This is Personal (Reflection on Team Meeting 1)

I would like to use this post to focus on my own performance during the first team meeting. I understand that my previous post covered predominantly the team's performance. Before I begin, below is a list of some of the roles of a team member.

1. Information Giver - Offers facts or generalizations that may relate to the team's task.
2. Information/Opinion Seeker - Asks for clarification of suggestions & opinions made by other members and asks how people in the team feel
3. Opinion Giver - States beliefs or opinions having to do with suggestions made
4. Supporter/Encourager - Praises, agrees with, and accepts the contributions of others; offers warmth and recognition
5. Feeling "Expresser" - Makes explicit the thoughts & feelings.

Now the question is, did I fulfill my duty as a team member?

Whenever any of my team members suggested something or offered any kind of input pertaining to the task, I clarified them to ensure we were on the same wavelength and that the suggestion/information was not something irrelevant to the task. I constantly asked questions to avoid making assumptions and to have a clearer picture of things. I also lauded Jing Mei when she contributed a unique idea that no one thought of, showing support.

However, I did not contribute enough to the meeting in terms of information/facts. The first ten to fifteen minutes of the meeting was largely one-sided with Tuan Vu speaking. This could be due to my lack of knowledge of the task. Also, I rarely provided any kind of opinion. I kept my feelings and thoughts to myself and did not express them enough. I was afraid my input would be of no use and only disrupt the flow of the meeting.

For subsequent meetings, I need to be armed with some knowledge about the task so that I can contribute. Also, I have to express opinions and thoughts without fear even if they ought to be futile.