Week 6, Question 1

In a small group it is really good to have someone come in and observe what the group does. When you have an outsider come in they bring new and fresh ideas on different aspects of the team that maybe the members wouldn’t have seen themselves. They are able to form and un-bias feedback and help improve the overall effectiveness of the group.  When you have a small group, feedback is very important. Feedback focuses on how the group act and how individuals of the group contribute to the whole. The book talks about how feedback “is meant to guide future behavioral change for group members.”  Feedback is more than just saying something was good or bad. Feedback is someone digging deep into the functions and members of the group and talking about what could be done better and or what specifics can be changed. When feedback is received and is of high quality the group can grow and benefit very well from it.

Week 4, Question 3

This week I found interesting nonverbal communication. Nonverbal communication is "mulidimension and may take the form of body or facial gestures, tone of voice..."  I found it interesting to learn that different subcultures in the United States have different forms of nonverbal communications. The book talked about how African Americans have different ways of expression emotions through communication then other races and each race non verbally communicates different. Nonverbal communication is what is isn't said, yet at the same time doesn't have to be. People will expression their thoughts, emotions and saying by using body parts, or not using them in some cases to show thoughts without verbally speaking them. Nonverbal communication is important because it is almost like getting the real truth out of someone. By reading their body language and looking at their actions we can tell if they really mean what they say or if they are just saying it do talk. When someone is asked to do something they don't want to do and the person rolls their eyes or clinches their fist we can tell without them saying a word that they are upset with the task that has been sent to them. Nonverbal communication I believe is very important and makes people to people communication even stronger.

Week 4, Question 2

Power, hierarchies and our economic world all have the same thing in common; they are run and controlled by White upper class males. This is one thing in our system that has seen little or no change. The “white men of power” concept says that more often than never, power lies in a high class white male.  I do agree that this concept does lay in our society. I am by no means saying it is okay because now reading and bringing into light how important diversity is in a group, I think we need to keep pushing minorities into power and start a new way of life. I like how the book says, “we need to revise the social norms that underlie the economic realities of our culture that have proven resistant to long term change.”  Revising and improving on what it is that keeps us as a Nation, business, small group or even a team together and building off of not only our past but the unknown can only make us stronger.

The only time I think we really see the white male being overthrown was in this past election. It took until just a few years ago for a man of non-European decent to lead our country. It was in that same race that the first woman was running for vice president as well as a woman in high ranks to run for the President.  A good example of this would also be how President Obama was just here in the Bay Area for dinner with some of the most powerful men in the area, the Apple CEO, Google, Orical and a few others. Clearly when we look at who was at the dinner table there was very little diversity going on.

Week 4, Question 1

I don't believe that the value of diversity comes easy, but I think it is a lot better then it was 10, 15 or 30 years ago. Our nation as a whole has gone through a lot of changed in regards to diversity over the past 100 years and I think as much as we wish it wasn't a problem or even an issue, it is still present in our lives. Diversity is more then just skin color, it is religions, morals, ethics and ways of communication. I believe that groups need to be more open to adding in members of different diversity's that way their outcome can be outreached to many different people. When you put all of the same people in a group, you can almost expect the outcome of the meeting to be. But when you add in different morals, values and experiences you start more topics of discussion. With this, more people will be able to take in the new changes and more people will benefit. Also when you throw in different cultures you open up more topics to discuss, both problems and solutions, but in the end will make the group stronger by getting a greater understand of others as well as strengthen the group. I think if groups pick people to work together at random it will make for different groups each time. With each time more people will have greater understanding of communication styles and group interactions.

week 3, Question 3

This week there was a lot of new concepts that were talked about. In chapter 9 the book talked about the different stages of decision making and problem solving. i found this chapter to be useful in general life. There were a lot of concepts that seem so general, yet I think we sometimes forget how to step back and reevaluate situations we are placed in when times get tough or don't always go our way. Having a good outline of the overall goals is key when problems arise. To know what it is your doing and why you are doing it really can help keep a group or an individual going when times get hard. A concept i found interesting was that of internal and external constraints. Knowing when it is something like money or knowledge that holds you back is way different the set rules of the internal constraints. This chapter was a great one on life lessons and dealing with pressure. I came out of it with an overall message that sometimes you need to step back and remember why it is you are doing what your doing and keeping your eyes on the goal can help pull you through. (like graduating....) =)

Week 2, Question 2

2). What are the functions of norms in groups? Can you give a personal example not already discussed this week? Have you ever experienced a violation of a norm? Explain.
Functions of norms in groups help make the group come together and run much smoother. Norms overall shape how the group works and handle situations. They set standards for all to follow and for others who may want to join to know what they are getting into. Norms can create a tighter group that works well with each other because the norms function in a way that makes working together easy. Norms bring people together and also make people who may not be fit for the group to leave. Norms sometimes have to play a negative role when they are broken there are action that will be taken. Violating a norm can result in many different actions to take place. These actions act as a set of norms themselves, a set that steps in when another has been broken. An example of this violation of a norm that happened to me was when I was at the Giants game and a friend of mine had a beer in her hand. At the time she wasn't 21 and a cop asked to see her ID. She was issued a ticket for being a minor and had to pay a big fee. She had broken the law, which is a strong set of norms that we all follow as Americans.

Week 3, Question 1

I do believe that at San Jose State we have many sets of group norms that all students follow every day that they are on campus. By knowing some of the group norms at State we can also see how our place at the school is clearly shown. For example, 7th street parking garage. The first 2 floors are only for employees and no student can or does park there (unless you want a $60 ticket!) The people of UPD enforce that this norm is kept in place by walking and checking all stickers on the cars (no matter how good you think you hid your car, they'll find it!) Also another norm I can see would be using the schools gym. In order to get past the front desk you must present you ID card to be scanned. If you don't have an ID they don't care. You will be denied access for the time until you can show valid school ID. That is just some of the many norms State has.

On my cheerleading team (sorry I use them a lot only because i spend so much time with them) we have set norms that everyone follows without question. From the simple show up to every game, practice or event to having no show socks and clean uniform all the time. We no team means all of us and when one person doesn't hold up to the norms we suffer as a team. For example, this past weekend we went to the University of Nevada, Reno for the men's basketball game. One of the girls didn't bring her warm up jacket, therefor we all weren't able to wear it. We weren't mad, she knew she had messed up, but we knew that the result would be everyone has to stay in uniform for pregame. One girl forgets something and the whole team suffers.

I believe more the knowing to adapt you must know what you are getting into before you start. I knew cheerleading was a long term commitment. Norms are created all the time and you just do it because when your on a team you have 24 other people that rely on you to make good choices.

Week 2, Question 3

Another concept of this weeks reading I found interesting was the one about coordinating mechanisms. Looking at things like planning, orginizating, assessing preformances and moticating other members was something I know I use in my everyday life. As a member of a team, we have as well a set of coordinating mechanisms that we live and thrieve by. Being on a team means that there are 20 other girls that rely on you to put in as much work and do what you need to do to make the team stronger as well as carry your own weight. I see this playing out when we have a rutine set for a performance. Sometimes you are expected to do a skill that may be difficult or you havnt perfected yet. But it is up to you to push yourself to achieve that skill in order to make the team stronger. Our team is based, as the book says, on “mutual trust and shared beliefes that team member will perform their roles…” We always take feedback from others and learn from what we have found works and doesn’t. We always have our teammates in mind when we are out and doing things that may reflect negative on our image as a team. We do what is best for the whole and not the individual.

Week 2, Question 2

When talking about entropy and small groups it is important that the group keeps on focus and keeps pushing to achieve their overall goal. In order to not lose focus, the group must keep a steady input of information and thoughts but it can’t go overboard with chaos. When too much is put in, they lose track of what it was they were talking about and other start to try to overpower one and other. From too much over stimulation the group can turn from positive inputted group to an over processing negative group that stops listening to one and others ideas. There is an importance of balance between what comes in and what is said. Also you can’t have over control by one or more people of the group, yet not all be at a bottom basic level. To keep a mutual understanding that you are all in this group together can help achieve maximum outcome.

Equifinality is simple and a concept I like to use in my own life. There isn’t just one way of doing things in most of life. As long as you get to an answer and do so by working together it works all the same way. No one really cares sometimes how you got what you did or where you got to, but the simple fact that you did it and came to a conclusion or destination is what matters most. In small groups every has a different background and by bringing together what each person in the group has experience in can help guide the group to a conclusion by using a different way from another group. Every group is going to have their strength and weaknesses but that’s what will make the outcome and the journey to the outcome unique.

Week 2, Question 1

Looking at groups as living systems helps us pick out what defines a successful group verses a faulty group. In any group setting, communication is the number one factor no matter if you have 2 members or 8. The words “interdependence” and “interrelationships” both have a main focus on the “inner” makings of the group. The words “living systems” means that they must survive and in order to survive all members of the groups must be able to depend on each other to put in work as well as the relations between members to be solid bonds. When all goes good, the system thrives and succeeds. But there are times when all falls apart and the group does fail. When the system loses its sense of survival it basically loses the relationship between the members as well as the dependence on one and other. Just as if a part of our body system doesn’t function well, it shuts down causing the whole body to suffer and not just that body part.

I have seen this as a real life example in my job. I work in a gym where there are only three of us running the place. When we work together, keep open communication and do what is expected of each of us everything runs smoothly. But there are times when someone doesn’t make a deadline or misses an important step in the company’s rules and the group ends up suffering. Our job and our success and a new business depends on everyone pulling their own weigh.   Sometimes you have to take work home with you and stay later at the office then you were scheduled but you do it to keep the team going. I also see this on my cheerleading team being put into practice. When someone doesn’t go to a game or misses a practice the team suffers. Also when there is pity drama between the girls you are going to have people that don’t want to work together or be in the same room as another, but you have to get over it. The importance of interdependence and interrelationships means that everyone has to put in work. The group is the whole and each member is the “inner” meaning all must keep relations strong and dependence reliable for one and other.