Unit 5 Intro & Tasks
In this unit, we’ll begin our study of communication in groups and teams.
Group work in school has a dreadful reputation and with good reason. So many factors come into play simultaneously. You have the work itself, which is usually not easy. You have the challenge of coordinating schedules and responsibilities. But overall, the main challenges all fall into the categories of small group dynamics and small group communication. Working in teams can be tough, but it has important benefits.
As we work on our team projects, we’ll also be exploring leadership communication. Throughout our lives, we will find ourselves in situations where we have to take the lead and situations where we are being led by others. Learning your style and preferences when working in a team–including leadership and followership behaviors–can be helpful, as can learning strategies for effectively coordinating and communicating. The assignments we’ll do over the next few weeks, including the work on the team project, are designed to help you learn more about these areas and to improve your skills in them.
1. Watch the video on Communication in Small Groups1. For more help, see the online textbook chapter on Group Communication. https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Survey_of_Communication_Study/Chapter_10_-_Group_Communication
2. Complete the discussion activity:
Think of a small group you are a part of or have been a part of in the past.
Describe an example of a time when conformity (e.g., private acceptance versus public compliance) and a time when cohesiveness (e.g., social comparison, shared ideals, small successes, compatibility) played a role in the group’s dynamics.
Briefly explain how conformity and cohesiveness can be helpful but also problematic.
Post.
After posting your response, look over the responses of your classmates. Reply to 2 classmates.
Part 1: Followership
Complete the Your Followership Approach Assessment.
After reviewing your results, write a short paragraph reflecting on the assessment and what you’ve learned. Questions to consider:
What were your initial thoughts about the idea of “followership”?
What did you learn from the assessment and style descriptions?
How does this information connect to your experiences as a follower?
How might you use this information going forward to improve your ability to communicate effectively as a team member when you’re not in a leadership position?
Your Followership Approach Assessment
For each of the following statements, note if the statement does or does not typically apply to you:
I think for myself.
I go above and beyond job requirements.
I am supportive of others.
I am goal-oriented.
I focus on the end goal and help others stay focused as well.
I take initiative to make improvements.
I realize that my ideas and experiences are essential to the success of the group.
I take the initiative to manage my time.
I frequently reflect on the job I am doing and how I can improve.
I keep learning.
I am a champion for new ideas.
Results: If the majority of these statements describe you, pat yourself on the back. These are the qualities of an outstanding follower.
PART 2:
Then, read the descriptions below. Which one best describes you?
Isolates: Isolates are indifferent to the overall goals of the group and communicate very little with people outside of their immediate environment.
Bystanders: Bystanders are aware of what’s going on around them, but they tend to hang back and watch rather than play an active role. You may find yourself a in bystander role occasionally, especially in a new situation. Because bystanders are usually not as emotionally involved as others, they can sometimes provide an objective, fresh perspective if they are encouraged to share their thoughts.
Participants: Participants attempt to have an impact. Some participants support leaders’ efforts, whereas others work in opposition. (Opposition isn’t necessarily a bad quality in followers. Good followers should object when leaders are unethical or ineffective.)
Activists: Activists are more energetically and passionately engaged than participants. They, too, may act either in accordance with, or in opposition to, leaders’ efforts. Their commitment is a plus in many ways. At the same time, activists sometimes have difficulty compromising and getting along with others.
Diehards: Diehards will, sometimes literally, sacrifice themselves for the cause. Diehards work tirelessly if they believe the services they provide are essential. Their commitment is unrivaled, but sometimes it’s difficult to contain their enthusiasm, even when it runs counter to other people’s goals or their personal well-being.
This is the Kelley Followership Dimensions grid, which is a visual way of visually representing Jelley’s followership types, which are similar to but also different from Kellerman’s types listed above.
Part 2: Leadership
Complete the Your Leadership Approach Assessment
After reviewing your results, write a short paragraph reflecting on the assessment and what you’ve learned. Questions to consider:
What did you learn from the assessment?
What did you learn from the assessment and style descriptions?
How does this information connect to your experiences as a follower?
How might you use this information going forward to improve your ability to communicate effectively as a team member when you’re not in a leadership position?
Your Leadership Approach Assessment
Check the item in each grouping below that best characterizes your beliefs as a leader. Then reflect on your results.
I believe a leader’s most important job is to:
(a) make sure people stay focused on the task at hand
(b) help team members build strong relationships
(c) make sure the work environment is enjoyable
When it comes to team members, I believe:
(a) people have a natural inclination to work hard and do good work
(b) people work best when there are clear expectations
(c) people are most productive when they are happy and enjoying themselves
When a problem arises, I am most likely to:
(a) solve it myself or smooth things over
(b) ask team members’ input on how to solve it
(c) implement a new policy or procedure to avoid the same problems in the future
If team members had to describe me in a few words, I would like them to say I am:
(a) competent and in control
(b) pleasant and friendly
(c) attentive and trustworthy
When I see team members talking and laughing in the hallway during working time, I am most likely to:
(a) feel frustrated that they are goofing off
(b) share my latest joke with them
(c) feel encouraged that they get along so well
Evaluating Your Results:
For each question, note which color most of your answers fall within.
Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q5
b a b c c
a b c a a
c c a b b
Relationship Orientation (similar to Team Management below)
If most of your answers appear in yellow, you may be a relationship-oriented leader. You are likely to show your team members a great deal of respect and attention, which often brings out the best in people. Most people consider this to be the ideal leadership style as long as your focus on relationships doesn’t mean you neglect task concerns.
Task Orientation (similar to Authority-Compliance Management below)
If your answers appear mostly in green, you may be a task-oriented leader. You tend to emphasize productivity and may get frustrated by inefficiency. The danger is that you will overlook relationships in your zeal to get the job done, which can be counterproductive in the long run.
Country Club Orientation
If most of your answers are in the blue row, you may most closely resemble what’s referred to as a “country club leader.” Your focus on strong relationships and a pleasant work environment is likely to be appreciated by team members. However, you may have a tendency to take that too far. A more moderate focus, in which you emphasize both relations and tasks, may ultimately be more rewarding for everyone.
Mixed Orientation (similar to Middle-of-the Road Management below)
If your answers were spread all over the colors on the grid, you don’t show a clear priority for either relationships or task goals. Perhaps you focus equally on both or neglect them both. It’s important to consider that both relationships and tasks are highly important. If you pour energy into both, pat yourself on the back. If you neglect both, reconsider your leadership approach.
This is the Blake and Mouton Managerial Grid. It’s a way to visually represent the leadership styles described above and the relative concerns of leaders who fall into each style.
1. Review this handout on Effective Leader and Follower Communication Behaviors (attached below if this link isn’t working)
2. Considering what this handout says and what you learned from the SARAs on Followership and Leadership, reflect on some of the experiences from your life where you’ve seen effective or ineffective leadership and followership communication in action. Without “naming names,” discuss the situation and explain why, based on what you’ve learned, the leadership/followership communication was effective or ineffective. If it was a good experience, highlight how you might use the same approach in the future. If it was a bad experience, explain how you might approach things differently next time. Whether you choose to praise, criticize, or both, remember to connect it to what we’re learning in this unit.
3. After you’ve shared your initial post, comment meaningful on 1 of your classmates’ posts.
