51 SDG 17 Partnerships for the Goals – Crowe LLP

Group Reflection

Our group had trouble communicating at first since we were using email, which was thought to be ineffective. We switched to platforms like WhatsApp and Snapchat to accommodate different communication preferences because we understood how important it is to have good communication controls in corporate settings (12.3 Understanding Communication, 2015). But this change brought attention to the necessity of a more simplified strategy. The tasks that were completed at the last minute showed the effects of the time deadlines. While there were also problems caused by factors like time zone differences, busy schedules, and communication obstacles, which highlighted the significance of non-financial controls (15.6 Nonfinancial Controls, 2015). Which also helped showcase leadership as the team’s ability to adapt to scheduling conflicts, time zone variances, and communication failures was amazing. Amelia effectively exhibited traits of a work oriented leadership style as she took control over assignment submission, and double checked with us to make sure the assignments submitted also were up to our standards. The acceptance and adaptation of differences in languages, communication styles, and time zones are indications of authentic leadership characteristics (10.6 Contemporary Approaches to Leadership, 2015). These principles place a strong emphasis on two crucial concepts taught in leadership courses: an appreciation of individual diversity and a commitment to inclusive communication.

We can relate the concepts of control and coordination to our shared experiences as a team and to our work on the AIM2Flourish project. Our organization deliberately selected which duties to allocate during the AIM2Flourish project based on individual skills and knowledge. This fits the notion of control, which is the capacity to plan and organize work effectively, as it is applied to Newell Rubbermaid (15.2 Case in Point: Newell Rubbermaid Leverages Cost Controls to Grow, 2015). In keeping with Newell’s emphasis on controls for financial and operational difficulties, our team adopted an orderly approach by assigning roles such as completing the AIM2Flourish story, handling the poster creation, and submitting data to the AIM2Flourish website. We really demonstrated our inclusive collaboration skills during the course of this project by accommodating each other and allowing every individual the chance to contribute.

From the start we just each chose the tasks we would complete and that made the most logical sense. When it came to who was incharge of submitting everything, Amelia volunteered from the start. Amelia made sure that each week everything was submitted on time which included a screenshot of each meeting as well as a 5 minute recording and the corresponding assignment for the week. We originally choose Josphine’s company except she didn’t know if she would be able to get an interview so as a backup we choose Mateo’s company. This meant that they filled out Appendix 2: Identifying the Potential AIM2Flourish Interviewee due to them knowing the information about the company so it made sense. For the interview Mateo completed that part as it was his company and Ivan joined him just to have someone else in our group there. For Appendix 3: AIM2Flourish Story and Appendix 4: Poster about your AIM2Flourish Company we decided to split the tasks up. It’s more efficient if we are all on the same page of who is doing what. Mateo and Ivan completed the AIM2Flourish story as they knew and understood the most about the company and what innovation would be ideal to write about. Amelia transferred all the information from the shared group doc to the AIM2Flourish website in order to complete the submission. For the poster Amelia and Ivan completed that. Amelia started the poster and made it look presentable and Ivan added any information that needed to be added. Alexandra read everything over and made sure we included everything that needed to be included for the poster. Josephine also looked over the poster. We all did our past to participate in any way we could in order to complete each task.

It was kind of a balance with things that worked and things that did not work. Although our group communication was better at the end of this experiential activity, it was not at the start. We started communication by email which was not efficient. Responses would take a long time when trying to figure out when to meet or people just would not answer at all. When we figured out email was not working we created a Snapchat group chat with the students who were from DoM and UoG. Communicating with Josephine from KU was different as it was on Whatsapp and sometimes through emailing. For Michael communication was through email. We all did our best to have different platforms to communicate on. We can all agree though that if we were to do an experiential activity like this again it would be easier to communicate all on the same platform so everyone would be able to know what was going on and it would be more efficient.

One thing that worked was being understanding of multiple factors, which included the multiple time zones, busy schedules, and verbal communication barriers. We were able to meet once a week for at least 5 mins to discuss what needed to be done that week. Every week we were all on the same page of what needed to be done. However, with the multiple time zones and busy schedules our assignments were done last minute which didn’t exactly work. We were still able to get everything completed on time but it was stressful and some group members had to pick up the slack from other group members. From the start we should have divided out the parts. We also should have made a date and time that everything needed to be done, to ensure it was fair and less stressful. With having an understanding of verbal communication barriers, as a group we all had open communication. Everyone’s thoughts were heard and welcomed with no judgment. Communicating in English was easier for some group members than others and we all understood that. As a group we did our best to figure out what they were saying by asking questions and giving them time to comprehend their thoughts and translate if needed.

Individual Reflections

Amelia: As a member of Group 18 this experiential activity was definitely a learning experience. At the start communication was a little rough as it was just done through email, but once we figured out better ways to communicate which included having different platforms to communicate, it went smoother. Handling and managing cross-cultural dynamics were not a problem for any of us, we all treated each other with respect. We had open communication and always listened to everyone’s thoughts. If we didn’t understand what someone was trying to explain we did our best to try to figure it out by asking them questions. Dealing with multiple time zones was one of the biggest struggles we had, including with people’s schedules outside of school work. The one-hour difference between Guelph and Illinois was not so bad, it was the seven-hour difference between Guelph and Kenya. We did our best to try to schedule the meetings so everyone was able to join, however, the group members from Kenya willingly took the short end of the stick and stayed up late in order to join us. I took the majority of the lead in the group by creating the zoom link each week and sending it out. As well I made sure we had a recording and a screenshot of the meeting, so that everything was able to be submitted on time. With my full participation the assignments were done one time.

Alexandra: Taking a part in this project with international group members posed challenges but luckily, we were able to overcome most of them. With all of us being busy University students, we found that being able to all meet at the same time was nearly impossible, in fact there was only one time we managed to do so. The different time zones also had a major impact on our group’s meetings and thankfully Josephine was able to join us during very late hours. Despite these challenges, we had constant communication through Snapchat to discuss requirements and deadlines, most of us met once a week, and we submitted everything on time thanks to Amelia taking on the responsibility of doing so every week. Ivan did a great job keeping Josephine informed; unfortunately, Josephine’s classmate Michael never ended up communicating, but that didn’t affect Josephine’s participation and effort. If I had to do this again, next time I would prioritize meeting as early on in the week as possible as we typically saved the meetings until later in the week, leaving us with a short window of time to complete the assignments. I think that my participating group members did a great job even with the time crunch, so overall my experience with this project was positive.

Ivan: Being able to work on such a project with Group 18, which consisted of other students around the world, was an incredible experience. Although communication was a bit difficult in the beginning due to the different time zones and cultures, we made it work. I was able to facilitate communication between the US students and the Canadian students by suggesting a SnapChat group chat, while making sure Josephine was up to date as well through Whatsapp. We did our best to make sure to accommodate each other’s schedules, which was difficult due to the time zone differences and the different responsibilities people had. But I feel like our team pulled through and made sure to get what was needed to be done. Amelia did a great job organizing the entire project together; she always created the zoom links, did the poster, and always knew what was going on. I feel like I did a great job communicating. I think I took the lead in the meetings to make sure we knew what we had to do, and I think I did a good job communicating outside of the meetings, making sure everyone knew their task. Mateo did a great job setting up and doing the interview, then was very helpful with the creation of the story. Although one of our members never showed up, I feel like we did an amazing job at filling in that hole and getting what we needed to get done. Everyone treated one another with respect and listened to any ideas an individual had. I loved learning about the different cultures. While managing different time zones required some flexibility, the project’s success was guaranteed by our dedication and respectful manner. All things considered, it was an excellent learning opportunity that brought to light the significance of flexibility and open communication in remote teams.

Mateo: Being a part of Group 18 for this experiential activity was a valuable learning journey. Communication was a bit challenging at the start. However, as we explored and adopted different platforms, our communication became much more efficient. We successfully navigated cross-cultural dynamics, treating each other with respect and maintaining open communication. Everyone’s input was valued, and when there were misunderstandings, we actively sought clarification by asking questions and fostering understanding. One major challenge was time zones. Major respect for the students from Kenya who stayed up late to join meetings. I took on the role of finding the company to interview and was able to set the interview up.