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.