Survival and Synergy

The Desert Survival Situation activity we executed in class was certainly a unique situation that proved to be much more challenging than I had anticipated. Upon entering my results the first time through, I was so sure that I had outsmarted everybody in our classroom, however, my faith in myself slightly decreased when I was listening to the lists that my team had assembled and their reasonings for putting certain objects in certain places on the hierarchy of necessities. Although I do believe that I brought many valid points to my team as we struggled to prioritize certain objects. We consistently bounced ideas off of one another and strived to make the perfect list—because we obviously all had the common goal of winning.

 

I do believe that the drive to reach our common goal enhanced our ability to successfully achieve positive team synergy. Because we all wanted the same thing, and understood that our ideas alone could only become stronger with collaboration, we focused on listening to one others ideas as well as presenting our own ideas to the group in a convincing, yet non-aggressive way. This is the key to positive team synergy. Although two members of our group did better on their own than the group as a whole did, we all held our belief that we had worked extremely well together as a team, and agreed that we had exhibited positive team synergy.

Something from a reading we had—the name of which is slipping my mind— resonated with me as we made our way through this assignment. The text was stressing the important aspects of a positive leader, and it read something along the lines of employees needing to provide an environment that benefits the employees, and allows them to feel personal—as well as professional—gain. Although this was advice for employers in handling their employees, I believe these values apply greatly to a team when striving for positive team synergy. It’s extremely important that each team member feels that their ideas are being valued, and that they reciprocate that value as they listen to the ideas of their teammates. This allows for positive team synergy in the way that when each member feels values, they will feel personal satisfaction if the team succeeds, as they will recognize their contribution to the success.

Overall, this activity was extremely fun for me, and definitely different from any activity I've ever done in a classroom setting. I look forward to learning more about collaboration in a professional setting, and hopefully exercising the skills we learn in activities like this.