Farewell.....

For some of us, this is farewell... for others we will meet again and soon! I have so enjoyed working and collaborating with all of you. I wish you much success and happiness in your futures! Thank you for all the support you have given along the way!

Adjourning

The hardest group that I was a part of to say goodbye to was probably my fellow teachers at my last job. We all got along really well, participated in trainings, and collaborated well. We did have clearly established norms. Our closing ritual was a farewell lunch and exchanging numbers and emails.

How do I imagine I will adjourn from the group of colleagues I have formed while working on my master's degree in this program? Well, this is truly the first I have thought of this. I believe it will be difficult because we formed a tight group that was focused on a shared goal.

Adjourning is an essential stage of team work because separating is necessary to move into different directions and to celebrate your success (or learn your lessons for the future). It can be a bittersweet celebration because you will be sad, yet anxious to embrace new challenges!

Conflict Communic:

You could use the Platinum Rule and reflect on how the person you are conflicting with feels. Trying to see something from someone else's perspective can oft times be very enlightening.

Respect is always a key component. If you truly respect the person you may be disagreeing with, you will agree with  their option to have an opinion, whether you agree with it or not.

In asking a colleague, she suggested the Platinum Rule and told me how her life experiences had shown her that during a conflict, this method was the most effective in communicating.

Reference:
O'Hair,D & Wiemann, M., 2012, Bedford/St. Martin's, Boston, MA.