The adjourning phase of a group

During the adjourning phase sometimes you are excited about moving on and sometimes it is like you are mourning. For several years of my career I worked with other early childhood professionals on fund raising efforts to aide in prevention of child abuse and neglect and to help raise awareness. This group was very fulfilling emotionally but it was also very time consuming. During the adjourning phase each year we celebrated our fundraising efforts with a dinner celebration that summarized the achievements for the year and recognized each individual’s contributions. Each year we raised more and more funds making it a personal goal to raise more funds for the cause each year, even though the time commitment grew with the goal. I would say that because this was a high performing group it was more difficult to leave.

On the other hand I have been a part of a group that was easy to leave. I worked really hard on a community needs assessment one summer and part of that assessment included collecting surveys from clientele and other social services group. There were several members of the group but I had the majority of the responsibilities. The adjourning of this group was with the compiling of the data collected. Once the data was in a comprehensive document it would be used throughout the year to distribute funds to programs that showed the highest need. As this group grew to a close I was proud of the document I had helped to compile but I was also relieved the task was done, making this group easier to leave.

I think that when I am finished with my master’s degree program the way that I will adjourn from the group of colleagues I have formed while working on my degree is by making them all part of my professional resource file. Every person brings a skill set to the table so I will attempt to keep each one of them as a future resource.

I think that adjourning is an essential stage of teamwork because it allows for closure and reflection. You can reflect on what worked and what didn’t work. You can reflect on each individual’s contribution to the group and make a mental note of how their skills would contribute to other groups you may be a part of.