Modules 17 & 18

Modules 17 and 18 were about listening working and writing in teams.  Module 17 give great advice about listening and what makes a good listener.  The first thing it lists is to pay attention.  A speaker can tell whether or not a listener is actively listening and getting what they should out of the message.  The second thing is to listen to the speaker generously.  That is, really get the message they are trying to convey, and spend time listening to them, and not planning what you are going to say in response.  Also, avoid making assumptions.  Any confusion should be cleared up after with questions.  The fourth part of being a good listener is to look at feelings and not just words.  It is important to pick up on emotional cues from the speaker, not just listen to the words they are speaking.  Working and writing in teams was the topic in module 18.  The steps that groups take to create a presentation are all listed at the beginning of the module.  These, in order, are orientation, where every one meets, formation, where they beging drafting and figuring out what to do, coordination, which is where the group works on the project, and must maintain friendliness, and formalization, which is when the group reaches a consensus.  The most important factor that goes into a succesful group, according to the book, is one that listens to criticism, and also comes to conclusions together.  The best way, also according to the book, to handle disagreements between group members is to address that there is actually a problem, and then to listen to what other people need to resolve the problem and make corrections.

The most important thing that I learned from these two modules is that taking a group project step by step is very important to the overall success of the group project.  Usually when doing something with a group, you jump right into the actual project without planning and listening to the ideas and concerns of other group members.