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Formal Group Analysis

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1. A formal role is a role that is assigned by a superior power in or outside of the group. Our group didn’t assign formal group roles. We all helped where needed. The closest thing to a formal role was the secretary who “takes minutes of meetings, prepares reports for further discussion and decision making, and reminds members of past actions that may have been forgotten” (145). I always took the group minutes. It wasn’t something decided upon by the group. Moreover, I just had pen and paper out the first time and thus took on the role every other time afterward. 2. There were many informal roles. As there were many functions needed to be done, we each had an informal role to do them. My role in the group changed over time. With the …show more content…

As a system is “a set of interconnected parts working to form a whole in in the context of a changing environment,” our group could be considered a system (40). As synergy is produced in “three ways,” of high motivation, group effort, and deep diversity (45-46). Our group displayed positive synergy, by “exceeding expectations based on perceived abilities of individual group members” (43). Achieving synergy wasn’t difficult as everyone in the group was highly motivated to get a good grade, willing to work as a group, and brought different knowledge, abilities, skills, and problem-solving strategies. Our group experienced the benefit of synergy when I showed the video before our presentation; the group made suggestions on ways to fix it such as adding music, putting in transitions, and creating longer periods for the titles to be read. The group had a well-developed dynamic equilibrium. As with the earlier example of Jessica as devil’s advocate, the group welcomed small amounts of change, but the group would not allow for a change to occur in what game was decided that late in the planning stage. Our group realized that while “there is no perfect balance point between stability and change,” we were operating within “a range in which systems can manage effectively,” (50). Our boundary control wasn’t exactly porous, but neither was is impermeable. We had help from “the outside environment” by having our friends play the game. Our boundary control was “permeable” as we …show more content…

I was a moderately active group member with the seven out of ten. I came to all the meetings. The reason I am not at a ten out of ten is my lateness to some of the meetings. But my sensitivity to the needs of the group helped to keep everyone involved and engaged. Our group started each meeting with a minute or two talking about something unrelated to the project to help reduce the primary tension and prevent secondary tension. In the future, I will strive to follow the implicit rules and come to each meeting on time. Consequently, the meetings will presumably take less time and be more effective. Another improvement, I will work to increase my competency by an attitude of “praise first, then describe,” “use I-statements,” “make descriptions specific,” “eliminate editorial comments,” to achieve descriptive effectiveness.

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