Debate preparation!

This semester in professional competences we had to do a debate which was quite exciting yet challenging at the same time. I found the topic of the debate quite interesting as it was based on Primark which is Uk's famous brand for cheap shopping.The topic that was given to my group was Primark cannot supply inexpensive clothing while respecting ethical and environmental values.I was very content with the topic given to us as i found it particularly easy to do research and to find good evidences based on it.

The main challenges i faced during the preparation was first of all i had no clue how to do the debate but gradually on Danyels guidance and by watching some debate videos i got some idea about it.Then as a group we had to constantly keep in touch which was a bit of a challenge at first but we finally overcame it by setting up meetings and deciding on times that we could meet up.

We all did our individual research at first to have a slight idea about the background of the company then when we had a meeting we came up with three main arguments for our topic and my research was based on Primarks supplier abroad. I found out interesting  information on Primark that i was unaware of therefore it was exciting to do this task. As a group i believe we all did our work on time and was very cooperative with each other however in future i think to improve we should work on our time management for more effective results.

                                                       COMMUNICATION

We have always been taught how communication is so important in our life but what is more important is to being able to analyse and evaluate verbal and written communication. Today's lesson reflected upon the different types of communication we use in our day to day life and barriers to effective communication.

I think nowadays modern technologies have helped a lot in terms of effective communications and people have been increasingly using electronics like smart phones, social media and internet to make communication easier and more effective.For example in college we communicate with our teachers via mails to exchange important messages.However, i have understood that it is important to choose the right communication medium in different situation to make sure the receiver gets the right information.

One of the main criteria in order to succeed at workplace or school is to not only have good communications skills but choosing the right medium to send the message across effectively.I have already started making use of effective communication during my group assignments, goggle groups,text messages and emails helps me a lot to keep in touch with my group mates to do our work in time and exchange valuable information.

However there are also barriers to effective communications and to help understand this better we did a small exercise in class today.We played Chinese whispers and by the end of this game i understood that messages can be misinterpreted till it reaches the last receiver when there is a hierarchy of chain. Barriers like noise, bad pronunciations, lack of hearing all of these can effect the flow of communications which was proved when we played the game of Chinese whispers.

This video below shows how to communicate effectively which is helpful at workplace and school.In future i will follow these tips to improve my communication.

Today's session focused around the topic teamwork.This subject is very essential for us as students because most of our assignments are based on group works like presentations and debates but often there is disagreements and differences among team members. 

Teamwork is important as it allows goals to be reached in an efficient and timely method and is one of the core fundamental skills employers are looking for.Teamwork combines many different skills from many people, allowing achievements to be made but the important factor we must understand is what makes an effective team.

Danyel gave us a presentation that highlighted around characteristics of effective team.This presentation helped me to understand the fact that a teamwork can only be successful if we have commitment to a goal,active participation, open communication,decision making and effective use of ideas.

I can relate this to my own workplace as most of our work is related to team activities.  Although i am particularly good at working in teams, at times i tend to get very stressed out and loose focus but on the positive side i am a good implementer and i take instruction very well rather than leading the team.

To be an effective member in future i will focus on observing and listening more to what the other member has to contribute. My past experience working as a group with my class mates has helped me realize the things we should not repeat and areas of improvements we need to focus on. Communication barriers has been an issue in my past projects therefore for the coming group assignments i will make sure  clear instruction is given out and each members have understood the task.

Below i have linked some interesting videos i came across on effective teamwork.