Jhulianna Marin- Reflection #1

 Groups, Leadership, Communication, and Connection: My Takeaways From The Presentations. 

To be completely honest, the first time I heard we had to do group presentations I was really nervous and felt scared. Since english is not my first language, the thought of having to talk alone for a couple of minutes in a zoom call with a lot of people that I did not know in person was scary. After I was put in a group and started to meet the members of the group, I started to feel more comfortable with talking to a group of people. Once I started paying attention to each group, I realized there was a lot more value, depth , and determination than I expected.

How was my experience with my group? 

Working with my group was honestly a journey that started off a little awkward but ended in something that I am really proud of. In the beginning we were all just strangers, and naturally most of us were shy or embarrassed to talk. Something that helped a lot was when we started talking about our interests, like hobbies, goals, or even just random stuff. That small step of opening up made a huge difference. It helped us break the ice and build a little bit of trust with each other. After that we were able to devide up the themes we presented, which was confusing at the beginning. 

Since our main way of communicating is online through WhatsApp and sometimes calls, there were moments when it felt like we were all saying different things at the same time, or like a misunderstanding of who was doing what. Thanks to our group manager Zachary, everything went smoothly since he helped us with all the questions we had. When the day of the presentation came everyone felt nervous but after everything went as plan. What really stood out to me was that even though we had those confusing and frustrating moments, everyone in the group stayed committed and positive. It wasn’t just about getting a grade, it felt like we actually created something as a team.

Presentations in the order we went.

Group 2 (My group)

Being a part of group 2 was a really rewarding experience, especially because, I was not just observing, I was contributing to it directly. Our group was in charge of explaining “Communicating in groups”I was in charge of explaining the characteristics of a healthy group, and through researching and preparing that part, I actually learned a lot about myself. At first I thought having a healthy group meant just getting along with people, but it goes way deeper than that. I learned that healthy groups are built on things like accountability, shared responsibility, having norms, strong communication, and respect. One thing that really stood out to me is how important norms are. For example, something as small as everyone putting their phones away during a meeting can make a huge difference in how focused and productive the group is. 

Everyone in the group learned about the different types of groups, from families to work to virtual teams, and how each type requires a different communication approach. We also discussed common group challenges like conflict and miscommunication, especially in virtual setting, and how things like accountability keep a group healthy and productive. Despite a few bumps along the way, working on this as a team showed me what a healthy group really looks like on action. 

Group 1 

Group 1 focused on intercultural communication, and their presentation was full of valuable insights about how culture influences the way we connect and interact with others. They taught me about what culture is and why it matters, breaking it down into things like race, ethnicity, religion, gender, age, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, and disability. Each of these factors can shape how a person communicates and is perceived in different environments. I learned about the difference between individualistic and collectivist cultures, and how values like independence or group loyalty can change the way people express themselves. 

Concepts like power distance, time orientation, and uncertainty avoidance were also introduced to everyone to show how deeply culture affects everything from meetings to conflict resolution. What stood out most for me was the reminder that respectful, flexible, and empathetic communication is key when dealing with people from different backgrounds. Their message was clear: the more we understand cultural differences, the better we can connect, avoid misunderstandings, and create inclusive environments.

Group 3 

Group 3 presentation really helped me understand leadership in a way I hadn’t thought about before. I used to think being a leader just meant being the person in charge, but they showed how it’s really about guiding, supporting, and helping the group stay focused. I liked learning about the different leadership styles like democratic, transformational, and servant leadership and how each one works depending on the situation. They also talked about the different roles people play in a group, like the person who keeps everything organized or the one who helps keep everyone on task, and it made me realize how important those roles are, even if they don’t seem like “leadership” at first. What really stood out to me was the problem-solving process. 

I never thought about solving problems in such a step by step way but now I see how helpful it can be to actually slow down, figure out the real issue, and go from there. Overall, their presentation gave me a better understanding of how groups can work better together and how anyone, including me, can show leadership in small ways.

Overall Takeaways from this experience 

        •      Good communication builds trust and teamwork.

• Cultural awareness helps avoid misunderstandings.

• Leadership is about support, not just control.

• Every group role matters.

• Problem-solving works best with a clear process.

• I feel more confident working in teams now.