Entropy

Entropy is a topic that I thought was so simple yet so widely practiced unconsciously. I really like this topic and believe that it needs further attention because many times people in groups think they are being productive because they are coming up with a lot of ideas, brainstorming heavily, and generating discussions. What groups and people overlook is that this sometimes is detrimental to the ultimate goal because chaos ensues, time is wasted, and it deters from making decisions and therefore reaching the ultimate goal. Entropy could be positive because it opens communication but like most things in life, too much of something is not productive. This topic is so simple that sometimes is overlooked, but without creating a strong foundation in the beginning of group work, the end will be harder to reach. Group work is a step by step process and step one is the most important because it sets the tone for the rest of group experience. I believe this concept is one of most important ones that I have read, and definitely one of the ones that most affected me.

Group Observation Project

The group I chose to observe was the Christian Family Movement of a local church. I chose this group because my parents have always had acquaintances in these types of groups but have never joined. It’s interesting to me because I don’t really understand the pint or what the big deal was about. In my mind it was just about meetings where people critique each other, talk behind each others back, and pretend to be Godly.

In the process of observing the group, I had stereotypes and expected certain behavior. It was useful because I sort of knew what to expect, but at the same time I was open to what actually occurred during the meeting. In observing the group, interesting topics discussed in class arose and I was able to comprehend and pin point important concepts but the most interesting thing that occurred was the post interview I had with the leaders of the group. I was amazed by how the leader thought and how she, without ever studying communication formally, was so in tune with many topics that we discussed in class. I imagine that the courses she took in order to be the leader of the group taught them to observe non verbal cues and how to lead by example, but I was shocked by the things she was saying.

This assignment taught me to be more in tune with my own communication and how I work within groups, not only in school but at work. Proper communication within groups are essential and by observing this group I was inspired.

Brainstorming

A topic from Chapter 11 which I found interesting was brainstorming. Brainstorming is something that we learn since grade school in terms as a useful tool for creative writing. I think brainstorming is important because it give people a free environment where you don’t think rigidly but rather just blurt out ideas and concepts. From this freedom and comfortable environment, sharing is facilitated and therefore a creative solution can be accomplished. By coming up with an abundance of ideas, one is able to open their mind and see the world of possibilities that are out there. Moreover, it promotes communication and positive sharing which is always useful. I believe that many times, brainstorming is undervalued.

On the other hand, brainstorming can deter from progress if the ideas aren’t organized and don’t decide on a plan of action. If this occurs entropy could ensue. If this happens, the chaos hinders the group from achieving the ultimate goal of positive communication and problem solving.

I consider my family a sort of group. Right now, I am experiencing something quite interesting with them and I believe that it is an excellent example of groups and creativity.
One month ago I became engaged. My parents were in Mexico during this time, so the planning process was left to me and my boyfriend. We make a great team, and the environment is comfortable and sharing therefore is easy. We can brainstorm, we say ridiculous ideas, and somehow things work out and we come up with good things. It’s been a month and we have so much accomplished already. Sharing ideas and being creative was not that easy when my family came back into the picture. My ideas were not well accepted, faces were made, and I was rejected on mainly every decision I had previously been excited about. I am scared to even share any more of my ideas. I used to stay up until four in the morning every night, tirelessly and excitingly looking at options and trying to plan. Now, my motivation is down, I feel more stressed, and I feel like I don’t know what I’m doing anymore/I don’t trust my ideas and I’m second guessing myself. I have been experiencing some of the culture barriers that have hindered my creativity. I have found myself being polite, complacent, and agreeing that I like things that are being changed when in reality I wanted it the original way I had decided. I have found that even when I try to be creative and decide/ visualize what I want, it’s just not working anymore.

Five Cultural Barriers to Creativity

Living in this melting pot of cultures that is the United States deeply affects people and their ability to be successful. Many times there are cultural barriers due to the fact that ones persons culture does not promote but rather looks down upon on certain aspects of ones character that is needed in order to succeed in the United States. In many cultures, conforming is importartant and standing up or fighting for your ideas is not good. This hinders creativity because one becomes submissive and therefore is less likely to give creative ideas, or add to someones idea, but rather conform to other peoples ideas. Another barrier is a culture that promotes competition. Obviously, competition obstructs creativity because the environment of sharing freely is not able to occur and therefore people fight over each other and compete rather than create on creative solution out of all the ideas. Conversely, and expectation of politeness that some cultures put high regard on is also detrimental to group creativity. Being polite means not going against what someone else says and if someone shoots your idea down, then conforming. Not everyone knows everything though and though one may not be and expert per se, their ideas are still valuable. Some cultures though, do not promote this and they rely on expert knowledge. Lastly, an expectation of practicality and efficiency does not allow the creative juices to flow. When a groups is strict and to the point/ mechanical, group members can not be creative.

My person experience is with conforming and expectation of politeness. I do not like to go against people because as a female and Mexican-American, I was socialized that it was rude and looked down upon.

Sharing

Sharing is not the easiest thing in life. Whether it be sharing material things, responsibility, or feelings, it is hardly ever an easy feat. Sharing though, plays an important part in the creative process. When one feels comfortable, supported, and the environment is ideal, people feel more at ease and therefore confidently share ideas and the ability to come to a creative goal is more likely. A negative group environment where ideas are laughed at, looked down upon, or etc, hinder the willingness for people to share and in turn hinder creativity. Effective groups and leaders know this fact, and create this environment where creativity can grow. Sharing ones ideas can be very difficult and intimidating. One never knows if what they say is stupid, how the idea will be received/ perceived, and no one wants to feel stupid. For this reason, a nurturing environment is necessary. Without it, you will have shy group members who do not speak up.

Motivation

Motivation was a topic from chapter 7 that I found interesting. I agree that motivation plays a big part of successful listening. I believe that if you are motivated then active listening is facilitated and therefore interpretation of context/ message is easier. I believe that these phases and terms of listening are all related but I found motivation to be the most interesting because this is, in my opinion, where it all begins. If one is motivated/ interested then they pay more attention. When someone is distracted or busy, then motivation is lower due to the fact that their focus is elsewhere. Caring is an important part of listening. We have to want to listen and want to understand the message being sent by the other person. Like the book stated, good listening enhances our lives by allowing relationships to blossom, avoid conflict and many other things. Effective listening begins with motivation.

Interpreting the message

Listening is a big part of my life due to the fact that I work as a translator. I have to carefully and actively listen in order to not only translate the words being said but the context. English and Spanish are very different in grammar, structure, and word use. Translating therefore becomes a problem when you have to add meaning; for this reason, interpreting the message is the most difficult part of listening that occurs in my situation at work.

Recently, I was listening to a tape of a conversation in Spanish and I had to translate it for my superiors. The conversation the two parties were having was regarding a problem that was occurring between three or four people. Both parties knew who or what each other was talking about, and had background knowledge that I obviously did not have. Listening was very difficult because I had to figure out the message they were trying to send. The conversation used a lot of pronouns so the context had to be carefully analyzed and the sequentially followed to see who they referred to as “he” and who was mad at who. Finding out the point of the conversation was time consuming and tedious. I tried to overcome this by putting myself in the shoes of the person who was talking and trying to be part of the conversation by putting myself there which actually helped a little. Overall though, listening for the message is relative and a lot of confusion or misunderstandings can arise easily if one is not careful.

Regulation

A concept that I found very interesting in Chapter 6 was regulation. This concept was interesting to me because it is something that I often use at work and didn’t realize that there was a clear defined term for it. At work this has become very useful because there is a person who works on our team who is very odd. This person comes to us and tries to hold very long, boring, unnecessary, uncomfortable conversations. Considering that we have a lot of work to do, it is difficult to sit there and listen to him, but at the same time it is rude to tell him to be quiet since he is somehow considered to be a superior. Luckily, we have found ways around this issue. Non-verbal cues are not always too helpful with this person because he seems to not get it, but there is one that works very well. My job consists of listening with ear phone on so once he begins and we can not get him to stop, we tend to smile nicely like if it was funny or interesting and proceed to put our earphones on. This usually woks and he goes away.
Some people, for a reason unbeknownst to me, do not understand nonverbal signals. This particular person does not get it when we avoid contact, interrupt, avoid responses, and put our headphones on. It makes it seem as if though these cues are not universal and understood by all cultures, all people or etc.

Proxemics and Chronemics

Prexemics could be easily explained as the personal boundary space between people when they speak and how it differs depending on relationship with person and other issues. Chronemics on the other hand is in regards to time and how different cultures interpretation of time. I believe that these two concepts do not have universal rules among cultures but rather vary very differently between cultures. Like anything in life, there are overlaps and similarities within cultures but, in general, there are differences and understanding these differences allows people from different communities to understand each other better.

A personal experience I have is with proxemics. I have an issue with people invading my personal space, speaking while standing too close to me, or etc. I realized this because there is a male of a different culture who woks at our office. This person is criticized often at work among everyone because of his close proximity while talking to you, looking over your shoulder while you are working, and in general just invading peoples personal space. While speaking to another co-worker who is of the same culture as that male, she told me that a lot of people think that he is like that because of his culture. Her comment in regards to that was that culture should not be blamed because she is of the same culture, background, and circle of family friends, and she is not like that. She said that it was not culture but rather that he was extremely weird and anti social. I found this to be extremely interesting. Possibly it is not all about cultural but rather individual genetics or other factors that should be looked into.

Stereotyping

Stereotyping is part of our nature and I truly believe that there is no person in the world who has never been stereotyped. As the book states, stereotypes are useful so we can categorize information, aid in making fast decisions, and deter overloading our brain. It is difficult to say that stereotypes are all bad because in reality they are helpful. The negative aspects of them are that people rely heavily on them and do not learn more about other group, so therefore people from those said groups become “token” members. I, like everyone else in the world, have been a member of many different groups who have been stereotyped. While in high school, I was a member of the soccer team. People who did not know me and only knew that I was part of the team would assume a lot of things. I once had a person surprised that I spoke English as well as I did. I guess it was a myth among certain people in my school that all the soccer players were immigrants or non-English speaking. It was a very odd experience which I did not understand at all at the time. Some sterotypes though did fit. That is the beauty of sterotypes, they are a jumping off point for understanding groups but not to be relied on.

Non-verbal Communication

The concept of non-verbal communication in chapter five captured my attention because of the idea that different cultures communicate in different manners and therefore may have misunderstandings while communicating. I completely agree with this concept. An example of this non-verbal communication that could be misunderstood by someone from a different culture could be that some cultures value eye contact while speaking to someone, but others, if you make eye contact it is an aggressive action or sign of disrespect. Understanding of different cultures non-verbal communication style is very important so the message trying to be sent could be understood. Conflict between people of different c cultures may be able to improve if these differences in communication could be brought to the light. Though there are some aspects of communication that differ amongst cultures, there are also some similarities. Our book teaches us that a common thread around cultures is that they agree that effective leaders have the following personality traits; patience, sense of humor, resourcefulness and etc.

Violating Norms

Group norms are no more different then norms that are expected of people in society. Norms are an important part of life in general because it gives us an expectation of our role, behavior, and a sense of what it expected. The book states a very interesting fact that norms are like a map or a traveler’s guide that helps guide peoples behavior. Unfortunately though, even when the expected behavior is set in stone, some people chose to openly defy not only the norm, but the rest of the group and therefore violate the norm.

Currently, I am going through a very difficult situation in my job. We work in a very interesting environment where we travel from office to office depending where we are needed. Our bosses are never where we are, so one of the group members is made the point of contact and carries certain responsibilities similar to that of a manager or supervisor. One of our group members, who has been with the company longer than I, have, is not very content at the fact that I am the point of contact. Consistently she makes it known to other members of the group that she does not need to go through me for anything, and goes directly to our boss. Her actions toward me are very passive aggressive and consistently shows me that I have no say in anything. This has caused a lot of conflict and decision within the group. The goal of the group is in jeopardy because it causes us not to be able to work together and share information. As the leader, I had to take the matter into my hands and get everyone back on track. It was a very difficult thing to do but the person had to be talked with and a sanction had to be put in place. The whole of the group can not function with competing members or roles.

Norms

Everyday life consists of norms that society has for us. Whether we chose to follow them or not is our choice, but they are a way to be successful and to be accepted in society. The group norms at SJSU are many depending on who you are; for example, there are students like myself who are expected to be hardworking, quiet and attentive in some classes while participative in others, prepared, and etc. Moreover, there is a group that exists for teachers and their norms are to also be prepared, and etc. At SJSU all groups, whether you are a teacher, student, administrator, or etc, has to follow both implicit and explicit norms. Explicit norms are the no cheating policy expressed on our green sheets for example, while implicit norms are that we must be courteous to our teachers and fellow students.

My life out of SJSU is mainly spent at my job, where there are crucial norms that need to be abided by. These norms though are also roles that I need to follow on my everyday life. Whether I am going to work or a meeting with a friend, being on time is crucial in order to show respect for the other person. Of course, some are more flexible than others, but still, being on time, courteous, dress standards, and behavior standards are all in place. Adapting to the norm at work, the norm while with friends, the norm while at school, the norm with the opposite sex and so forth was a process. One begins being just one way and slowly learns that in order to be successful in life one needs to adapt and change to your environment and who you are with. There is even a norm for language depending on where you are. One can not speak in the same way you do with your friends at work, and one can not speak at school as you do at work. Little by little, one learns their role in society and different groups.

Six Step Decide Model of Decsion Making

A topic in that I found to be not only very useful, but also very interesting was the Six-Step Decide Model of Decision Making and Problem solving. The six steps are; define the goal/ understand the problem, examine issues preventing achievement, consider alternatives for countering the problem, begin a decision considering both advantages and disadvantages of choices, create a plan of action, and evaluate consequences/ results.

These six steps are very realistic and are an easy blueprint to follow when trying to make a decision. Many times we complicate our own lives when trying to solve a problem or make a decision, and in turn entropy ensues, when in reality, if we sit down, organize our thoughts and consider the pros and cons of possible plans of action, decisions could be not only simpler, but faster.

Of the six steps, the first step is the most important for me. I believe that it is the most important because many times people want to jump ahead and solve the problem without really taking the time to analyze what the problem is. It is human nature to jump ten steps ahead without starting in the beginning. The decision model presented in this chapter is something that will stay with me, and that I will use to help me in my daily life.

Quantum Change or Second order Change

In chapter 2 page 35, the topic of quantum change or second- order was introduced. This topic was very interesting to me because it deals with how deal with a shift that occurs in groups. Change is something that obviously consistently occurs in general, and knowing how to deal with it is very important. This second type of change that occurs in groups is when there is a change in group dynamic suddenly; for example, if communication within a group is usually quiet, respectful, calm, and then suddenly, one group member has an angry outburst and storms out. In this situation, the group is not used to that type of communication, and the group dynamic is turned upside down. What can a group do in this type of instance? According to our book, a way to successfully move forward was to use what happened as a way to reformat the dynamic into a more honest way to communicate. This quantum change can improve the group in the end if it is used as a positive way to step forward and discuss or see in a way that was not done before.

Entropy/ Equifinality

In my opinion, entropy and equifinality are aspects that can both enhance the success of a group or hurt them. Entropy is the tendency for stagnation, disorder, and disorganization. These characteristics are definitely not that of a successful group. I believe though that if a group realizes that entropy will deter their ability to achieve their goal, they would be able to take the steps necessary to not allow it to happen. Awareness will allow groups to combat it and monitor their actions. Additionally thought, entropy could affect groups not only if they fall into the trap of being stagnant, but also, when too many ideas are thrown out there, too many directions are being followed, then one loses the path and the point of the groups goal. The important thing that group member’s needs to remember is that there needs to be a balance within entropy. It is important not to become inactive in action and in the expression of ideas/ solutions, but also, not become chaotic in the amount of ideas and talking that occurs.

Equifinality is another aspect of small groups that I believe can impact groups in both a positive and negative manner. Equifinality is the fact that a small group does not necessarily need to follow the same route in order to achieve the same goal; i.e. there are different ways to achieve the same thing. This can be a positive thing in a group because members can share different points of views/strategies to accomplish a goal and therefore come to an even better solution. Moreover, it can deter a group for the same reason. Group members may not agree on the best way to reach the goal and therefore argue, fight, and create chaos. Like in entropy, in order for a group to be successful a group needs to be open and have a balance. Equinifinality could be very positive but group members need to be open to different ideas, and ways to do things.

Disfunctional Groups

When parts of the group system do not function well, the success of the goal trying to be accomplished is not only put in jeopardy, but also, relationships are strained, stress increases, and negative feelings emerge. Additionally, if groups are too large, the number of interaction possible increases and could therefore lead to problems. When these groups grow too large, increased understanding is needed in order to manage all the ideas and people. Unfortunately, that does not always occur.

In my experience, group work has been both very negative, as well as a great experience. Last semester my class consisted of a paper that we worked the whole semester on. It was a 20 page paper that a team of 2 worked on. My partner was the best partner I have ever worked with. We were very understanding and open about each others ideas. We were in the same proximity so meeting was very easy and both of us were willing to do so. We depended on each other in that she worked on things that I knew I would be weak on, and therefore I took over aspects of the paper that she felt she was not confident working on. Ideas therefore were respected and welcomed. In the end, the paper was great and one of the best according to our teacher.

On the other hand, I worked in a group of 5 once for an online class, and this was a not only torturous, but also impossible. Our contact was purely online, there was no proximity. We were never meeting in person so accountability was not happening. Certain group members were not pulling their weight. Three weeks into the project, a group member suddenly wanted to change the whole topic and start from scratch, and ideas were just refuted constantly. If the ideas would to have been refuted but an idea given in its place, then there would have been no problem. Unfortunately though, that was not occurring. Two group members and I took the matter into our own hands, met in person, outlined the paper, and gave the other members the option of choosing their section and each was responsible. In the end, it worked out, but the stress and frustration that occurred should not have happened.

Hi everyone! For the purposes of this class, you can call me Mia. I am a senior, Psychology major who is dying to graduate as soon as possible. I took three years off of school for a family emergency and moved to Mexico to be with my family. While in Mexico, I worked as an English teacher for various schools and non-profit organizations. It was a very good experience.

Since returning, I have been focused on finishing my career. This class is the third communication class I have taken. I thought that communication courses would be a good compliment to my Psychology major, especially since I'm interested in organizational psychology. I have found communication courses really interesting. As for online classes, I have taken a few. Due to the fact that I work a lot, online courses are the best fit for me.

Currently, I have the best job in the world. I am a translator and work with a company that outsources for government agencies. My work hours are very crazy and long. Luckily, I love my job so the long hours and stressful events are welcomed. The downside to working so much and going to school full time is that I do not have a lot of time for other things. For now, my life is dedicated to school and my career.