Groups Features
A more familiar example is the soccer sport. Each team require vast amount of interaction among its members for maximum achievement. In groups, everyone's action is interdependent; no one can afford solo actions which may bring about mistakes that lead to failure of the entire team.
Legendary footballer Zinedine Zidane received a red card for headbutting fellow soccer player Marco Materazzi during the 2006 FIFA World Cup.
Zidane is extremely renowned and prestigious for his extraordinary skills and performance at the game. However, his actions during World Cup 2006, as the commentator suggested in the video, "leaves the team in big trouble". In a tournament setting like World Cup, losing such an outstanding player to a red card crippled the team badly.
No Zidane --> deteriorated morale --> poor performance from France --> France lost to Italy during that final match 3:5.
This hence shows that it is crucial that members of each group be responsible in his/her actions.
No one can whistle a symphony. It takes a whole orchestra to play it.
- H.E. Luccock
Group Synergy
It is indeed true to say that more ideas can be generated and explored in groups than individual work. An example will be the premier class motor racing (MotoGP). Although there is only one rider for each bike, there is actually an entire team working on that particular vehicle. The purpose of this team is to regulate the process of working on the bike (to enable best performance) and make it more efficient and effective. For instance, when MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi crashed at the Indianapolis Grand Prix in USA, he and the team would come together to examine on the reason and the resolution. Him alone will not be able to accomplish the task as efficiently and effectively as the team's efforts do, with more ideas/opinions.
Crashed during the Indianapolis Grand Prix in USA.
Ideas/opinions for optimum performance.
Group working to improve the bike.
Rider's individual efforts and skills.
Entire team's and personal efforts that he was able to regain victory at the Gran Premio Cinzano di San Marino e della Riviera di Rimini.
Groups synergy is therefore an advantage of group communication which will eventually lead to massive achievements.Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.
-Helen Keller
Groupthink
The following video shows the 8 symptoms of groupthink:
-Illusion of invulnerability
-Believe in group's morality
-Shared stereotypes
-Collective rationalisation
-Self Censorship
-Illusion of unanimity
-Pressure on dissenters
-Mind-guards
Groupthink will result in poor decision-making most of the time which may in turn lead to catastrophic result like the Challenger explosion. Hence, it is important that members of a group seek to prevent this problem by being aware of such symptoms.
When we talk in company, we lose our unique tone of voice, and this leads us to make statements which in no way correspond to our real thoughts.
-Friedrich Nietzsche
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agree that when working in groups, it is not a one-man thing but a one for all, all for one thing. it is really important for each group members to think before they act to avoid causing problem for the entire group.
ReplyDeleteillustration of group synergy is also very true. good ideas are often derived when many minds meet.
haha..your favourite rossi.....
I think group synergy is an important advantage in group communication.
ReplyDeleteI personally experienced it a lot during OBS in school and now in the army.As Sarah suggested, when many minds work together, more ideas will be engendered.This will allow groups to achieve more and perform better.
Good work Kel! You really made good use of our favourite sports. =)
Yes.Actions in a group is really interdependent. Too much individuality in a group can result in severe adverse effects on the group and in turn affect everyone's performance.However,sometimes individual's ideas can be rather constructive as well.I think that if so, people can try to voice out their opinions/ideas and discuss it with other group members instead of acting on your own accord without prior notice to the others.It is really important that each group member be responsible for everyone else.Solo heroism is strictly forbiddened.
ReplyDeleteGroup communication is becoming more common nowadays. There are already a lot of politics in groups. If each individuals do not do their part by being cooperative, group communication will just fail.
ReplyDeleteYes Zidane's personal action really weakened the entire team a lot. But sometimes, when the atmosphere is tense and personal pressure is high, it is hard to avoid meltdowns. I think it is important to control our emotions in group communication.
ReplyDeleteI also agree that group synergy is an advantage to any group communication. More people can really come up with more interesting ideas and make development more positive.
They say synergy is always 1+1 =3 :P
ReplyDeleteit is true that groupthink puts group communication in bad position on most occasions.
ReplyDeletethe example of the challenger spacecraft is a genuine illustration of how groupthink could lead to such serious outcomes.
it is best that when in group communication, listen and try to accept what the rest have to say and try not to be too egocentric.
I think group synergy is the most important feature of group communication. It is basically because of the amount of ideas, opinions and so on, that are being stimulated during the process that we choose to communicate in a group in the first place.
ReplyDeleteIf there's something called 'individual synergy', I doubt anyone would want to work in a group where problems and misunderstandings so easily occur. Moreover, you won't have to share your efforts with others who may take advantage of you by not doing anything.