Appétit

We were each given an array of postcards to choose from after which all the students with the same postcards were made to sit together. This, we were told, was our LTB group and these were our group members. Unfortunately for me, I had to switch two groups until I got to my LTB group because of gender equality issues. To be very frank, at first glance, I don't think some of my group mates were particularly happy about the switch as I had come in place of one their friends. Although this made me feel bad, it also made me realize the huge role that luck plays, not only in LTB but also in our lives. It was by chance that these seven individuals and I were in the same LTB class this semester. It was by chance, that they had the same colored post card as each other. It was by chance that I got shifted to their group. Thus, all of us being victims of chance, set out on this educational, meaningful and insightful journey, to fulfill our Community Service Project and to discover ourselves in the process.

I was extremely apprehensive when I met my group. During the first round of introductions, the supposed "ice-breaker" session, I didn't feel that any ice was broken. We just quietly introduced our selves and left it at that. All around me, the other groups were laughing and talking a lot and I couldn't help but think, ‘Why can't my group be like them?" We named ourselves MILF-Man, I Love Friendship, which was a bit ironic as we didn't seem to be very friendly at first .The first bite of LTB didn't leave a very sweet taste in my mouth.

The starters

The first meeting

In the first week itself, we had a meeting in order to brainstorm on ideas for our Community Service Project. This was my first real taste of the much talked about and over-hyped "LTB group".

I must mention here, that some of the apprehensions that I had about working with my group were mollified during this meeting. Some of our members could not make it that day so the rest of us continued without them. I felt that the 5 of us who were present clicked pretty well. Just like me, I think they also were looking to make friends through LTB. As a whole, the environment was quite relaxed and the atmosphere was friendly. I came away feeling a bit relieved that there were at least some members that I could relate to.

The second meeting

It was during the second meeting, where all the members were present that we really got down to business. After much debate, we settled on "Mend My Home, Mend My Heart"-a project aimed at interacting with lonely old folks of a particular area and then cleaning their houses for them.

During this brainstorming process, I noticed how my team members assumed task and transaction process facilitator's roles. As our CSP idea was conceived by two people but improved upon by the rest, I could see how those two people were initiators whereas the rest of us were the elaborators. Also, through our initial meetings, I observed how different people became standard setters for different tasks-for example some punctual members became standard setters of time, and others, who were perfectionists, became standard setters for quality of work that was required of us for our CSP. Personally, it was really interesting to see how different qualities and ambitions of our group members laid down different standards and these gradually became the norms of our group. It showed me how individual beliefs and styles affect group dynamics.

The third meeting

In the following meeting we deliberated on many issues related to the Project-the scale of our activities, liaising with sponsors, liaising with beneficiaries, sustainability. During these discussions, it was but obvious that there would be conflicts of interest. For example, some thought that organizing various games and activities for the old folks was appropriate whereas others thought that giving the old folks free medical check ups by the Health Promotion Board was a better idea. However what I observed was that even though there were several debates over many issues, my group didn't lose sight of the goal which was an, enjoyable event for our beneficiaries. We were able to go beyond the petty quarrels and personal differences to look at the bigger picture. For us, it didn't matter whether the old folks played gate ball or got their eyes tested-what really mattered was that they were happy, which was one of