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1. Creative Problem Solving - Rehearse justifying ideas more confidently in presentations : Devil’s Advocate Technique - Practice having someone challenge my ideas as if they were a critic in order to prepare responses

2. Digital Competency - Further develop technical skills in GIS and statistical software for deeper environmental analysis : Use LinkedIn Learning and shadow colleagues to further develop technical skills

3. Enterprising - Stay informed about trends and developments in the climate industry : Attend webinars and regularly check reliable news sites, such as Carbon Brief

4. Questioning Mindset - Consider alternative solutions and engage with different perspectives : Utilise stakeholder mapping to identify who and what might be missing from my perspective

5. Adaptability - Practice staying calm under pressure and strengthening confidence in delivery : Use visualisation and mindfulness techniques to prepare before a presentation

6. Empathy - Balance empathy with assertiveness : Roleplay difficult conversations in order to practice setting boundaries

7. Collaboration - Implement more regular structured progress checks early on : Agile Scrum Stand-Ups - 15 minute catchups in order to discuss progress and roadblocks, improving transparency and problem solving

8. Resilience - Develop better workload management strategies to prevent burnout and maintain emotional resilience : Eisenhower Matrix - Prioritise work based on urgency vs importance

9. Self Awareness - Work on balancing self-criticism with recognising achievements - Success Logs: Keep a list of what went well throughout the project to maintain motivation

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1. Creative Problem-Solving

✅ Strengths:

Effectively adapted when faced with setbacks, such as taking over the PowerPoint creation when it was not completed.

Utilised various tools (e.g., Visio for the pathway model) to structure and present complex information.

Restructured the workload using MoSCoW prioritisation to ensure critical tasks were completed.

Produced a clear, data informed model using the RCP4.5 climate scenario and location-specific data showed innovation and practicality

📌 Areas for Improvement:

Could have been more proactive in anticipating and mitigating the impact of incomplete work earlier in the project.

Develop stronger contingency planning for future projects to avoid last-minute stress.

Continue building confidence in proposing and articulating solutions during Q&A settings. Prepare deeper justifications for solutions and rehearse anticipated questions.

2. Digital Competency

✅ Strengths:

Created and formatted an effective PowerPoint presentation, incorporating a good mix of visuals, graphs, and multimedia elements.

Used AI tools to test the timing of the presentation and improve efficiency.

Demonstrated proficiency in data collection from sources such as Climate Risk Indicator maps.

📌 Areas for Improvement:

Further develop technical skills in GIS and statistical software for deeper environmental analysis.

Expand knowledge of data visualisation tools to present findings in a more engaging way.

Improve my ability to interpret and apply climate models, including different RCPs.

3. Enterprising

✅ Strengths:

Took the initiative to complete unfinished tasks and ensure deliverables were ready on time, even under pressure

Demonstrated ownership over sections of the work, especially in finalising the PowerPoint and script.

Enthusiasm and professionalism in my delivery were highlighted in the feedback.

📌 Areas for Improvement:

As suggested in the feedback, explore different story-telling and narrative structures to create a more engaging presentation

Stay informed about trends and developments in the climate industry. For instance, while we initially focused on the RCP 4.5 pathway, it now appears that more severe pathways are increasingly likely.

4. Questioning Mindset – Competent

✅ Strengths:

Applied critical thinking when determining which climate indicators to prioritise.

Challenged the suggestion to remove key slides, demonstrating a logical approach to decision-making.

Ensured the presentation was data-driven, incorporating well-researched graphs and figures.

📌 Areas for Improvement:

Could broaden perspectives by considering alternative solutions more thoroughly in future projects.

Need to anticipate and prepare for questions better to present findings more confidently.

5. Adaptability

✅ Strengths:

Quickly adjusted to the unexpected workload, ensuring all deliverables were completed.

Modified content for a hypothetical senior audience when prompted, showing flexibility in communication.

Successfully adapted the presentation format to fit within time constraints.

📌 Areas for Improvement:

Develop better stress management strategies to prevent burnout in high-pressure situations.

Improve ability to adjust the script and content dynamically based on audience feedback.

6. Empathy

✅ Strengths:

Demonstrated patience and emotional intelligence by giving your teammate multiple opportunities to contribute, recognising the importance of trust and inclusion.

Showed an understanding of workload challenges and attempted to redistribute tasks fairly.

📌 Areas for Improvement:

Could have set clearer boundaries earlier to ensure accountability while still being supportive.

Work on balancing understanding with assertiveness in a team setting.

7. Collaboration

✅ Strengths:

Maintained professionalism in difficult situations, ensuring the team’s work was completed.

Engaged with team effectively to finalise the product under time pressure.

Encouraged team discussions to refine the pathway model and risk assessment.

Made use of shared tools (like the Magenta Team page) to maintain communication and coordination.

📌 Areas for Improvement:

Improve active listening skills to ensure all perspectives are incorporated earlier in the project.

Implement more regular structured team check-ins to improve accountability and progress tracking.

8. Resilience

✅ Strengths:

Pushed through significant frustration and completed all critical deliverables despite setbacks.

Completed and delivered a high-quality product even when the project felt overwhelming.

📌 Areas for Improvement:

Need to maintain emotional resilience, ensuring setbacks do not impact confidence in future work.

Develop better workload management strategies to prevent burnout.

9. Self-Awareness

✅ Strengths:

Reflected critically on both individual and team performance, identifying key areas for improvement.

Recognised the importance of accountability and communication in project success.

Demonstrated growth in managing conflict in a firmer but professional manner.

📌 Areas for Improvement:

Continue developing assertiveness in leadership roles while maintaining a positive team dynamic.

Work on balancing self-criticism with recognising achievements to build confidence.

Strongest Attributes: Adaptability, Resilience, Digital Competency

Competent: Creative Problem Solving, Questioning Mindset, Enterprising

Needs further development: Empathy, Collaboration, Self Awareness

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One of the most significant learning points from this project was the importance of open and consistent communication – particularly when tasks are not being completed as expected. Earlier transparency could have allowed us to redistribute work more effectively and reduce the last-minute pressure that comprised our preparation time. This directly ties into collaboration and self awareness, as an open dialogue about individual challenges could have enabled the team to mitigate risks earlier.

The project also highlighted a key difficulty in academic group work: the challenge of enforcing accountability in the absence of formal authority. Unlike professional settings, where clear responsibilities and consequences are embedded into workplace culture, the academic environment offers limited tools for ensuring equal contribution. Despite our best efforts to divide tasks fairly and support one another, certain responsibilities remained unfulfilled. Moving forward, I will prioritise establishing clearer expectations and implementing regular progress check-ins from the outset.

A key learning point that only fully emerged after completing the project is the importance of not being overly self-critical. In the final stages, I found myself focusing heavily on what could have gone better, often overlooking the significant challenges we had overcome and the positive outcomes achieved. This experience has taught me that while reflective practice is essential for growth, it must be balanced with recognition of success and progress. Developing this mindset is an important aspect of both resilience and self-awareness, and I aim to continue working on maintaining perspective and celebrating achievements, even in high-pressure situations.

Despite these challenges, the experience helped me develop a range of important skills. My resilience and adaptability were tested as I took on unexpected responsibilities to ensure the project could be delivered to a high standard. I strengthened my digital competency through the development of complex visual materials and the integration of data, which enhanced both the clarity and professionalism of our presentation. I also grew in self-awareness—learning to communicate more assertively and manage conflict in a calm and constructive manner. These are transferable skills that I can implement in future academic and workplace environments.

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Receiving a final grade of 80/100 was a surprising and gratifying outcome, which affirmed the hard work and extra responsibilities I took on during the project. Reflecting on this final feedback and the project overall has allowed me to evaluate my performance more holistically and identify specific areas to improve.

Product:

We received positive feedback on the professional and focused nature of our product, with the panel recognising our attention to detail and application to the Leckford estate context. Our use of figures, handouts and risk analysis elevated the quality. This reflected development within creative problem solving, digital competency and enterprising.

Presentation

Although our delivery was good, there was a clear imbalance in team contributions which impacted our cohesion and engagement. This demonstrates my strength in resilience, adaptability and communication, but also highlights areas for growth in empathy and leadership.

Project Log:

Our log was detailed and well structured with good quality professional reflections, demonstrating strong self-awareness and ability to demonstrate and evaluate project progress. The log also notes my development of resilience and adaptability through adapting to uneven contributions.

The feedback highlights several positive aspects that aligned with my own perceptions. For example, the use of data, visuals, and handouts was praised, reflecting my intention to make the presentation engaging and informative, showing competency in digital literacy and communication. The quality of our product was also referenced, which I was confident in as we had used methods from across our studies (for example, adaptive pathways from the Thames Estuary project) and work (such as the Climate Resilience Index website). However, some strengths identified in the feedback did not align with my self-perception at the time. For example, I felt disappointed with my performance in the presentation, as I lacked confidence in my delivery, especially within the QnA section. However, the feedback noted that I answered questions first, maintained engagement, and adapted my answers for a senior audience—suggesting I was more resilient and adaptable than I had initially thought. This has highlighted a key area of personal development: learning not to be overly self-critical.

The areas for improvement identified in the feedback also largely aligned with my reflections—particularly the observation that one team member contributed significantly less throughout the project and presentation. This was a recurring challenge we experienced, and it had a noticeable impact on our ability to prepare thoroughly as a team. Although I’m glad this issue was recognised in the marking, it also reinforces the need for earlier intervention and clearer accountability structures in group work. This would ensure more balanced collaboration and reduce last-minute pressure on other team members.

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Presentation Feedback Reflection: Key Takeaways

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Presentation Feedback Reflection: Key Takeaways

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Overall, the feedback aligns with my own reflections on the presentation. While I was disappointed with certain aspects, it is encouraging to see that I effectively engaged the audience and demonstrated confidence in my delivery. My ability to quickly adapt, remain professional under pressure, and take the lead in discussions were all strengths that contributed to a solid performance. However, improving time management, preparation, and consistency in research will be essential for future presentations. By addressing these areas, I can build upon my existing skills and ensure that I deliver more well-rounded and impactful presentations in the future.

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A key area for improvement was time management, as we did not fully utilise the time available. This aligns with my previous reflections, where I recognised that our lack of a full run-through hindered our ability to refine and expand our content. Had we allocated more time for practice, we could have ensured that all aspects were covered comprehensively. Moving forward, I will prioritise thorough rehearsal to improve pacing and maximise the effectiveness of future presentations.

Additionally, while my use of data and research was strong, the feedback suggested that consistency could be improved. This reinforces my earlier concerns about my lack of confidence in answering certain questions, particularly those focused on solutions. A more balanced approach to content development, ensuring all sections are equally well-researched, would enhance the overall impact of future presentations.

Furthermore, I was encouraged to refine my enterprising skills by incorporating storytelling techniques to create a more compelling narrative. While I demonstrated enthusiasm, I can further develop my ability to articulate points in a more engaging and memorable way. Considering different perspectives and integrating them into the presentation would also strengthen my questioning mindset by offering a more nuanced and well-rounded discussion.

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The feedback highlighted several positive aspects of my presentation performance. I maintained good eye contact and spoke with enthusiasm, which helped engage the audience. Despite referencing my notes, I was able to explain the graphs and information clearly, demonstrating my digital competency in effectively presenting data. Additionally, I took initiative in answering questions first, showcasing my resilience and adaptability by remaining composed under pressure. I also encouraged team participation by asking for others’ input, demonstrating collaboration and ensuring that the discussion remained interactive.

Another strength noted was my ability to adjust the presentation for a more senior audience by expanding on our data sources. This reflects questioning mindset and creative problem-solving, as I was able to adapt my approach to meet different audience expectations. Furthermore, our slide deck was visually engaging, using a combination of images, bullet points, and graphs, which contributed to a well-structured and accessible presentation. The additional handouts provided extra clarity on key points, reinforcing my ability to communicate complex information effectively.

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Despite our strong delivery, I did not feel confident answering the questions posed by the panel. The majority of their inquiries focused on our proposed solutions, an area I did not fully understand due to the earlier lack of research and preparation time. As a result, I felt that my responses were hesitant and unstructured, which diminished my confidence further. The lack of prior practice in handling potential questions left me feeling unprepared, and I struggled to articulate answers effectively (Adaptability, Questioning Mindset).

The overall reception of our presentation was more critical than expected, which was disheartening given the positive feedback we had previously received. This contrast made the experience particularly disappointing, especially considering the additional effort I had put into finalising the deliverables. I was frustrated with both my own gaps in understanding and the final quality of the presentation. The intense workload and stress leading up to the presentation had an impact on my ability to perform under pressure, and I recognise that this affected my delivery (Self-Awareness, Resilience).

Upon reflection, I believe we may have misinterpreted aspects of the brief. The panel’s emphasis on solutions suggests that we should have placed greater focus on this area, rather than assuming the primary evaluation criteria aligned with our data collection and modelling efforts. While earlier feedback did not indicate this shift in focus, we could have adapted our script to address this aspect more explicitly. In the future, ensuring that we clearly align our final deliverables with assessment expectations will be a key priority (Questioning Mindset, Creative Problem Solving).

Additionally, I recognise that our limited practice time was a significant weakness. The lack of a full run-through prevented us from refining our responses and identifying potential gaps in our presentation. More preparation would have allowed us to anticipate the types of questions asked and structure our responses more effectively. Managing workload distribution more effectively throughout the project, and ensuring sufficient time for rehearsals, would have improved our overall performance (Collaboration, Digital Competency, Self-Awareness).

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One key strength was our ability to manage time effectively during the presentation. We maintained a steady pace, ensuring that all key points were covered within the allocated time. Additionally, I believe that I spoke clearly and confidently through my script, effectively delivering our sections despite the challenges leading up to the final presentation. Our ability to remain composed under pressure demonstrates resilience and professionalism, particularly given the additional workload we had taken on (Resilience, Self-Awareness).

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Over the weekend, I worked with Darcey to complete the PowerPoint and script, ensuring we had a finalised deliverable ready for our presentation. Working under increased pressure and stress was challenging, as we had to complete tasks that should have been finished earlier. Despite this, we successfully conducted a final run-through, although Eleanor was unable to join despite previously confirming her availability. While I believe our script is effective, I remain concerned that we did not have the opportunity to rehearse as a full group.

To mitigate potential risks, I made the decision to reduce Eleanor’s speaking sections. Given her lack of familiarity with some of the newly added content, I was concerned about the accuracy and clarity of her delivery. Although we were unable to formally prepare for potential audience questions, I believe we have structured our script effectively, emphasising our primary focus on data collection and the adaptive pathway model. I feel confident answering questions related to these aspects, which are well-supported by our research. Additionally, the continued positive feedback from our Magenta Team page has reinforced my confidence in our work (Resilience, Self-Awareness).

Despite the setbacks, I am proud that Darcey and I were able to pull together a professional and cohesive final product. By the end of the Friday session, we did not yet have a presentable deliverable, making this weekend's efforts crucial. However, I feel frustrated knowing that we could have developed an even stronger presentation had we taken full control of the workload earlier in the project. That said, I recognise that effective project management involves equitable task distribution, and taking on everything ourselves would not have been a sustainable or fair approach (Collaboration, Questioning Mindset).

Another setback occurred when Eleanor failed to follow through on her agreement to print out our script and pathway document. Anticipating this, I had asked Darcey to print a backup copy, ensuring we were not left unprepared. This demonstrated our ability to adapt to challenges and proactively address potential risks (Adaptability, Creative Problem Solving).

Overall, this experience has reinforced the importance of proactive planning, clear communication, and maintaining accountability within a team. It has also highlighted the need to balance trust in teammates with practical contingency planning to ensure project success.

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Week 7: Presentation Finalisation - Challenges

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Week 7: Presentation Finalisation - Challenges

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1. Description: There has been a consistent lack of contribution from Eleanor, even after significantly reducing her workload. Despite these adjustments, she still had no progress to show by the end of our sessions. As a direct result, we were unable to conduct a full run-through or final review of our presentation, increasing pressure on the rest of the team. This led to additional work needing to be completed over the weekend, adding fatigue and stress to team members who were already managing heavy workloads. This tested my resilience skills, as it was difficult to maintain composure under pressure, overcoming frustration and fatigue.

2. Feelings: I felt frustrated and disappointed that, despite our efforts to accommodate Eleanor and set clear expectations, we were still facing the same issues. The lack of accountability was disheartening, especially as it impacted the quality of our work and put unnecessary strain on the rest of the team. Additionally, I felt concerned about the limited time left before our presentation, as the inability to conduct a full run-through made me anxious about our preparedness. This ongoing issue has also diminished my confidence in Eleanor’s reliability, making it difficult to delegate tasks without worrying whether they will be completed.

3. Evaluation: On a positive note, I was able to step in quickly to complete the necessary work, ensuring that our project remained on track. I also maintained professionalism in handling the situation, firmly setting boundaries when Eleanor suggested cutting crucial content. However, the situation highlighted an ongoing challenge in holding her accountable. Despite multiple opportunities for support and clear instructions, she remained disengaged, leading to unnecessary delays. The additional workload also placed an unfair burden on other team members, impacting our overall morale and well-being.

4. Analysis: This situation tested several key skills, including resilience, as I had to remain focused and composed despite the added pressure. It also required adaptability, as I needed to quickly adjust to the lack of progress and take on additional tasks to keep the project on track. Additionally, it reinforced the importance of collaboration and leadership, as I had to make quick decisions and ensure that the rest of the team remained aligned despite the setbacks. Looking back, I realise that stronger self-awareness was needed earlier in the project—I was hesitant to take over Eleanor’s tasks sooner because I wanted to maintain trust and fairness in delegation, but in hindsight, this allowed the issue to persist longer than it should have. However, it is important to note that I already had a large workload to complete – choosing to take on this work was not an easy decision but a necessary one.

5. Conclusion: While I was able to complete the necessary tasks, the situation should not have escalated to this point. I need to prioritise the well-being of the entire team, rather than accommodating one individual at the expense of everyone else. Setting clearer consequences for incomplete work earlier in the project could have mitigated these challenges.

6. Action Plan: In future projects, I will:

Implement stricter accountability measures, such as requesting regular progress updates at set intervals rather than waiting until the end of sessions.

Be more assertive in reassigning tasks if work is not completed on time, rather than continuing to accommodate delays.

Ensure that we leave enough buffer time in our project plan to account for unexpected setbacks, reducing last-minute pressure on the team.

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Week 7: Presentation Finalisation - Strengths

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Week 7: Presentation Finalisation - Strengths

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Self Awareness: I improved my ability to manage in a firmer yet professional manner, recognising the need to set clearer expectations and enforce accountability within the team. In previous situations, I may have been more hesitant to assert myself; however, this experience has helped me develop a more confident leadership approach. This has also strengthened my understanding of when to be flexible and when to take a more directive role to ensure project success.

Creative Problem Solving, Enterprising, Adaptability: Rather than letting the situation derail progress, I identified an effective way forward, making necessary adjustments to complete the work efficiently. I demonstrated an enterprising mindset by recognising the risks associated with incomplete work and proactively taking ownership of the PowerPoint creation. I quickly adapted to the situation, allowing the team to progress.

Digital Competency: I utilised digital skills to construct a structured, professional PowerPoint presentation. I also used AI software to test how long our presentation would take to deliver, highlighting that we would need more content.

Questioning Mindset: I critically assessed the content of the presentation, ensuring it met the project’s objectives. When Eleanor suggested cutting a vital slide, I evaluated its importance and made a reasoned decision to keep it, maintaining the integrity of the presentation.

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To ensure a structured and coherent presentation, we outlined key headings in our team meeting prior to the session, creating a clear framework for the PowerPoint. This preparatory step was intended to facilitate efficient progress. However, despite Eleanor’s assurance that she had time to complete this, no progress had been made by the session. Additionally, she chose not to attend in person, despite prior discussions emphasising the effectiveness of face-to-face collaboration, and the team having booked a room specifically for this purpose.

Further complicating matters, Eleanor attempted to use AI-generated slides, despite an agreement beforehand not to do so. She encountered difficulties with the software but did not communicate these challenges, despite multiple reminders to inform the team if she needed assistance. This lack of transparency hindered our ability to intervene and provide guidance, ultimately delaying progress.

Recognising the urgency of the situation and the consistent lack of contributions, I took the initiative to create the entire PowerPoint presentation from scratch while also supporting Darcey in finalising the script. This required adaptability and quick decision-making to ensure we remained on track.

Midway through the process, Eleanor suggested removing a crucial slide, which I firmly but professionally rejected, as it was essential for outlining our terms of reference. Upon completion, I tested the initial draft of our presentation using AI software and found it to be only five minutes long, further reinforcing that reducing content was not a viable option. We came to a compromise that if she found a better way to describe them, these could be added instead.

Despite reassigning Eleanor a smaller task of adding headings to the diagrams, this was also left incomplete. As a result of these setbacks, we were unable to conduct a full run-through of the presentation, perform a final review, or prepare for potential audience questions. The situation required resilience, strong leadership, and time management to ensure the core elements of our presentation were finalised, despite the additional workload.

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Week 6: Pathway Finalisation - Strengths

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Week 6: Pathway Finalisation - Strengths

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Proactive Preparation and Efficiency: Before the session, I quickly updated the flood risk maps to reflect the correct location, ensuring that this task did not take up valuable session time. This demonstrated digital competency, as I efficiently utilised mapping tools to make necessary updates. It also reflects self-awareness, as I recognised the importance of time management and took proactive steps to maintain efficiency.

Data Analysis and Strategic Focus: During the session, I used the Climate Risk Indicators website to download future projections of drought and associated hazards. With Darcey, I critically evaluated the data and refined our focus to the most relevant hazards. This process showcased our questioning mindset, as we assessed the significance of different risk factors, and collaboration, as we worked effectively to streamline our approach. Because of our clear objectives, we completed this within the first half of our university session, demonstrating adaptability and enterprising thinking in managing our workload effectively. We also ensured that we took breaks to maintain our productivity, reflecting an empathetic awareness and resilience in high-intensity work.

Pathway Model and Risk Matrix Development: Using the whiteboards in the room, we finalised our pathway model, incorporating key Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and a feedback loop for integrating new data (shown in images). Additionally, we designed a risk matrix that feeds directly into our pathway model. These tasks required creative problem-solving, as we structured complex data into an intuitive decision-making tool. We also discussed key solutions derived from our fieldwork at the farm and integrated them into our pathway, ensuring our work remained practical and evidence-based. However, we aim to focus primarily on the data and model creation. Following our discussions, I transferred our finalised pathway model into Visio, applying digital competency to visually communicate our framework effectively.

Throughout this session, I felt increasingly confident due to our strong collaboration, structured approach, and the continued positive feedback from Stuart, reinforcing that our methods and findings align with project expectations.

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Week 6: Pathway Finalisation - Challenges

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Week 6: Pathway Finalisation - Challenges

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Task Uncertainty

1. Description: Despite redistributing tasks to ensure a balanced workload, Eleanor was unable to show any progress by the end of the session and her study leave. She explained that it would be easier to present her work once she could access the required software on her home computer. This raised concerns, as we have only one session left before our presentation, leaving limited time for review and practice. Additionally, due to time constraints, many of my ideas from the farm visit could not be incorporated into our project. The ongoing uncertainty surrounding task progress has resulted in a significant amount of time being spent catching up rather than advancing the project.

2. Feelings: I felt increasingly anxious about the project timeline, as I had hoped that at least an outline of the presentation would be completed. Without this, integrating additional information will be more difficult, and I am concerned about the overall clarity and structure of our final work. The lack of visibility over Eleanor’s progress has also contributed to a feeling of unease, as I do not know whether we will have a finished product in time. Additionally, I felt disappointed that some of my initial ideas from the farm visit could not be implemented, as I had expected these insights to enhance the quality of our recommendations. My anxiety over this is impacting my ability to work effectively, as I find myself distracted by concerns about whether we will be able to pull everything together in time, rather than focusing on my own tasks.

3. Evaluation: A key negative aspect of this situation is the lack of accountability and transparency regarding task completion. Furthermore, the limited time available for rehearsing our presentation puts us at a disadvantage, as refining our delivery is crucial for a polished final outcome. However, a positive takeaway is that we identified many of the missing elements and took action within this session, highlighting our ability to adapt and remain resilient in creating a deliverable.

4. Analysis: This experience has reinforced the importance of effective communication and accountability in group projects. While task redistribution was intended to balance workloads, it has not been effective without clear tracking mechanisms. This situation also demonstrates the need for resilience in overcoming unexpected challenges, as the project must be completed despite delays.

5. Conclusion: Moving forward, I need to take a firmer approach to accountability to ensure all team members provide tangible progress updates. While I aimed to be supportive, I should have been clearer about the urgency of completing key tasks within our available timeframe.

6. Action Plan:

Clarify expectations by outlining the minimum requirements for the presentation before the next session to ensure a structured final product.

Revise our MoSCoW Prioritisation grid to highlight our presentation and script to be ‘Must Haves’, as they are necessary for our final deliverable.

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After discussing our concerns about Eleanor’s limited contributions in a meeting with Stuart, we collectively decided to redistribute our tasks to ensure a more balanced workload. Eleanor also expressed in our weekly recap that she felt overwhelmed with her current responsibilities. Recognising the need for a structured approach to workload management while prioritising the most critical aspects of our project, I applied the MoSCoW Prioritisation method to reorganise our tasks effectively:

Must-Haves

The most urgent tasks are obtaining and visualising drought data for the area, as well as completing the literature review to understand drought solutions. Without these, we lack the foundational knowledge required for our project. Given their importance, these tasks have been reassigned— I will now take responsibility for finalising the drought data, while Darcey will complete the literature review that was originally assigned to Eleanor.

Should-Haves

Finishing the presentation is important, but not as critical as securing accurate data. Since this task is more manageable, we have assigned it to Eleanor. This should be easily completable within our four-hour in-person session. Another task in this category is finalising the pathway model, which remains necessary but depends on the completion of the drought literature review. Since the literature review takes priority, this task will follow once the relevant information is gathered.

Could Haves

Considering potential questions that may arise during our presentation is beneficial, but not essential at this stage. While this would improve our preparedness, it is not a priority compared to gathering and analysing key data.

Wont Haves

Developing flood adaptation solutions has been ruled out, as our findings confirm that future flood risks at the site are minimal. Rather than spending time on this, we will simply scope it out of our project, allowing us to focus on more relevant climate challenges.

This demonstrates adaptability, as I took proactive steps to adjust our approach in response to team challenges. It also reflects a questioning mindset, as I critically assessed whether our current task distribution was sustainable. By taking ownership of restructuring our project workflow, I applied creative problem-solving, ensuring that essential work is completed while maintaining team efficiency and accountability.

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Week 5 - Fieldwork Trip: Challenges - Innovation

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Week 5 - Fieldwork Trip: Challenges - Innovation

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Innovation

1. Description: During our fieldwork visit, we found that the farm had already implemented numerous climate adaptation strategies. While we anticipated some existing measures, there were more than expected, and the farm team was quite resistant to the changes we had initially considered. Since our goal is to develop innovative solutions, we now need to identify gaps in their current strategies rather than proposing solutions that have already been implemented. This requires a more detailed and creative approach to ensure our recommendations provide real value.

2. Feelings: I worried that this complicates our project, requiring us to conduct additional research and problem-solving within a limited timeframe. However, I also felt intrigued by the challenge, as it provides an opportunity to enhance my creative problem-solving skills and think more critically about innovative climate adaptation strategies.

3. Evaluation: The negative aspect of this challenge is that it adds complexity to our research. This requires greater adaptability (Adaptability, Resilience) and may take more time than anticipated. However, the positive aspect is that it pushes us to think more innovatively (Creative Problem-Solving, Questioning Mindset).

4. Analysis: This situation reinforces the need for flexibility and adaptability (Adaptability, Resilience) when conducting research projects. It also highlights the importance of critical thinking and questioning assumptions (Questioning Mindset)—we assumed that the farm would have fewer solutions in place, which influenced our early approach.

5. Conclusion: In hindsight, we could have conducted more background research on the farm’s existing solutions before the visit. We could have contacted stakeholders of the farm to find this information.

6. Action Plan: To address this challenge, I will:

Use a questioning mindset by engaging with stakeholders and researching case studies of other farms to understand where similar solutions have been improved upon (Questioning Mindset, Collaboration).

Adapt our project focus to emphasise our model, and refining existing solutions rather than simply proposing new ones (Adaptability).

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Week 5 - Fieldwork Trip: Challenges - Responding to New Priorities

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Week 5 - Fieldwork Trip: Challenges - Responding to New Priorities

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Responding to New Priorities

1. Description: During our fieldwork trip, we discovered that drought is the most significant hazard affecting the site. However, we were not adequately prepared for this due to the incomplete literature review and data analysis on drought, which Eleanor was responsible for. Despite multiple attempts to check in and offer support, she has consistently stated that she has not had enough time to complete the work, even though she has dedicated university time for it. As a result, our understanding of drought hazards and solutions is insufficient, and our literature review lacks the necessary depth. This is particularly frustrating because we had set early deadlines to avoid this exact situation, yet we are now facing a very tight turnaround to integrate our fieldwork findings with our research.

2. Feelings: I feel frustrated and concerned about the project timeline, as I had anticipated this issue and tried to prevent it through proactive planning. I also feel disappointed and powerless because despite efforts to support Eleanor and encourage collaboration, she has remained reluctant to accept help. This has created a lack of trust in her ability to complete the work on time. Additionally, I feel anxious about how this delay will impact the quality of our final deliverable, as we now have very little time to fill in the research gaps and integrate our findings effectively.

3. Evaluation: The negative aspect of this situation is that we are now behind schedule on a critical aspect of our project, which has increased pressure on the rest of the team. Additionally, Eleanor’s unwillingness to communicate or accept support has made it difficult to resolve the issue collaboratively, challenging team cohesion (Collaboration) and adaptability. On the positive side, this challenge has reinforced the importance of setting clear accountability measures and contingency planning in project management. It has also encouraged me to think critically about how to restructure our timeline and prioritise tasks to ensure we can still complete the project effectively.

4. Analysis: This experience demonstrates the importance of adaptability, as we now need to quickly reassess our project scope and redistribute work to compensate for the missing research. It has also tested my resilience, as I must remain focused on solutions rather than dwelling on frustration. In addition to this, it has encouraged me to reflect on options for accountability. Finally, it has reinforced the importance of assertive but empathetic communication (Empathy, Collaboration) when addressing underperformance in a team setting.

5. Conclusion: In hindsight, we should have established stronger accountability mechanisms earlier to ensure that Eleanor’s section was completed on time. After conversations with senior managers at work, the next step would be to raise to the project director, who in this case would be our lecturer. I will update our RACI model from Week 3, to reflect this, and organise a meeting with Stuart to discuss more techniques for managing this.

6. Action Plan: If I encounter a similar situation in the future, I will:

Identify stricter project management strategies earlier, by ensuring there is accountability and consequences to missing work (Enterprising)

Communicate more assertively when a team member is not meeting expectations, ensuring that expectations and consequences are clear while still maintaining empathy (Collaboration, Empathy).

Adapt quickly to setbacks, redistributing work earlier if needed rather than waiting until deadlines have passed (Adaptability, Resilience).

Establish clearer contingency plans in case key research areas are not completed on time, reducing last-minute stress (Creative Problem-Solving).

My action plan going forward is to:

Raise the issue with our Project Director so he is aware

Redistribute project work in line with our contingency plan

Reassess project priorities to reflect short timeline

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Week 5 - Fieldwork Trip: Challenges - Adapting to New Information

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Week 5 - Fieldwork Trip: Challenges - Adapting to New Information

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Adapting to New Information

1. Description: During my research, I primarily focused on flooding as a key hazard, as initial risk assessments suggested it could be a significant issue. However, after visiting Leckford Estate, I discovered that flooding posed only no hazard (previously thought to be mild) due to the farm’s well-draining soil and topography. If we had been able to access crop-specific information before the visit, we would have identified this earlier and allocated our research efforts more effectively. Unfortunately, this information was not publicly available, which limited our ability to refine our focus in advance. Now, we need to update our flood risk maps to reflect the true location, which may put additional pressure on our already limited project timeline.

2. Feelings: I feel upset that I had wasted time focusing on a low-risk hazard, especially as I had put lots of effort in. I was also concerned about the time constraints, as updating the maps and adapting our analysis means we may fall behind schedule. However, I also felt motivated to refine our project based on real-world insights and recognised that adapting our work is a normal part of research and problem-solving.

3. Evaluation: The negative aspect of this situation was that our initial research efforts were partially misdirected due to not having prior access to important information, limited our ability to plan effectively. However, the positive aspect was that our field visit provided critical primary data, allowing us to correct our assumptions and refine our approach. This experience reinforced the importance of flexibility and adaptability in research.

4. Analysis: This situation highlighted the need for more proactive data gathering strategies before site visits, even when information is not readily available. For example, we could have asked Stuart for the contact information of the agricultural team. It also demonstrated the importance of adaptability—we needed to adjust our research focus quickly to ensure our final deliverables remain accurate and relevant. Additionally, it reinforced the value of critical thinking and questioning assumptions, as real-world conditions often differ from theoretical assessments (Questioning Mindset, Adaptability, Self-Awareness).

5. Conclusion: In hindsight, I should have better anticipated the possibility of missing information and explored alternative ways to access relevant data before the trip. For future projects, I will prioritise early stakeholder engagement and consider contacting experts or organisations directly to gain better insights before conducting fieldwork. Additionally, this experience has strengthened my resilience in handling unexpected challenges and adapting our approach efficiently.

6. Action Plan: If I encounter a similar situation in the future, I will:

Investigate alternative sources of pre-visit data by reaching out to stakeholders in advance.

Improve adaptability skills by building flexibility into the project timeline, allowing time for refinements based on new information.

My action plan going forward is to:

Despite my concerns about the additional work, I am confident in my ability to efficiently update the flood maps. However, rather than investing significant time in this, we will use these updated maps to justify scoping out flooding as a major hazard in our solutions. This decision will streamline our focus, reducing unnecessary workload while ensuring our project remains accurate and relevant.

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Gaining Practical Insights - Creative Problem Solving

I found the fieldwork visit to Leckford Estate to be highly valuable, as it provided us with the opportunity to collect primary data and gain first-hand insights into the environment, operations, and challenges faced by the farm. Observing the farm's layout, equipment, and processes allowed me to develop a more realistic and practical understanding of the site, which is difficult to achieve through desk-based research alone. This hands-on experience has inspired more effective and tailored solutions, as I can now apply visual and practical insights to our project design.

Engaging with Experts - Questioning Mindset, Collaboration

Engaging with the agricultural team was particularly beneficial, as I was able to ask targeted questions about their experiences, practices, and challenges. These conversations provided invaluable context and helped ensure that our project remains relevant and applicable to real-world farming conditions. Prior to the visit, we brainstormed questions as a team, which helped us approach the discussions in a structured and productive way. During the visit, I actively took notes and sought out additional opportunities to ask follow-up questions, allowing me to deepen my understanding of key issues and potential solutions.

Building Relationships for Long-Term Impact – Collaboration, Empathy

Beyond gathering data, I recognised the importance of building relationships with the farmers and other stakeholders. Establishing these connections may lead to ongoing support and collaboration throughout the project, ensuring that our work is well-informed by industry perspectives.

Adapting Based on Real-World Data – Adaptability, Creative Problem Solving

This visit also encouraged me to adapt our project ideas based on the insights gained (Adaptability). Seeing the free-draining soil firsthand inspired the idea of incorporating a soil map into our project, which would visually highlight flood risk areas. Additionally, learning about the farm's data collection practices made me realise that their on-site data is likely more up to date and relevant than external sources. This has also prompted me to explore primary case studies, such as the impact of the 2022 extreme heatwave, to strengthen our analysis.

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Brodie, K. (2024). Gibbs’ Reflective Cycle: The 6 Stages. [online] Early Years TV. Available at: https://www.earlyyears.tv/gibbs-reflective-cycle-the-6-stages/.

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While I find reflection useful, I have struggled to identify clear, actionable areas for improvement. To enhance my self-evaluation, I have identified Gibbs’ Reflective Cycle as a structured tool that I will implement in future logs.

Illness:

1. Description: This week, I was unwell, which prevented me from working in person with my team. As a result, I couldn't engage with the whole team to motivate and interact with them face-to-face. This challenged my resilience, as I had to manage my frustration and continue contributing despite the setback. It also challenged my collaboration skills, as I had to find alternative ways to engage with my team despite not being physically present.

2. Feelings: I felt frustrated and disappointed because I value in-person interactions for effective teamwork and motivation. I was also concerned about how my absence might affect the team's progress and morale.

3. Evaluation: The negative aspect of this situation was the lack of direct engagement, which affected team dynamics and productivity. However, a positive aspect was that we successfully adapted by using virtual communication tools, allowing us to continue collaborating despite the circumstances. On the other hand, not all members of the team engaged effectively with this method, so in future, in-person sessions should be prioritised where possible.

4. Analysis: This experience underscored the importance of flexibility and adaptability in maintaining team productivity. It also highlighted the need for more effective virtual communication strategies to keep the team engaged when in-person meetings are not possible.

5. Conclusion: In hindsight, I could have prepared more robust virtual engagement plans to mitigate the impact of such unforeseen circumstances. Additionally, ensuring that all team members are comfortable and proficient with virtual collaboration tools would help maintain productivity and morale. I also recognise that communication needs to be even more frequent and clear when not working in person, and I should have emphasised the importance of constant communication to ensure that we can support each other through mistakes and challenges.

6. Action Plan: If a similar situation arises again, I will schedule regular virtual check-ins throughout the session to address concerns promptly (Collaboration, Digital Competency). However, I will prioritise in-person sessions wherever possible.

Managing Accountability Challenges:

1. Description: Eleanor's work on assessing drought was not completed by the end of the 4-hour session, and her drought literature review from the previous week remains unfinished. She mentioned difficulty finding data but did not communicate this until the end of the session. This has led to a trend of delayed work, affecting the team's ability to move forward. As a result, we still lack the context to understand whether drought is likely to be a low or high-risk hazard for the area, which in turn hinders our ability to tailor our questions for the farm visit.

2. Feelings: I feel frustrated and disappointed as I value timely contributions for the success of the team. I am concerned about the impact of the delay on our ability to finalise the context of the area before the farm visit. I also felt my trust in Eleanor’s commitment to the project has been eroded, as this was not the first time she had missed a deadline. I have considered the possibility that Eleanor may be facing personal challenges, but I am still concerned about the lack of proactive communication

3. Evaluation: The negative aspect of this situation is that the continued delays are causing a lack of clarity in our understanding of the drought risk and preventing us from tailoring our approach effectively for the farm visit. It is also leading to miscommunication, as we cannot pick up any unfinished areas if we believe them to be finished. This ongoing issue is also affecting team morale and trust. However, the positive side is that I have tried to mitigate the situation by providing clear instructions and showing Eleanor how to access the required data.

4. Analysis: This situation highlights the importance of accountability and proactive communication. Eleanor’s delay in raising concerns about the data earlier in the process has made it difficult to address the issue in a timely manner. The impact on the team’s progress has made it clear that clearer expectations and deadlines need to be set, and any issues should be communicated earlier to avoid delays.

5. Conclusion: In hindsight, I could have been firmer in holding Eleanor accountable earlier and made it clearer that delays would not be acceptable. I also could have set clearer expectations for communication, especially around challenges like data availability. Moving forward, I need to encourage more proactive communication from all team members and ensure that if issues arise, they are addressed earlier. I will reflect on my approach to leadership and accountability, ensuring that I am being assertive without being overly harsh.

6. Action Plan:

Set clearer expectations and check in regularly to ensure that all team members are on track and addressing issues proactively. (Collaboration, Self-Awareness)

Develop stronger contingency plans to ensure that work can continue smoothly, even if delays occur. (Resilience, Enterprising)

Encourage early communication about any challenges, to ensure that solutions can be found quickly. (Questioning Mindset, Empathy)

If necessary, I will take on tasks myself to prevent delays from affecting the project further, as outlined in the contingency plan. (Resilience, Adaptability, Enterprising)

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Weekly Catchups

I have found our weekly catch-ups have been highly effective in keeping the team accountable and ensuring that everyone remains aligned with project goals. These meetings have provided a structured space to share progress, address challenges, and clarify uncertainties, helping us to stay on track. Additionally, we have continued to use and adapt our Gantt chart to track deadlines, visualise our progress, and adjust our workload based on new developments. By updating the chart, we have been able to ensure that key tasks remain on schedule while allowing flexibility where needed.

Collaboration: Regular check-ins have fostered an environment where team members can communicate openly and support one another in problem-solving.

Adaptability: Adjusting the Gantt chart in response to new challenges has allowed us to remain flexible while maintaining productivity.

Resilience: By maintaining clear accountability through our Gantt chart and weekly check-ins, we have been able to stay motivated and organised despite challenges.

Digital Competency: Updating and modifying the Gantt chart has strengthened our ability to use digital project management tools effectively.

Collaborative Approach

This week, I adopted a more collaborative approach by actively assisting a teammate, Darcey, in working with large datasets. She approached me for help with creating heat graphs from Met Office data, and together, we worked in Excel to develop clear, visually intuitive graphs that effectively represented temperature variations.

Collaboration: Supporting Darcey strengthened our teamwork and demonstrated the benefits of sharing knowledge and skills.

Digital Competency: Handling large datasets in Excel, formatting the data correctly, and using appropriate visualisation tools enhanced my ability to work with complex information.

Empathy: I recognised that working with large datasets can be challenging, so I ensured that my guidance was clear and supportive, helping Darcey build confidence in using these tools independently.

Applying Industry Experience

Drawing on my work experience in creating local flood maps, I applied my knowledge to generate a flood risk assessment for our project. Using the UK Government flood risk mapping tool, I created a flood risk map for the area we are studying. This analysis identified a low flood risk to the sites, which is an important finding for shaping our project’s direction.

Creative Problem-Solving: I utilised a reliable external resource to produce a meaningful visual representation of flood risk, providing the team with actionable insights.

Digital Competency: Using flood mapping software and data analysis tools improved my technical skills in spatial risk assessment.

Enterprising Mindset: Proactively leveraging my prior experience to enhance our project demonstrated initiative and independent thinking.

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Chohan, S. (2024). What is a Raci Matrix? [online] Lemon Learning. Available at: https://lemonlearning.com/blog/what-is-a-raci-matrix.

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Challenges

This week, a key challenge has been ensuring that all sections of our literature review are progressing at the same standard. While most sections are on track, I have been concerned about the drought section, which remains incomplete. Eleanor has struggled to articulate why drought is increasing, how it presents challenges, and what solutions exist. I found this lack of clarity concerning, as a strong foundational understanding is essential for us to properly contextualise our work before the farm visit.

One of the difficulties I faced was managing the lack of proactiveness from Eleanor. I recognised that pushing too hard could create tension within the team, so I aimed to balance accountability with empathy. Demonstrating collaboration and adaptability, I communicated my concerns while ensuring that my approach was supportive rather than critical. I explained the importance of having a well-developed literature review before the farm visit and emphasised how it would benefit our entire team’s understanding. I applied creative problem-solving by offering to assist Eleanor in identifying relevant sources if she continued to struggle. This solution ensured that we stayed on track while also fostering a more empathetic and collaborative team environment.

Solutions

To address this issue, we collectively adapted our project timeline to allow Eleanor additional time to complete her section. This required resilience, as I am maintaining trust in her commitment to finishing the work whilst managing my concerns about potential delays.

To maintain accountability, I will continue checking in with Eleanor’s progress while offering encouragement and support. I will implement the RACI (Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, Informed) Matrix – a project management tool that helps define roles and responsibilities within a team.

Responsible (R): The individual who carries out the task. In this case, Eleanor is responsible for completing the drought section of the literature review.

Accountable (A): The person ultimately answerable for ensuring the task is completed. Since I am overseeing the progress of the literature review, I will take on this role, ensuring that Eleanor’s section is finished on time. To keep accountability for the finished product, I will create a contingency plan within which I will take over the work if it is not completed by a certain time

Consulted (C): Those who provide input and expertise. I will act as a consultant by assisting Eleanor in finding relevant sources if needed, ensuring the section is accurate and well-researched.

Informed (I): Team members who need updates on progress but are not directly involved in execution. The rest of the team will be kept informed about Eleanor’s progress to ensure alignment before our farm visit.

This approach should help clarify roles and expectations, ensuring that Eleanor remains responsible for her section while keeping the team informed of her progress

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During Reading Week, we chose to advance our tasks individually within the available time. We utilised our RAG rating task tracker to manage progress and keep each other updated.

Literature Review:

This week, I recognised a gap in my knowledge regarding effective solutions to flooding on farms. To address this, I took the initiative to deepen my understanding by furthering my individual literature review, focusing on innovative strategies and case studies. This not only improved my subject knowledge but also allowed me to contribute more meaningfully to team discussions.

Questioning Mindset: I identified a gap in my knowledge and actively sought to deepen my understanding rather than accepting limitations.

Self Awareness: I recognised that I lacked knowledge in a specific area, showing strong self awareness

Creative problem solving: By researching innovative strategies, I explored different solutions to flooding, contributing to a more informed and creative approach to problem-solving.

Pathway Creation

Whilst critically assessing our project’s direction, I identified a potential issue with our initial model structure—it lacked sufficient clarity in defining hazard levels, which could lead to misinterpretation. Demonstrating a questioning mindset, I evaluated how we could refine the model to ensure it effectively conveyed risk severity. This led me to explore alternative structures, prompting me to research risk matrices and hazard response plans used in environmental risk management. Applying creative problem-solving, I synthesised this information to develop two distinct pathways that would provide a clearer, more structured approach to assessing flooding risks.

Taking a proactive approach, I formulated these two pathway options and prepared a concise presentation with speaking notes to effectively communicate my ideas to the team. This demonstrated an enterprising mindset, as I took ownership of defining a more structured approach while ensuring my contributions were well-prepared and persuasive. I expressed this within our team meeting, and we finalised our pathway idea.

To visually represent our refined model, I learned how to use Visio, a new software tool for me, to draft a flowchart-based pathway model. This improved my digital competency as I familiarised myself with flowchart design principles and applied them to create a more intuitive and visually clear representation of our flood risk assessment framework.

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07/02/2025: Week 2 - Literature Review: What Went Well

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07/02/2025: Week 2 - Literature Review: What Went Well

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Digital Competency

While experimenting with AI to aid my literature review process, I found the results often irrelevant or unreliable. Instead, I used digital tools such as Google Scholar and ICat to find more reliable and applicable sources.

Enterprising

I took the initiative to set up the literature review document, ensuring that we all covered the relevant topics comprehensively.

Empathy

I empathised well with the needs of others, understanding that some team members needed more time to complete a comprehensive literature review. I also contributed my findings from various multi-hazard reports to support them.

Questioning Mindset

I developed a questioning mindset by critically evaluating the sources to ensure their relevance and reliability

Self Awareness and Resilience

Previously, I recognised that I struggle with delegating work and trusting others to complete it to my standards. This week, I was self-aware and resilient, ensuring I did not overstep, allowing others time to understand and complete their tasks in their own way. I understood we had time to synthesise and discuss our findings later to ensure everyone was up to speed.

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07/02/2025: Week 2 - Literature Review: Challenges

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07/02/2025: Week 2 - Literature Review: Challenges

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Creative Problem Solving

I was concerned that our solution might lack creativity, as the farm already employs many innovative techniques to combat climate change. To address this, I dedicated time to researching techniques that had not yet been implemented, based on our prior contextual research of the farm.

Questioning Mindset and Adaptability

This week, I struggled with being flexible in incorporating new ideas, as I had a rigid view of the project brief. I found it challenging to gather information on the positive impacts of climate change on farms, as my mindset was initially focused on the negatives. Darcey helped me understand that not all crops respond the same way, and some may benefit from climate changes.

Collaboration

I worry that our information may not be synthesised enough and that we may lack in-person time, as Eleanor has indicated she will not be present next session. I will raise this as a concern once our literature review is complete

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This week, we began our literature review process, focusing on our identified sections. I specifically researched the hazard of flooding and how farms have adapted to this challenge.

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31/01/2025: Week 1 - Project Initiation : Even Better If...

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31/01/2025: Week 1 - Project Initiation : Even Better If...

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Collaboration: I feel that I could further encourage more active participation and input from all team members. To build trust in their ability to complete tasks, which can be a worry for me, I plan to use positive feedback to acknowledge their efforts and build their confidence. Additionally, I will encourage team members to ask questions and review our work together to ensure thorough understanding and collaboration.

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31/01/2025: Week 1 - Project Initiation : What Went Well?

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31/01/2025: Week 1 - Project Initiation : What Went Well?

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Creative Problem Solving: Sharing strengths and weaknesses before starting a project has not been a method I have utilised before, but I found it a very effective solution to forsee and mitigate against potential challenges.

Digital Competency: I created an interactive Gantt Chart on excel in order to track our progress

Enterprising: I took a more proactive approach to project management than I am used to, volunteering for tasks and sharing my personal ideas for our deliverable. For example, I shared my idea of using an adaptive pathway, similar to the TE2100 Plan that we have researched in a previous module.

Questioning Mindset: I set out time to thoroughly examine the project brief in order to identify focus areas.

Adaptability: Although we created internal deadlines, we ensured that enough time was left before the official deadline to remain flexible in case of unforeseen circumstances.

Self Awareness: I demonstrated self awareness by recognising my weaknesses with unclear scopes and distractions, and taking steps to address them.

Resilience: I faced the challenge of an unclear project scope by dedicating time to understand it clearly

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31/01/2025: Week 1 - Project Initiation 

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31/01/2025: Week 1 - Project Initiation 

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This week, we began our project with a successful kick-off meeting. We started by discussing our individual strengths and weaknesses, identifying ways to leverage our strengths and mitigate potential challenges. I personally struggle with unclear project scopes, so I dedicated time for us to question the brief, identify focus areas, and draft an initial idea of our deliverable.

Darcey and I both work best with clear communication, so we set up weekly meetings and created a WhatsApp group for continuous updates. Eleanor mentioned that she often leaves tasks until the last minute, which can be overwhelming for me. To address this, we established internal deadlines and I created a Gantt chart to track our progress.

We also discussed past challenges in group work, such as delays caused by waiting for others to complete tasks. To improve collaboration, we decided to work on the same tasks during each session while assigning each member a topic to lead and take responsibility for. This approach ensures balanced and focused research.

To describe our project management style, we have identified agile management as our approach, supplemented by a linear timeline framework to create internal deadlines. We have created defined phases with contributions from all members, leveraging our individual strengths.

I expressed that I found it hard to focus in the shared room due to distractions, so we mitigated this by moving to the library and booking quiet rooms for future work sessions. We also shared our availability for future project work and set up a weekly catch-up call to discuss progress, delays, and next steps, ensuring efficient use of our in-person time.

I took on the responsibility of writing the team log, finding it a valuable way to gain a clearer perspective on our achievements, upcoming actions, and potential challenges. This task helped me to feel confident in assessing our progress against our timeline, and I would like to continue managing it to ensure we stay on track.

Overall, our project initiation meeting was successful, and I feel more confident about our project than when we started.