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.
Hey, I wanted to say that I love reading your post because of your examples. It's so true that when everyone knows what they're supposed to be doing then everything runs smoothly. Its also true that when people within a group argue over little things then it just falls apart. I've have definitely been in groups where a few members didn't get along and it just caused chaos. The entire group was in shambles just because a few people didn't want to work with each other so it caused the entire group to suffer. Like you said though you have to just deal with it for the sake of the group because you all have to depend on one another.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you i work as an in home care provider and when other workers are late i have to stay with my client until they show up. I usually work with people who cannot be left alone. So, if the next provider is late for their shift i have to stay a little later and wait for them to show up. After a while i got tired of people being late so i schedule a meeting for all the workers to meet so that we could solve that issue.
ReplyDeleteI really liked how you conducted your post, Little Miss Cheerleader :)
ReplyDeleteI thought it was a great idea how you first described and discussed how the concepts on interdependence and interrelationships both have a focus on the "inner" makings of the group and how it ties into how living systems adapt and react in small groups. Then how you gave an example from your own life on how at your job how there are a few of you working at the gym together as a small group and how you have your ups and downs while working together but how open communication is what helps leads to obtaining and balancing that interdependence and interrelationship amongst your small group and how it takes the three of you to tango(each has to contribute something) towards the group at the end of the day, to keep the place running. Great post overall!