Being the I in Team

Up until mid march I was part of a two person team administering a specific program for a case load of homeless persons in NYC. My boss and I were both responsible for making our program function on every aspect. The term group and team would both be apt ways of describing our unit at different times. For instance when we were doing field work and case conferences we were more like a team, relying on one another to get the best results for our caseloads. Other times such as presenting ourselves to hospitals or shelters where we were hoping to get referrals we would present ourselves more as a group. The main difference would be in the perception we were hoping to give off. When we were presenting ourselves as a group it was to create the idea of a unit with interchangeable parts with a common focus. When meeting amongst ourselves it was more a team effort, each of us considering our role and pushing each other to do better. The Tuckman model really captures the relationship I had with my boss. Initially we interacted professionally and limited ourselves to safe concepts. As we began to work together closer we pushed more ideas forward and continued growing more comfortable in how each other would respond, even if the idea might challenge our original notions. During the norming stage me and my boss began to really function cohesively relying on each other for more and more. In the performing stage me and my boss trusted each other completely to work independently and rely on one another as a team. My boss last month received a job offer at another non-profit and left the company. we're still quite close as friends and stay in touch but it has left the program temporarily in my hands. My boss in her final weeks prepared me to take the reigns and acknowledged the work we had accomplished together.