In the next weeks ahead, each of you will have the opportunity to lead your team to accomplish a specfic goal that you have. This project should help solidify your group to become a true team. To accomplish this, several things must happen and your role as a leader is crucial in this development. You most consider several factors: gender, culture, backgrounds, religion, and ethnicity to name a few. Think about how these things will come into play as you lead your group. What can you do to become more aware about each of your group members?
Perhaps you have never taken a leadership role before and you are feeling uncertain how you will do this. I would like to you read this link and discuss what you will use to guide your team to successfully complete your project. Provide examples for each area listed in this article that you will use and how.
http://ctb.ku.edu/en/tablecontents/sub_section_main_1119.aspx
To be successful in a group you need good productive leaders. I found the article very interesting on new ways I had never heard on how to be a good leader. To become more aware about each group member I think it would be good to do an activity in a non-classroom setting where we could get to know each other better. It would be also good to have a more personal one on one talk alone with that person. I think it would be very beneficial to help our group succeed if we made a plan on what we wanted to accomplish and the timeline. This would help us stay productive, on task, and finish in time. An example is having leaders be committed to goals of our organization. We will use goals setting so that we can have a productive group. I will also try to lead and set a good example of being a leader so that hopefully other group members will follow by example. It would also be helpful to maybe bring in someone else from a group to get their opinions and help us lead better in our groups. I think overall if we can have leaders in our group, we will be a successful group.
ReplyDeleteI agree that it would be very beneficial to have non-classroom activities to get to know the group better. I have found that to be very beneficial when hanging out with some of my group members. I also find it very true when you say all group members need to be working towards getting the goals done.
DeleteJake,
DeleteI completely agree that having a timeline and a plan, things would probably get accomplished more efficiently and on time. It is also important for a leader to set a good example, which you mentioned,and I think that good leaders can inspire the other people in the group to do their best too. I also think that getting to know your group members outside of the classroom would help the connections between each other, and you can get to know each other better. All of what you said are good ideas of what a leader should be.
I personaly think that in a group there should be several leaders not just one or two. I think that each member of the group should have their own leadership like role. For example in our group one person could keep track of the time like if we need to speed our work progress up or slow down. Another person could be in charge of arranging materials/props and meeting times etc. I think that having several leaders is the best thing because you will have several different perpectives on how to get the project completed. If their is onl one leader there is only one idea being taken into action and its the leaders. by having several leaders you can all agree to agree on one great idea. Also there is a chance that someone elses idea will spark you to think of a completely new idea. The more ideas and opinions the better. How I can become more aware of my group members is to see eachother after class and continue to communicate. This can range from anything from emailing and texting to face to face cinversations etc. I want to continue to ask my group members questions about themselves and I want them to continue to ask me because that is how you get to know one another, through communication! Therefore I beieve that having several leaders with different leadership roles is the best most efficient way to getting ths projct done the most effectively.
ReplyDeleteEric,
DeleteI like your idea of multiple leaders. That way, not all the work is placed on one individual. Each person would be responsible for his or her own part, and everyone would have to be held accountable for his or hers. Many times, group projects can turn out to be “leave all the work for one person” projects, but having separate leaders could change that. Each person would know exactly what he or she was responsible for. You also talked about different leaders coming up with different ideas, and I think that would be one of the biggest benefits of having multiple leaders. No one would feel like their idea wasn’t good enough just because they weren’t appointed the leader. With everyone working together as equals, it is a lot easier for group members to put forth new ideas.
Eric,
DeleteI really like your thought of having multiple leaders. Putting each person in charge of their own thing is an excellent way to make everyone happy. Every person gets to be incharge of their own thing and make it completely what they want. I think thats a really neat way to make every person happy. I also like the idea of having more ideas. That really does make the experience and the final outcome better.
Being a successful leader can be a lot of work if the process isn’t planned out. With that being said, I think it is important for a leader to envision what they want the outcome of a specific project to be, and to have set goals in mind. The article from the link pointed out the importance of setting goals and thinking ahead about possible problems or other occurrences. Without a goal in mind, the group/ organization isn’t going to have anything to work towards, even if they are excellent at working together. The end goal needs to be something all members agree upon, otherwise members may not participate to the fullest extent, which in turn could cause the project to fail. Keeping in mind what might be difficult or what could go wrong is also important, because it allows the ability to prepare ahead of time for such events. Being well prepared as a leader is an easier fix than fixing a problem mid-project because it wasn’t considered. Lastly, a good leader must be flexible. Following a strict set of directions doesn’t always allow for the group to get the most out of a particular project. Being open to new ideas is key to maintaining a good group atmosphere.
ReplyDeleteJacqueline,
DeleteI like how you were persistent when talking about having goals. It is extremely important so then the other group members know what they need to accomplish and when they see the time and effort you put into this project they will have respect for you and the project. Goals are a way to keep yourself on track and focused on the task in front of you. I also like that you brought up what might go wrong. We always hope everything will go perfect; therefore, we do not have to plan for anything that may go wrong and then the project is put on hold. Like the boy scouts say always be prepared. Flexibility is also important and I agree with you on how a leader has to be flexible so the group can get the most out of the project.
I think that in order to have a functionning group, every person in the group needs to be a leader in some way. It will be easier to split up the tasks, so everything can get done in a timely and orderly fashion. In order to have a group, everyone needs to contribute. Being a leader is definately not easy especially since people look to you for guidance, and that is why I think that everyone should play a leadership role: to decrease the pressure of one person.
ReplyDeleteI think that it is good for any group to communicate often, especially outside the classroom. This way we can learn more about each other and that will make everything easier. It is very difficult to have a group that doesn't communicate or try to talk to each other. Nothing would ever get done.
I also think that it would be beneficial to have a plan of what we want to have accomplished. This will help us remain task-oriented and able to get things done in an efficient way. A plan would be good in order to make sure everything gets done and that's what part of what a leader does: to make sure everything gets done. If we all play a part in the group, I think that we will be very successful!
One thing I have picked up on while being coached in either sports, school, or life, is that the best way to learn is from mistakes. People learn best when they observe themselves and other people fail to complete a task (or goal like the article stated a group shall have), and then respond by taking another approach at the task. This is something I will use in teaching my group. I will make each person practice the task in front of the group, with everyone else observing the tactics used. Then the next person will try it out, either using new tactics if the previous person failed, or the same tactics if the previous person was successful. This strategy will carry on until every person is comfortable completing the task. Communication will be key in this process. The group members who attempt first, will have to talk and communicate their strategy to others so that they can build new strategies. I've seen this approach done several times before and it always comes out with the expected goal/result.
ReplyDeleteAustin,
DeleteI agree when you say people learn best when they obseerve themselves and learn from their mistakes or fails. I think it is very true, if at first you dont succeed try and try again!
I believe that every group needs a leader. Whether it's one leader or a number of different leaders, either way this will help the production of the group and help it move more smoothly. To become more aware of my group members I think a good idea would be to go out to eat somewhere or just to spend out of class time with each of them either together or one on one just to get to know each one of them better. When i lead the group for one of the weeks I will try to make a master plan that we should have accomplished by the end of the week and assigned certain tasks to individuals to ensure that this job is done on time. This will speed up the process and if we follow the directions we won't have to worry about not finishing the job. An example of this is just simply setting goals writing them down on a peice of paper and carrying out the peice of paper to achieve one master goal. The other way i will lead will be investing in each person. I believe that this is huge when it comes to leadership because you need to know what each member of your group thinks to get the best results and work the best with everyone. During the week i could meet with each person separately and just talk for 5 or 10 minutes on what they think should be happening and what they like or dislike about what i am doing.
ReplyDeleteMitch, I agree how every group needs a leader. I find that it is always more enjoyable and more productive when someone takes control and is the leader. I agree with how it would help the group become aware of the member by going out to dinner or some fun outside activity. I also think making a master plan for the group would be good because it would keep everyone on task and help motivate people to get the work done. Writing down goals would be good because I always tend to not write goals down and that cause me to sometimes forget and not able to be the most productive.
DeleteIt is important to have a leader present in the group to make sure tasks are getting accomplished. It is also very important that the other members take on a leadership role too. If the group is putting on an event there could be a main leader and then leaders of subsections for said event. I feel that if there are too many people trying to get and be that one leader there will be a lot of conflict in the group. People will start to get in each other’s way and try to make it their own, causing the group to be dysfunctional. In order to have our team be successful and complete our project it is important that the group is “willing and able to lend an active hand and work together “. It is important for our group to have a leadership plan so we are able to know who is in charge of what and what need to be accomplished. We need to set goals and be able to follow through with those goals. The best time for us to develop a plan for leadership is right now, in the beginning of the group formation. Then there is no confusion has our time together continues. How we will develop our leadership plan is by seeing how we would like to look, goals we have, methods we can use, goals for individuals , recruiting new people that will be able to lead and developing ourselves a leaders. It is also extremely that our team is able to communicate. Without communications a group or team is unable to function properly. We can keep in contact though personal meetings and conversations, text messages, or email. Being open to everyone’s idea will help enhance the group and the environment we meet in. Therefore we are able to accept each other and what the group members have to bring to the table.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteLeadership to me means that you need to engage everyone in what you are showing them. If you dont engage with them you will not capture there attention. Also if you are not being an athouritive leader someone else will try to take over and then everything becomes a mess. But everyone in the group needs to have communication, and state their opinions. I feel as a group it is important to point out that one main leader, otherwise it causes confusion because there are to many people try to take control at once. For our group to be successful we each need to listen to what we all have to say with an open-mind. Our group also needs to work togother to come up with the best project, and set the goals we need to do it to the best of our abilities.
ReplyDeleteDanica,
DeleteI like how you see leadership. I truely think that that is what leadership is based off of.. teaching others and engaging everyone that you are working with. I also like how you point out that it is important to have good communication and that eveyone needs to give eachother a chance to listen. You pointed out alot of key values that a leader should have and what your group needs to come together as one!
Everyone has different values and beliefs due to their gender, culture, backgrounds, religion, and ethnicity. Learning about each person on a more personal level would really give me a better sense of who they are and become more aware of them. Being able to understand the situation they are in and who they are as people will allow me to tailor how I want to lead my group. As far as how each of person’s qualities go, it all depends on what I choose to lead my group in, but I don’t believe that these will play a factor in what I have chosen.
ReplyDeleteTo guide my group I need to develop a plan that allows everyone to participate equally and successfully. Some might have different skills than others and they might have their weaknesses as well. This is similar to the group activity we did in class except we aren’t killing people and we aren’t stuck on an island. We will be a lot more successful if everyone supports each other and are committed to the goal at hand. By setting a goal for what I want us as a group to accomplish, it will give everyone a better idea of what we are doing and make it a much more successful project.
I like what you have in mind for developing your group. As long as everyone is treated equally and as individuals, then the group can succeed. Each person has different skills and abilities so it is important to address them and make sure everyone is eventually on the same level. Teaching them other skills will make them a more well-rounded person that can better serve a group. By addressing each person in my group and finding what their abilities are, I can get an idea of what work they need to do to be a successful part of our group.
DeleteTo help myself become more aware of my group members and what kind of people they are, I believe that hanging out and talking in all different ways is vital to establishing a closely knit group. Hanging out away from class doing activities I believe will help our group mesh together really well in order to figure out what each person is like within the group. What also needs to happen is that everyone within the group really needs to participate and work hard to make the group accomplish all goals that we are set up to do. One very important thing for our group to grow well together is to set developmental goals to help our group develop into a cohesive group. If we do not develop together well we will have problem and discover rifts in peoples personalities that can cause many problems as we work toward goals. I also believe that we need to focus on goals that are suited for the type of group we are as well instead of trying to focus on things that are not very well suited for the type of group we will become
ReplyDeleteLogan,
Deletesince i'm in your group i really like your ideas of how you're going to lead us on your week. Staying focused on our goals to achieve success is huge and by hanging out with our group we will become close and able to do this easier and plus just get to know eachother better. i also like what you said about everyone working hard. everyone should have to put in the same amount of effort as the next group member and if we all work hard we will accomplish our task so much easier.
I found the article very interesting because I was never taught how to be a leader. I was basically thrown in a leadership position and was told I would either sink or swim. I never really thought there was an actual was to teach leadership. I knew there is ways to teach leadership qualities but I never knew actual leadership could be taught. I thought it was just kind of thing that is in some people and isn't in others. It is just one of those characteristics some people have and others do not. I figured it was like hair color. Some people have black hair and some people have blonde hair. Its just the way they are. To me, still feel like that is partially true because some people make good leaders and others do not. Yes leadership traits can be taught in workshops and conferences but I believe to be a great leader, you must have the right values inside of you as well.
ReplyDeleteI think the best part for each individual to assume a leadership position is by making a plan together, all opinions heard. The activity we did in class with the sinking ship was a fun, entertaining way to listen to different opinions and 'make a plan' essentially. We all had our ideas on who should live and who should drown. We talked it out and came up with a unanimous decision to who stays and to who goes. Simple activities like this build leadership and teamwork because we are learning how to work together through voicing our opinions.
I found the article very interesting because I was never taught how to be a leader. I was basically thrown in a leadership position and was told I would either sink or swim. I never really thought there was an actual was to teach leadership. I knew there is ways to teach leadership qualities but I never knew actual leadership could be taught. I thought it was just kind of thing that is in some people and isn't in others. It is just one of those characteristics some people have and others do not. I figured it was like hair color. Some people have black hair and some people have blonde hair. Its just the way they are. To me, still feel like that is partially true because some people make good leaders and others do not. Yes leadership traits can be taught in workshops and conferences but I believe to be a great leader, you must have the right values inside of you as well.
ReplyDeleteI think the best part for each individual to assume a leadership position is by making a plan together, all opinions heard. The activity we did in class with the sinking ship was a fun, entertaining way to listen to different opinions and 'make a plan' essentially. We all had our ideas on who should live and who should drown. We talked it out and came up with a unanimous decision to who stays and to who goes. Simple activities like this build leadership and teamwork because we are learning how to work together through voicing our opinions.
I think that everyone plays an important role in each group, though they may not stand out as a leader. It will be important in every group for there to be someone that steps up and takes on the role of a leader, but I don't believe that makes them any more important to the group than anyone else. Everyone is different and has their own unique skill set that will contribute to their group. That being said, everyone needs to participate equally. In the past, I have been in groups for school projects or whatever where some group members sit back and let their group-mates do all the work. I believe that this is a perfect example of inefficient group work. In order for our group to be successful we must all contribute to the task at hand.
ReplyDeleteAlso, getting to know our group members will make our group more efficient. Once we get more comfortable with each other we will be able to work better together. As far as getting to know each other I think we just need to spend more time together.
John,
Deletei agree with you John! Everybody has something important to bring to the table. A leader is the person that brings the uniqueness, of leading to the group, that is there contribution.
In order for a leader to be effective he/she must have some qualities of a leader. To some people being a leader is something they were literally born to be, while others must work at it and figure out their own leadership style. I find that I am a better follower, but can be quite a good leader if given the opportunity. Everyone gets at least one if not more opportunities to be a leader in their lifetime. There are a couple times where i have taken the opportunity to be a leader, when I did, sometimes it ended badly because no one would listen to me but other times i have done quite well as a leader and lead my group to some achievement.
ReplyDeleteMy plan is to encourage my group members when I am the "leader" for my project that they should participate or it won't be fun for anyone at all.
Aaron,
DeleteI agree that many people are born with leadership qualities even though anyone can be a leader once they figure out what style works best for them. I believe that I am also a person that is more of a follower. I think in this class I will find my own way of becoming a leader.
To me being a leader is a work in process. It is not something that you will be instantly amazing at but it is a skill that will grow stornger and stronger over time.But, some of it may come easier to than others. Once you take on that leader role however, you can always model your leadership position. I say this because you truely can in a way that you are showing others how to show leadership in others when they later branch out to teach others. For example when I will teach my group how to prepare a traditional meal from cambodia/thailand I am taking on a leadership role of guiding my group and helping them. With the knowledge that they have gain and what they have seen from leadership and knowing about it they can apply that to when they teach others and its just keeps going. Also in a way I feel like as we are all teaching within our groups we are mentoring and teaching as we lead. I also say this because we are spending a significant amount of time with eachother, showing/ telling members of our groups how we do specific things and our thoughts on the process while being open up to thoughts on every step in the process. WE are investing in eachother as leaders because we have grown relationships within our class and groups and I have personally learned to be there for them and help/support my members when they take their own time to teach me about what they are doing... Leadership is something that you'll have for the rest of you're life. Its a great skill to have and I personally think that this is a great opportunity to have in class
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion I think that being a leader at first is being responsible, taking responsibility for one’s action. A leader should always take initiative, define the main task at hand in order to guide the group and lead by example. When a group fails to work as a team we can always tell that it`s cause by bad leadership skills so that why I personally fell that all members of group need to be all leaders. They should be leaders not only to be responsible but also to increase the performance of the group by bringing new Ideas so that they could help themselves and most importantly there community.
ReplyDeleteFitsum,
DeleteI agree with you post completely. In fact how you call the group a team is a great thing. A group seems cliche and that they are just people focused upon only the task. But calling them a team is emphasizing that they work together, learning about each other and growing close while performing the task at hand.
In order for a group to perform and complete a task, they need a leader. The role of this leader is to make sure that everything is performed on time and with flowing consistency and to be there to assist the group at any time. He/She must be wise and have great communication skills. Communication is a major role within ANY group. This position is a big responsibility but a very great learning experience. Without a leader there would not be order and nothing will be accomplished. Everyone has their own unique skills and that makes them different, which is great. But without that leader or person with leadership skills, the group would be lost. A leader must be responsible, understanding, strict at times, and be beaming with leadership skills.
ReplyDeleteIn order for the group to be fully cohesive, each main area would need to have their own leader. However, if one area had more than one leader then that could cause disruption in the group and they may start arguing. Also, if all we had was leaders, then depending on what type of leader they are would depend on how much work gets completed. Even though it is important to have leaders for every possible section, i believe it is important to have an overall leader who is 'in charge' of all other leaders. This would help communication between the group and also they can make sure that work is always being done. In our group, each person can bring their own previos experiences to the table and we can work around them and fulfill our potential. If we work against what we already know and the leaders dont cooperate with each other then the group would not be cohesive and the work done would be minimal.
ReplyDeleteJosh,
DeleteI completely agree that each specific area should have some sort of leader and that one leader should be directing them. It would be the most productive way to get work done. We all have our strengths and experiences that can benefit our group as a whole. Being a leader is difficult and it is not always the easiest thing to get everyone to agree. We have to be able to motivate them and come to an understanding on issues that arise. Having leaders for different areas allows for more exacting and efficient work. Working against one another is never a good option, but it seems like it would be difficult to avoid as we all have our opinions. I think we can avoid these conflicts if instead of completely disagreeing, we work towards common ground through keeping an open mind and listening.
Josh,
DeleteI agree with you on how certian people can be certian leaders for certain things. And if people take charge of a specific part of the task you will be able to accomplish so much more. Everyone needs to be accepting of a task and finish to the best of their ability. If you just waste time arguing and not agreeing you waste so much quality work time. Thats why we need to agree on our certian roles from the beginning of the project.
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ReplyDeleteGroups need to have leaders. Without them there would be chaos and confusion. A leader needs to be organized, driven, and goal-oriented in order to be successful. They need to keep in mind the needs of the group. By individualizing every person in the group and creating goals specifically made for that individual, I think it would create a better, more effective group as a result. A group is only as good as its weakest link, so if you make each of those links as good as they can be, then the weakest link may not be so weak after all. A leader should realize that they are not a dictator or a sergeant. They are a designated person who makes sure the group is working together to reach their goals. If this is realized by every leader, then conflict with bossiness or arrogance can be forgotten. Group cohesiveness is essential so that every person can work to their potential. Treating everyone as an individual will help to minimize confusion and maximize effectiveness.
ReplyDeleteJenny,
DeleteI like your statement about how leaders need to realize they are not dictators and that they are present to keep people in order and make sure they are working as a team. Group cohesiveness is key and it can be accomplished when the members all follow a leader who is giving good orders and they all work together.