Teamwork
Skills from the story: Whitewashing the Fence
Introduction:
Mark
Twain tells the story of how Tom Sawyer manages to get out of doing a task by
his Aunt Polly as a punishment for disobeying her the day before. Tom is a br
and energetic young boy who has been condemned to whitewash a fence on a lo
summer's day. He knows that all his friends will be playing and enjoying themse
whereas he himself will have to work. But Tom's unhappiness does not last, bec
he comes up with a wonderful idea to solve his problem. The rest of the story
is a how Tom Sawyer uses his. intelligence to create a team of willing painters
to white the fence for him. Thus Tom turns a dreary and lonely task into an
enjoyable In the end the work gets done and the fence ends up with not one, but
three coa paint! This was possible because Tom Sawyer unknowingly harnessed the
benef teamwork for his own ends.
In
this story, Tom is both funny and endearing. We cannot remain angry with for
tricking his friends because he does it out of innocence rather than meanne:
fact we laugh at his cleverness and enjoy the joke. But we would not feel the
sa an adult indulges in trickery.
In
Mark Twain's story "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer," the episode of
whitewashing the fence highlights several important teamwork skills:
Leadership:
Tom Sawyer demonstrates leadership skills when he convinces his friends that
whitewashing the fence is a privilege, making them eager to help him. He takes
charge of the situation and effectively delegates tasks.
Persuasion:
Tom uses persuasion and communication to convince his friends that whitewashing
the fence is a fun and desirable activity. He makes it seem so appealing that
others willingly join in.
Collaboration:
Tom's ability to work with others, even when it initially seems like a solo
task, is a testament to his collaboration skills. He turns a mundane chore into
a cooperative effort.
Delegation:
Tom understands the importance of delegation. Instead of doing all the work
himself, he assigns tasks to his friends, allowing them to take ownership and
contribute.
Motivation:
Tom motivates his friends by making them believe that they are doing something
special and exclusive. This motivation encourages them to participate
enthusiastically.
Problem-Solving:
When challenges arise, such as when Ben Rogers wants to trade a valuable
possession to join in, Tom quickly thinks on his feet and finds a solution.
This demonstrates his problem-solving abilities.
Team
Building: Tom's ability to gather a group of friends and turn a chore into a
fun and shared experience showcases his team-building skills. He creates a
sense of camaraderie among the boys.
Positive
Attitude: Tom maintains a positive attitude throughout the task, which helps
keep the morale of his team high. His enthusiasm is contagious, making the work
enjoyable for everyone involved.
In
"Whitewashing the Fence," Tom Sawyer's adept use of these teamwork
skills not only accomplishes the task at hand but also highlights the power of
collaboration and effective leadership in achieving goals.
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