Team Building and Collaboration, Part 1

Adjourning is essentially the ending of a group. For some, it is a relief and for others it is a sad thing. There are only a handful of groups I have ever been a part of that I can honestly say I was sad to see adjourn. One of my favorite groups was my introduction course here at Walden. We became a fairly tight-knit group and some of us even stayed in touch via phone and Facebook. It is nice to make such close bonds and be able to see how life turns out for one another. It does sadden me to see this group adjourn as well because I have been with some of you from the beginning. Unfortunately, just as every group has a beginning, it has an ending. It is best to adjourn on a positive note and when possible maybe even a celebration. It is certainly most difficult to say goodbye to high-perming groups because the level of success is likely equal to how much time and effort each individual put into the group. When you get to know the members on a personal level it is even harder to say goodbye because you have emotions invested into the group as well. The best way I have ever experienced a closing of a group was with a party. That way, at our last group meeting, we were not saying our final goodbyes. It was easier to say goodbye to the other group members when we were in a non-formal setting than had we been in the office. It made the memory of the adjourning group much more pleasant and happy. When it is time to adjourn from my colleagues here at Walden, I imagine that I will send some them a letter of thanks via E-Mail and ask them to stay in touch. I have only made a few close connections and would like to cherish those by maintaining a friendship outside of the University. Saying goodbye is never easy!