Being a Group Member - Essay Example

Reflection on group project Organizational Dynamics Working as a group on an assignment was not as hard as I thought it was going to be but the dynamics of this group are simply amazing. It was the first time for us to be together as a group and we were a bit unreceptive at first as we were not sure how we would work together on a project for the whole semester but we were all surprised with the review. We subdivided the assignment into six different sections according to the number of people in the group. Each received a section which they were to work on for the rest of the course. The six subdivided sections included: proposal summary and introduction which was tackled by Nancy. The other was the problem statement section as well as literature review that was given to Karina. I was the third person to receive the assignment and I landed the goals and objectives as well as the methods section. Cassandra got the evaluation and future funding, Catherine got the budgeting including budget narrative and finally it was the appendices and conclusions as well as the cover letter which was done by the remaining group member. We held group meetings each week in order to be able to state our progress with the work, ensure that each member was still on track and we discussed the topic of the research further each week. The discussions made it easier for each member to stay on topic without deviating or writing a totally different set of information. The meetings also made people interact some more hence building a rapport with each other. Communication initially was weird and people refrained from talking much and the only person talking was the group leader. As we progressed and interacted some more during the group as well as non-group meeting hours however, we were able to even start exchanging a bit of personal information and stories of how each other’s previous group performed and tried to borrow the good and avoid the bad. We were able to avoid conflicts by people being respectful of each other’s opinion and views no matter what they said. This enabled building up the trust within the group much faster than it had in my previous group. For some reason, my group members appeared mature about everything and hence we did not even have to tussle over flimsy issues which break up groups or lead to intense conflicts. The lack of conflict and increased cooperation enabled us complete our assignment way before the deadline was near and we had time to each go through it and make the necessary corrections in order to perfect everything. Management Issues At first, we had a difficult time deciding whom we could make to be the group leader as well as an effective time keeper who would ensure that people were not late to the meeting or in handing in their assignments. We decided on people to introduce themselves and tell us about themselves including details such as their strengths and weaknesses as well as like an dislikes and whether they had held the group leadership position in the past or not. After all this was completed, there was one student who had impressive strengths and had always been a group leader in her previous groups. We decided to test her leadership skills for the next two group meeting and evaluate whether she would make a good leader. We also decide to choose to have a participatory kind of group dynamics and management where each and every member would contribute to the discussion or debate and in case there was no unanimity in the decision, the group leader would act as the deal breaker and make the final decision. This system worked perfectly as no group member felt left behind in the decision making. The input by all members was another way for the reduction and complete elimination of conflicts within our group. We only had meaningful arguments about specific points in the assignment but outside of that we were perfect group members. What also made our group successful was the management the group leader employed where no group member could interrupt the other when talking even if one had a burning point. This increased organization of our meetings and hence reducing time wastage and a lot of unnecessary noise that was unproductive in the long run. When it came to time to compile the work, the group leader decided to appoint two people to work on the compilation. This would ensure that one person did not feel overwhelmed by this responsibility while still ensuring that the assignment will be completed based on the knowledge and combined skills of two people rather than one. It is also the group leaders with agreement from the rest of the members that decided on the group having two more sessions after the work was compiled to converge and proofread the document, make last minute adjustments before the deadline expired and also ensure that the work was perfect and it had no mistakes whatsoever. Group member lessons I learnt several things from being a group member of this amazing group. The first is that for a group to succeed, each open and constant communication has to be present. This would ensure that any issues that may arise are aired out and addressed immediately instead of being kept and stock piled which is what creates conflicts in the first place. It was also better for any member who had any issues with another over group activities to talk right away in front of the whole group rather than going behind their back. This would reduce any animosity between the group members as well as encourage honesty within the group. The other thing I learnt was that having a good, organized and effective group leader was the key to good team dynamics. The leader had to be an individual who could be entrusted with that huge responsibility and who commanded respect when they talked. It was also better to have a self-confident group leader who would not second-guess her decisions or opinion made by the group members. Finally, the group member had to be a servant leader and not an autocratic one that would want to coerce the members into doing as she or he wanted and not what the rest of the group members wanted. The leader had to be fair as well and exercise justice and rationality at all times and in all situations without favoritism emanating at all. Lastly is that each group member had to have a sense of ownership and belonging of the group that would make him or her feel free to participate openly and frequently in the group. This was the only way to ensure diversity of the ideas and hence coming up with the perfect blend of the assignments. Having learnt all these, I was sure to implement the same strategies in future groups I get involved in. I was sure I would even emulate our group leader and make an excellent group leader as well as long as I ensure democracy prevailed within the group and only constructive criticisms were provided which would not hurt the feelings of any members or lead to conflicts hence distracting the group. Read More