Have you ever seen the fascination that occurs when a group of people connect around a common goal? For me, teamwork has been an interesting force that has changed my life in many ways. I want to share my experiences and thoughts about the amazing power of teamwork and how it has influenced my journey in this personal blog. Power in Teamwork. I used to think that success in lacrosse/hockey came only from personal work when I originally started playing at a high level. I took great satisfaction and happiness in my ability to work independently and take on tasks by myself. But as I took on bigger and tougher projects, I came to understand that I could only do so much on my own. I realized then how powerful unity can be. When we worked as a team, I discovered that we could overcome challenges that would have been impossible for any of us to overcome by using our combined knowledge, expertise, and creativity. It soon became apparent that our combined efforts were significantly more effective than our separate contributions. Taking Note of Diversity My eyes had been opened to the beauty of diversity in teamwork. Working in a team introduced me to a wide range of experiences, viewpoints, and specialties. Differences could be difficult at first to work with, but I quickly learned to value the depth they added to our efforts. The team's varied points of view produced more comprehensive ideas, strong solutions, and well-rounded decision making. It became evident that accepting diversity sparked creativity and led to personal development for everyone involved. Communication as a Foundation A team's ability to communicate effectively is what keeps it together. My experiences being on many teams have taught me the value of respectful, honest, and open communication. We gained knowledge on how to give helpful criticism, communicate our ideas properly, and actively listen. The communication skills I developed in these collaborative environments proved to be extremely beneficial in both my personal and professional life, greatly improving my connections with friends and family. Success and Assistance Shared The mutual support and shared accomplishment that teamwork produces is one of its most beautiful aspects. There was a sense of accomplishment and togetherness when team members celebrated milestones and successes together. We were inspired to aim even higher by this fantastic energy. The team's assistance through difficult moments was also incredibly transforming. We would support one another, divide the workload, and offer encouragement when it was most required. This network of support forged a strong link that went beyond our projects. Overcoming and Adapting Through Challenges I learned how to be resilient and adaptable when faced with problems through teamwork. It's not always easy sailing, and resolving disputes and conflicts is a common part of teamwork. Nonetheless, these difficulties offered chances for improvement of one's character and abilities. As a team, we overcame challenges to fortify our determination and come out of them stronger and more intune with eachother than before. Friendships The power of teamwork to create long-lasting relationships is amazing. People develop relationships with one another when they work together on projects or share objectives that go beyond the current task at hand. Trust and friendship can be developed by sharing the highs and lows of the journey together, and these bonds frequently grow into long-lasting friendships. These connections are based on understanding gained from personal collaboration with others, mutual support, and shared experiences. The friendships we make via teamwork, whether at work, on a sports team, frequently turn out to be some of the most significant and long-lasting relationships we have, serving as a constant reminder of the positive effects of teamwork. In the end
My own experience with the transforming potential of teamwork has led me to feel that working together with people may take our experiences and accomplishments to new heights, regardless of where we are in life. My work and personal lives have been profoundly impacted by the things I've learned, including the value of communication, the strength of togetherness, the beauty of diversity, and the support and resilience we acquire. To put it simply, teamwork has altered my approach to problems and objectives. It serves as a reminder that we don't have to travel alone and that collaborating with people who share our values and purpose may be really powerful. Accept the value of teamwork, and you could discover that it has the ability to change your life. Taylor M.
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I can guarantee that every single person reading this has had an argument. It could’ve been as minor as which sports team is better, or something more important like worldview. No matter the subject, chances are neither party involved learned much of anything. In a perfect world both of you would carefully consider each other's opinions and restructure your own view with the knowledge you’ve gained, but we don’t live in a perfect world. The world we live in is often aggressive, inconsiderate and not a good environment for learning. So it’s up to you to shape your points and tailor your delivery to each person you encounter, but how? Well let’s start with the simplest, yet seemingly most seldom done task before you argue. Fully understand and consider the views of others before attempting to critique it. The goal of arguing is not to win, but to learn. Failing to fully consider someone else's opinion will result in deconstructive bickering, and neither of you will learn anything. To form an accurate and impactful argument you must first fully understand the other person's view, once you’ve done that you may even consider changing your own. Open with curiosity, not aggression. Proving someone wrong isn’t enough to change their opinion, you have to ‘soften the blow’ slightly to avoid things becoming heated. When people get angry, they act irrationally and don’t take well to alternative ideas, avoiding this is the most important thing to do during an argument. Ask them to explain their ideas, establish a sense of comfort and open mindedness. Once they see you’re not trying to attack them, they’re going to be far more open to your ideas and views. Take time to think before arguing Many small arguments are the result of poor communication or a simple misunderstanding. Before you jump in and try to convince someone they’re wrong, make sure you aren’t just caught in the heat of the moment. Ask yourself if there's an alternative way to see this, or if this is something truly important. Remember to calm down, never argue while you're angry. It’s a habit most of us fall into because of what i mentioned above, when we are angry we don’t like to consider we are in the wrong. Starting an argument while either party is mad is pointless, on top of neither person learning anything, you’ll probably come out more upset than you were before. Like any other kind of socializing, this takes practice. You’re not about to go convince the entire class about pickle ice cream just because you’ve read this. Everyone is different, adapting your arguments to everyone you meet is a skill that takes years to develop, and can never truly be mastered. The best thing you can do for yourself and others is to stay open minded, and never stop trying to learn about the world and the people around you.
Michael B We have all experienced times in our lives and found ourselves in a conversation with someone else and have become agitated at them as they just aren't able to grasp whatever point you are trying to make or situation you are trying to explain. It is easy to become annoyed or upset because what you are saying makes complete sense in your own head; it is hard to comprehend that other people can’t understand you when you feel that everything you have said is so clearly stated. In these situations, it is so important to take a step back, try to put yourself in their shoes, and try a different approach. To start, everyone has a different way of understanding and this can be reflected in the different learning styles: ● Visual (spatial) Learner ● Aural (auditory) Learner ● Verbal (linguistic) Learner ● Physical (kinesthetic) Learner ● Logical (mathematical) Learner ● Social (interpersonal) Learner ● Solitary (intrapersonal) Learner https://www.time4learning.com/learning-styles/ For the past four summers, I have worked as a swim coach with the ages of my swimmers ranging from 5-12. Some kids respond quickly to verbal instructions; quick and concise and they are eager and ready to start the drill. Originally, this was my only way of communicating as it works for me and was fast paced to get us through all the swimming we had planned to do for the day. However, as time went on I noticed the same kids making mistakes in drills, losing focus, asking me to repeat the instructions all over again, and staring at me with puzzled looks. I recognized that by just stating the same sentence I had said a minute before did not provide any clarification at all too. I then started changing up the way I worded my instructions, creating metaphors to help them grasp the way they should move their body, having myself motion out the movement while on deck, and (pre-covid) moving my swimmers bodies to replicate the swim I wanted to see. This made such a huge impact, my swimmers became more confident and proud in themselves once they understood. At first, it was easy to look at my lane and become frustrated with the swimmers not swimming correctly as “they must have not paid attention to me” or “they aren’t trying enough”. The kids not understanding was at the fault of my own and I am glad I have been able to learn and recognize how to reframe the way instructions can be given so that I can create a positive learning space. Now when I am coaching my swimmers and giving instructions, there are a few key points to how I deliver information: - Have I given clear verbal instructions? (must use simple words, speak in a loud well paced voice) - Have I given any form of demonstration? (myself on deck showing my swimmers the movement I want to see, asking a senior swimmer to do a demo in water, showing a video of the swim) - Have I checked in with my swimmers throughout my verbal instructions/demo? (asking for a “thumbs up” if we understand, asking them to repeat back key points that I mentioned I want to see throughout the swim) - Have I given them the opportunity to ask questions? (Sometimes things that seem implied to me, may not be to my swimmers and I want to make sure if they have any uncertainty in what they are supposed to do, they are given the time to ask for clarification) If you are placed in a situation where whoever you are addressing does not understand what
you are communicating, have patience and try to change the way you are delivering what you want to say. Remember that everyone understands and processes information differently. Devon M Do you know anyone that has achieved something great all by themselves? Life is a team sport. We all rely on each other to do things everyday. Whether it’s something small like borrowing a pencil or something big like borrowing a lot of money from a friend to buy something. It is a combination of trust and reliability that helps us through life. You trust that your friend is going to pay you back. Your friend is very reliable so they do. A sports team is made up of many individuals. Each person has different strengths and weaknesses. Even though they are all different, they work together when playing to achieve a common goal. They rely on and trust each other to try their hardest every time they arrive at a practice or a game. Knowing many people are relying on you to make that pass or score that goal, it pushes you to do your best because you don’t want to let them down. Doesn’t matter what sport. The importance of a team is that they become your second family. Sometimes someone is having a bad day and that’s okay. Their team will understand that and help build them up. If you make a mistake in a game there’s many other players that will help fix it. Everyone on the team contributes in different ways to achieve a team success. The Toronto Raptors won the NBA finals 2019 because of many people. Everyone that played, the players on the bench for support, the coaches, and many more people. One person can’t win a team sport by themselves. Before every game my team sings and dances in the change room. It gets everyone pumped up and ready to play. During a game it’s the best feeling scoring a goal. Especially when it's a close score and you start sprinting to your team to give eachother a big hug while you jump up and down with huge smiles across your faces. As fun as winning is, you can’t always win. You win as a team and you lose as a team. It is not one player's fault that the team loses. Being part of any team is very beneficial and helps develop many skills. Depending on the kind of team some skills you could attain are communication, perseverance, leadership, determination, health, strength, cooperation, organization, focus, and problem-solving. You can read more on the benefits to playing a team sport like academic performance and mental health on https://armyandnavyacademy.org/blog/beyond-physical-fitness-the-benefits-of-playing-team-sports/ . A team doesn’t just play a sport together, it supports every player through their life. Think about all your family, friends, teammates, teachers, and other people that have impacted your life. Now try to imagine where you would be in life without their support. You may be fine without them, but you wouldn’t have their help that you need to reach your full potential.
Taylor K. Parents. The definition of a parent is “a person who is a father or a mother” according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary. Yes that might be the official definition of the word but a parent can be someone who isn’t technically your biological parent as well, they can be an aunt or uncle, a step-parent, your grandparent or maybe even your best friends mum. It’s whoever you know loves you unconditionally, has taken care of you and will continue to take of you. One of the most important things to keep in mind to mainly a healthy relationship with someone who you consider to be your parent, is effective communication. Although I have both of my biological parents in my life and raising me, I also consider my aunt (who’s one of my mums sisters) to be a parental figure to me and my brothers. My relationship has always been very strong with both my parents and my aunt because we all have very open communication. One word I use all the time to describe both my mum and dad is blunt, they are two people who are very straightforward and they speak their minds. This is a good quality as well as bad because yes there is effective communication be they can also be quite insulting and mean sometimes. For example a week ago I was with my parents and I was in a really bad mood, so my dad told me “[I was” an ungrateful brat who is impossible to please and sometimes [he hated] being around [me] because [I] have a horrible attitude.” That kind of hurt although I knew that it was slightly true because I knew I was being difficult. On one hand, his open communication did help and made me realize that I wasn’t being very nice. But it also made me sad, very hurt and self conscious. Remember, yelling doesn’t help the situation, people tend to not hear things that are being yelled no matter how loud it is. So if you ever get in a screaming match with your parents, try to take a breath and calm down even if you feel like you’re about to explode. Effective communication is essential between a parent and their child. The concept of open communication is quite simple but when it comes down to it, it could be hard to be honest with who you’re talking to especially if you’ve made a mistake. Frequently, parents try to communicate with their children but they don’t feel comfortable or care enough to talk to their parents. Open communication must come from both parties in order to be effective and to serve a purpose. Imagine you’re on a teeter-totter, but the other person is just sitting there like a rock. You will either be on the ground or suspended in the air; each of these situations will leave you stuck, annoyed and most likely uncomfortable. Just like a teeter-totter, effective communication requires the effort of two people to help move it along. Here are some tips to help you communicate with your parents or parental figures: https://www.google.ca/amp/amp.timeinc.net/time/65324/7-powerful-tips-for-great-parent-child-communication I actually used some of these tips when I was talking to my parents and in result we had an effective conversation that actually progressed our relationship. Remember that your parents want to talk to you, even if you feel uncomfortable or you don’t want to talk to them, try these tips and maybe something good will come out of it. Whatever you do just don’t scream “F*** OFF” at them. It really won’t help anything. And if all else fails, buy a really inspiring picture that doesn’t actually make any sense to you and pretend you’re ok. Georgia F |
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