Role Behavior

A concept I chose interesting that was not previously discussed was Individual Role Behavior. After reading about observers in groups, I took an interest in this concept because I believe that an observer would benefit in providing more detailed suggestions and insights when individual roles are present and obvious in a group. As previously discussed in Chapter 3, the text mentioned the various roles that each individual must play in order for a group to be a success. Each role that a member plays in the group helps assist the team to reach their goals. In Chapter 14, the author mentions two different types of roles: The task-oriented role that assists the groups' ultimate goal, the Maintenance-oriented role that focuses on the social aspects, and the Self-centered roles that concern an individual's needs. All these roles are developed during your group interactions and transactions; meaning the roles are given with all of the group member's decision and feedback in assigning these roles. These three classifications of roles help with the groups' process as well as the productivity of actions within a group. Without these individual role behaviors, it would be very difficult to manage a group tasks without butting heads with one another. Through these individual role behaviors, each person is able to provide their required tasks/job which makes the process flow at ease.

Observer Feedback - Outline

1. Avoid generalizations such as "well done". The more specific the feedback, the better.

- We have all heard the general feedbacks such as "good job", "well done", "keep it up", "that was good", etc. Although all these feedbacks are seen as positive words, it's very important to provide a group a more in depth explanation of both the good and bad. When a group hears these generalizations, it doesn't effect them much as they don't have any real meaning to them. Nowadays, we see that detailed feedback are even provided through our professors at school. In elementary school, we were used to the thumbs up stamps or stickers to show us that we did a good job. Today (in college or small groups), it is important to use specific detailed words when it comes to critiquing each other or giving feedback. The more words we hear, the more we will try to fix the specific little things. If the little details are left out, it is quite possible for any group to adapt to these bad habits and keep doing it a certain way because they were never told to fix it. The more details, the better the outcome!

2. Focus on behaviors that can be changed.

-In many situations, it can be very hard for an observer to admit to a group that some behaviors should be changed. In most situations, it's the behaviors of individuals within a group that can cause problems. The importance of an observer really falls into play when the group needs someone else to fix these issues. When an observer focuses on certain behaviors, he or she will have the ability to recommend positive changes that can only benefit the groups' process. 

3. Do not debate or argue with the group you are evaluating. 

-The purpose of being an observer is to help a certain group and give out useful insights and developing ideas to make the group strive. The idea is to help the group as an observer, not to throw in your own personal analysis. As an observer, you should be giving out your personal opinions, insights, ideas, etc., but never expect them to do everything that you have suggested. 

4. Do not micromanage the group process.

-Although there may be many things an observer feels the need to criticize or fix, it is very important that he or she does not micromanage the groups' process. Even though it is a very important quality to have to go into detail (like in feedback), it is also important to put regulations on what areas need that much micromanaging. The texts states that it is more beneficial to cover and provide an analysis just two to three things rather than covering everything.

5. Remember your role.

-"An evaluator should function as a facilitator and developer" (Sherblom, 255). Just as the author stated, it is important that an observer pertains to his or her's role. The observer should avoid using the word "I" in giving feedback towards the group. All comments from the observer should be to enhance the groups' process. Everything that is said should be spoken in ways to avoid the word "liking" as well. Any feedback given to a group shouldn't be so opinionated, but very informative from an outside perspective. 

6. Accentuate the positive aspects.

-It is very important that an observer focuses on all of the positive aspects rather than the negative aspects. This is most important in any group because it encourages them to do better because they feel very good about themselves and their previous accomplishments. From much personal experience, I know I did a lot better in group work because of the positive feedback my professors would constantly tell me. It helps the negative aspects sound worse than they really are. There are many times when the negatives are brought up and focused on, it is very hard to have the motivation to fix it due to discouragement. Focusing and accentuating the positive aspects can and will create a better, much stronger foundation for the group to benefit their process. 

7. End with specific suggestions for improvement.

-After any observer is done with feedbacks, suggestions and insights, it is very important to end with specific suggestions for improvement. In many cases, there may be lots of improvement needed in a group to make it better. However, if these improvements are found, it is important to suggest specific ways to improve these certain negativities. The more specific you are with these suggestions, the better improvement will be. 

8. Be clear and concise if you present your ideas orally or in writing. 

-All advice that are accepted and talked about should be written down or discussed orally before the observer leaves the group. It is easy to be forget many things especially when there was a lot of discussion going on during the evaluation. Thus, it should be clear towards to group and observer that all ideas that were beneficial are written down and not forgotten. 

9. Compliment in public and criticize in private is an accepted practice in most professional settings.

-The text states this specific guideline as the rule of thumb. The act of complimenting your group in public are seen as positive feedback which will make the individual feel good about their progress. It will ultimately make the group stronger because the more rewarding feedback they attain while in a public setting where people can hear and visually see, the more they will continue to keep up the good work. However, this can backfire if it is done in the opposite way. Discouraging in public may be the ultimate thing that creates failure. No one wants to be ridiculed or embarrassed in a public setting. Any type of embarrassing or negative feedback received in public may be the reason why the group doesn't progress at all. Criticizing in private is a key element in success. Nobody wants to hear negative feedback from any outside party or observer, so it is important that these private feedbacks are done in a non-public setting. It will help the individual and observer communicate face to face with no additional noise or interruptions from the outside world.   

10. In an organizational setting, developing positive relationships during the feedback process will repay itself time and again. 

-All observers should have natural goals to help a group improve and develop rather than criticize and find faults. This mindset should never leave the observer from beginning to end. In any sort of organizational setting, it is very important to create positive relationships with all individuals of a group in order to have more successful outcomes. After the development of these relationships, the group members will be more likely to communicate and perform better because of the positive feedbacks given by the helpful observer. 

Why use a consultant or an observer for a small group?

Within any small group communication, any individual who isn't directly involved with the group are able to give and provide an outside perspective. The insights given out by an observer may be extremely beneficial towards a group. In the text, the author explains that the usage of observers are to ultimately help and improve the growth of the group in a positive manner. The evaluations of any specific's teams' process through an outside observer or consultant can help the group develop and mold into a stronger team. I concur with what the author states in the text about how it can only be beneficial getting positive feedback from an outside source rather than your own. I believe that it is extremely important to get advice and insights from those who are not being biased in any kind of way towards each individuals in the group. Many times, groups often tend to have disagreements and arguments about a situation. However, through the eyes of an observer, he or she is allowed to give their initial insight and feelings about what they feel went wrong, who did what, what needs to be done, etc. The author also mentions the two different skills that may be involved in observing your own small group. These two differences are participation and evaluation. Because you are working as a team and not individually, it's hard to take on two tasks (observe while you participate). It's important not to multitask in situations such as these because you may give our nonverbal signs towards your other group members that may be taken the wrong way- group members may think you are releasing an energy of being critical, judgmental etc. that are all hurtful towards the group and ultimately effects the process of the team's progress. 

Valuing Diversity

1). Does valuing diversity come easily? Why or why not? Can you make some suggestions to enhance a group's ability to value diversity?

The text goes in depth in explaining what diversity is and how it's come to where it is today.
"Diversity describes that reality of our national and world community that is made up of people having cultures, languages, and social customs different from our own" (Sherblom, 73). Without a doubt, diversity exists everywhere you look. It's at our school, workplace, social gatherings, churches, neighborhoods, etc. Wherever you go, there is a sense of diversity all around you. When it comes to valuing diversity, a lot of controversies may arise depending on your outlook on certain types of diversities. Demographics have indeed dramatically changed within these past decades in a positive way.

A suggestion I can make to enhance a group's ability to value diversity is simply having an open mind and accepting norms of other groups rather than your own. People may or may not know this, but if you are not open to change and differences, it ultimately hurts the growth and value of diversity. Another suggestion is to visit other groups that differ a lot from you. Going to church if you are not religious, or attending a dance event even though you are a basketball player. All events that you may never attend gives you the opportunity to be a part of another group's diversity and interests. If someone was very opposed to accepting diversity, a big commitment to practice valuing diversity would be attending a school that promotes diversity. Coming out of your shell to experience diversity first hand can probably be the most beneficial in enhancing your perceptions on valuing diversity.

I believe anyone has the ability to enhance the value of diversity. The more that is accepted, the more communication can be built in building a stronger foundation of any group. If the process of acceptance isn't practiced, many group communications (whether big or small) can create a mass amount of problems. Solutions may never be solved and goals may not ever be reached. Nowadays, I do believe that valuing diversity does come more easily than it has ever been. These facts are obvious as you see many more interracial couples, diversity in schools, and the diverse neighborhoods that exist all around us. SJSU is a great example of valuing diversity. When you look around campus, you see all different types of ethnicities, cultures, groups, etc. SJSU has valued the concept of diversity and we have become a better school because of it. Any institution that promotes diversity creates a stronger, well-rounded group of people who can benefit society in a positive way. "This diversity in language, culture, background, and values affect our small group communication...If a small group consists of members from diverse backgrounds, their diversity influences the group discussion" (Sherblom, 73).

White Men of Privilege

2). Explain the concept "white men of privilege".  Do you agree with the concept?  Why or why not?

The text explains hierarchies of power as the socialization processes we have come to take for granted. I agree with the text in the fact that we do indeed take granted of what is accepted as "normal" to those who hold power in society. It makes me reflect (in a positive way) how much we have improved in destroying stereotypes of hierarchies, but at the same time it makes me think of how much it still affects us in a negative way as well. In all honesty, I can both disagree and agree with the concept of "white men of privilege". I strongly disagree that only white men should have power over any given circumstance whether it's in the household, workplace, government status or job title. However, I also have accepted many norms of society on how "white men" are more respected in the work field and do have a lot trust in those who fit that stereotype.  Thus, I can understand why white men do have privileges in attaining jobs over women because of this. There was a personal experience I had gone through when my family had to choose a lawyer to represent our case. Because the outcome would potentially be in the hands of our lawyer, we had to choose very carefully on who would take on this responsibility. The concept of "white men of privilege" definitely came into play when we had to choose between an asian lawyer and a caucasian lawyer. They were both experienced for the same number of years, but we ultimately chose the caucasian lawyer because we believed he had more charisma and power to lead us to success. In the end, our case was won and me and my family's perception of "white men of privilege" was proven to be "right". In many ways, our society believes the concept of "white men of privilege" and it has become a part of the norm in our everyday lives. The more we put experience positive experiences with white men of privilege, the more we adapt to this concept. When we see a woman who has higher authority in a company rather than a white male, it is seen as "odd" or "unusual". This goes for women who are doctors or lawyers; we might have to do a double-take and think twice about what we just saw or heard. This is where I highly disagree with this concept. Women have just as much capability and knowledge to be these high statuses in authority just as men do. Although this concept can be seen in both a negative light and positive light, I'm content with knowing that we have come along way in accepting that "white men of privilege" aren't the only ones who are capable of being those who run our society. 

Roles

A concept I found interesting in Chapter 3 was the expectation of Roles. I found this topic interesting because we play roles in our everyday lives-whether it's school, work, leisure, boyfriend-girlfriend relationships, we as individuals are required to perform a task that is expected by those who surround us.The book identifies roles and norms being similar to one another yet different at the same time. Roles identify each person of the group; the ways each individual is expected to act and behave within the group. Expectations are a big part of roles because your role in the group effects the other members inside the group. "Roles identify the particular way we, as individuals, are expected to act in a group" (Sherblom, 44). Roles eventually become a status of an individual and with that position, duties are followed. There are different types of roles that an individual can be categorized with. Task roles are those who get the job done, while social-emotional roles relate to the relationships of the group. The titles of different types of roles are important because they can either make or break the function of the group as well as how smoothly the group runs. Any effective group will even take on more than one type of role in order to positively influence the group's progress to success. All types of roles should be seen as an advantage, and with that advantage comes much responsibility to you and the rest of your group members. A personal experience I had gone through that dealt with task roles was in a volunteer program. I often volunteer with a dog adoption group that promotes second chances for dogs who are about to be euthanized. One time, I went to a Palo Alto adoption event where I knew no one there. We were put into small groups to scatter along the block so the dogs could be seen in various locations. Although no one was officially put in charge, we all made roles for ourselves individually. This was incredibly effective because we knew our task roles and the responsibilities that were expected from us. We didn't have to ask or rely on anyone else but ourselves which in the end effects the group in a positive way. Regardless of how many tasks were being performed by me as an individual, having my own expectations and responsibilities made the event function more smoothly and effectively.

Internal & External Constraints

2). Distinguish between internal and external constraints. Provide and example of each one from your own experience.

In any kind of decision-making process within a group, a certain type of constraint plays a huge role in making those decisions. The text explains that the type of constraint where time, money, knowledge and energy used are called External constraints. This type of constraint focuses on using tools to ultimately reach a solution. Those who are of External constraints want to get the solution by using as many useful factors as possible. I have experienced External constraints when it comes to my workplace. I used to be a front desk manager where all decisions for the hosts were to be made myself. When we would encounter a problem at the front desk (anything from new menus, to new computers), I would always go to the managers and my boss so that we can work together in order to solve a problem. There were always weekly meetings where we would discuss how the restaurant's money would be used in a beneficial way. As a group, we would never make decisions on our own, but pull out the books and discuss it as a team to make the restaurant better for the present and future.

The second type of constraint are those of the Internal constraints. This type of group are seen to have caused the problem in the first place, rather than help the problem. Internal constraints definitely have a harder type finding any type of solution due to their lack of the decision-making process. A time I had experienced an Internal constraint was at my old job where I worked in retail. My old boss would constantly give away free clothes without giving a proper discount or recording the items given away. She was put in the category of those who are of Internal constraint because she caused the problem and did not even attempt to solve the problem. It ultimately hurt the business and it ended up closing down because they lost so much money. There was no team work or any decision-making process which led to ultimate failure.

Week 3 Discussion: Norms

1). Are there group norms at SJSU? What are they? In the group of individuals that you spend time with, are there group norms? What are they? In both cases, how did you identify these norms? How did you adapt to these norms?

When I hear the word "norm", I immediately think about cliques and groups that are expected  in society to be 'normal'. Here at SJSU, it is without a doubt that we are exposed to a diverse group of people that range from different ages, religions, ethnicities, social statuses and races. Because we are exposed to so many different types of cultures and people, it's not surprising that people will drift off into their own groups that they will consider the "norm".  If you look around campus, we see that the sororities are a group of norms, the art majors are grouped as norms, dancers are grouped together as norms, etc. Each clique share a common interest that they consider to be normal. The group I hang out majority of the time on campus are mostly my old high school friends. Even though we were not technically "put" in this group, we managed to congregate together because we share the same norm of going to the same high school and growing up in the same neighborhood. Whether or not we are studying the same major or participating in the same club, we share similar interests that bring us together into a group. There are many ways to identify a group as being a norm. Each group you approach, they will most likely consider themselves as the norms because it's what they believe in. I believe that adaptation to groups happen mostly to freshmen in college. Finding your group of norms is done mostly in the beginning of the year; finding the group that you fit in with most. Thus, many groups adapt to people who surround themselves with those alike with one another, i.e.; same majors, similar hobbies, same interests, etc.  I believe that SJSU has hundreds to thousands types of group norms, but because we are so diverse, it only helps/promote the positivity of diversity. 

Chapter 2: Cohesion

A concept that I found interesting in Chapter 2 was the topic on Cohesion. I found this interesting because our prior discussions focused on interdependence and interrelationships which are two completely opposite concepts. Group cohesion is explained in the text as the act of one individual in a particular group that has an attraction to the group that ultimately helps the group as a whole. Cohesion exists in those who have the urge and commitment to be loyal to their group in order to reach a goal that they all share. There is a strong willingness to help amongst one another, which is unapparent in an interdependent group. Because the act of cohesion is positive, any group who share this concept are often more effective and more satisfied in the outcome due to their better decision making skills and communication. Another interesting fact I learned about Cohesion was the terminology they use with one another. Group cohesions often use terms such as “we” to refer themselves as a whole rather than using the words I, me, or him/her. Other groups that are not their own are referred to as “they”. Cohesion groups are very communicative and less stressful than other groups that focus on themselves or don’t share the same passion/goals with the other individuals. The concept of cohesion rose a particular interest as I wish to share this type of group communication in upcoming endeavors with group work.

Entropy & Equifinality

As discussed in the text, entropy is explained as disorganization, stagnation, and chaos. Within a small group, it is important that we don't overwhelm ourselves with too much overload otherwise the effectiveness will definitely decrease. When you are placed in a small group, it is key to point out the negative factors in an issue before it creates a permanent effect/problem for the group. Thus, it is important to point out these flaws before anything serious occurs that cannot be reversed. In an entropy, it is beneficial to have someone lead the group to take control (in order to make things go more smoothly without any problems), however, if one person takes too much control, it can also destroy the small group as well. All steps must be taken carefully in order to make an efficient small group run smoothly.

Equifinality is explained as the fact that living systems can take different routes to the same destination. Simply saying, there isn't just one way to make a small group operate successfully. There are various routes you can take in order to achieve that success. It is important to combine many different types of techniques in order to make a group work out well. Having different types of talents and strengths can only improve the quality and success within a small group. I believe that when we are put into small groups, it is important to provide and give out your personal talents in order to benefit the group.