First Group Meeting

Last Wednesday, my group C05 and I had our first CG1102 project meeting. We convened in the computer lab first to clarify the task requirements and to seek the advice from our lab assistant. Next, we found an empty tutorial room and proceeded to conduct our meeting and recording.

The meeting proceeded smoothly and we discussed our approach to solving the task as well as the various details related to its implementation. There were no major conflicts throughout the discussion however; further clarification was required at certain points to help us better understand what our teammates were trying to say. One such occurrence happened while we were discussing the method in which to implement the UI or user interface.

The user interface we had to create would allow users make selections via a menu. The input received would then determine the function to be executed or the sub menu to be displayed. My concern was that while the main menu dictated that choices were limited to the numbers 1 to 5, other sub menu may require user input of different datatypes.

I was under the impression that a separate function would be required to handle the different datatypes. However our group leader Russell had intended to create different sub menus that could then handle its specific input datatype. At this point we tried to reconcile our different approaches by first understanding each other’s methods as well as the rationale behind them.

While I first had difficulty trying to explain my concern regarding his implementation, by listening carefully to his explanation and trying to visualize his concept, I was better able to understand his approach. Having reviewed the recording of our interaction, I now see that I was still unable to fully grasp what he meant as I was too focused on my suggestion as well as the perceived “flaw”. We then compromised and decided to first adopt a simple case scenario and assume his implementation would suffice. During a second meet up, we were able to discuss the issue again and this time, having already accepted his solution, I was better able to understand it and come to see that it would work despite my initial reservations.

It is interesting to see that our behaviour during the meeting was somewhat different and perhaps a little self-conscious due to the presence of the camera. However as the meeting progressed, we were absorbed by the work at hand and soon forgot about the camera. I was later told that they were slightly uncomfortable having to be recorded as they felt pressurised to adopt better communication practices during discussion. While I fully understand the desire to present a better image and also the merits of trying to put good communication practices to use, I wonder if the effectiveness of the exercise might be reduced by doing so intentionally.

Be Veg . Go Green . Save the Planet .

For more information regarding climate change please visit:

http://suprememastertelevision.com/SOS/

Resolving interpersonal conflict

Conflicts are an ever-present part of our lives, and they range from minor conflicts (difference in opinion between people) to major conflicts (disagreement over scare resources between nations). Wilmot and Hocker (2007) describe conflict as "an expressed struggle between at least two interdependent parties who perceive incompatible goals, scarce resources, and interference from others in achieving their goals"

Interpersonal conflicts are conflicts that occur between people. While such conflict may occur naturally (people working for rival teams or companies), often, these conflicts arise from miscommunication or failure to communicate. Therefore it is important to employ good communication practices to avoid unnecessary conflicts and to resolve existing ones.

While working to set up the Food4Thought Vegan snack stand (yes, again...) miscommunication resulted in several minor conflicts between the committee we were working with. These conflicts while minor had the potential to harm relations between the two parties and affect our ability to work together.

One such conflict was with regards to the budget being allocated to the project. One of our requests was to have an amount set aside to cover the purchase of food items (should we be unable to sell all the items). This however, was perceived as a request to fund the purchase on a weekly basis.

As there were several projects running concurrently, the committee was concerned that this would put a considerable strain on resources. While the discussion did get a little heated, we continued in order to find a common ground. I then tried conveying the rationale behind the request as well as explaining what the desired outcome would be. We then realised that a compromise was possible. Hence, a reduced budget that included the requested fund was agreed upon and we concluded the meeting.

I was grateful and appreciative for their support and thanked them it. They seemed receptive and we left on an amiable note. Members of the committee even lent their support by patronising the stall once we were in operation. Hence, we were able to resolve the conflict without straining our relationship.

Through this experience I learnt that often, taking time to understand a conflict from the other side will present a clearer perspective of the problem as well as introduce solutions to the problem. Also, in conflict resolution, it is not only communication but the willingness to communicate that is vital in resolving the conflict.

Be Veg . Go Green . Save the Planet .

For more information regarding climate change please visit:

http://suprememastertelevision.com/SOS/