Learning about the five stages groups go through to form a team:
forming, storming, norming, performing, and adjourning has been very enlightening.
As I was reading about this, I started to reflect on the many groups I have
belonged to over the years to see if I could pick out the stages of our
development.
I have a very vivid memory from high school, when the curtain closed
on the last performance of the first high school play I was in. We performed Guys and Dolls and I was a member of the
chorus. I had a huge sense of loss and I did not see that emotion coming. I
believe part of it was age. At 14, I was so focused on the goal that I did not
see past it. As an adult I realize that some groups will only be formed for a
short period of time.
The group of 30 or so students that put on this production came from
many different groups throughout the school. I was a sophomore at the time, but
the group was composed of students from all classes. I made friends with people
that I would not have met or interacted with if not for us all working together
to put on this production. We spent hours together rehearsing and working
toward our goal of perfecting every aspect of the production. After months of rehearsal, it was over in five performances.
To ease our adjournment we had a cast party to celebrate our
accomplishment. We spent time signing each other’s programs with our favorite
memories. When the yearbooks came out at the end of the school year, many of us
sought each other out to once again sign on the pages with play pictures. I was
part of the school musicals for the next two years. People who were acquaintances
when we began production were friends for years afterward.
I hope to celebrate this group’s adjournment by meeting in person to
celebrate our graduation. I already have concerns, because several of us will
no longer be in classes together as we begin studies in our respective specializations.
I keep in touch with friends from previous courses through Walden email
or text messaging. Please feel free to
reach out, we cannot build a strong enough support network as we near the
finish, we will all have Capstone projects to complete!
Reference
O’Hair, D., & Wiemann, M. (2009). Real
communication: An introduction. New York: Bedford/St. Martin’s.
I can relate to the school play group in your life. I was also a part of the chorus at my school, and you spend so many hours in a day with them. Within a few performances all that hard work pays off, but it's done. It leaves you with the " now what?" feeling. I had not thought about us splitting when we go to specializations. Hopefully we can all keep in touch still. I still have links to everyone's blog so I try to keep in touch that way.
ReplyDeleteI know that feeling and did not even think of that type of situation. When I was in band I remember that feeling as the curtain was drawn. It was a sense of pride, relief, and sadness all at the same time.
ReplyDelete