Group Leadership and Conflict Summary

Resources: Ch. 5 & 8 of Working In Groups and the Week 3 videos, "Planning a Playground" and "Politics of Sociology"

Write a 1,400- to 1,750-word summary of your responses to the following after completing the collaborative Week 3 discussion associated with the "Planning a Playground and "Politics of Sociology" videos:

Group Interaction

• How clear was the intent of the discussion?
• How prepared were your group members for the discussion?
• Did everyone participate equally in the discussion?
• Were group members open to different points of view?
• How would you describe the overall climate of the discussion?
• Did you feel your group was productive in the discussion? Did you use the time efficiently?
• What strategies can you use in future discussions to increase productivity and outcomes?
• What approach will you take next time to increase group cohesion?

Video Analysis - "Planning A Playground"

• What are the issues in this meeting?
• What did they do well as a group?
• Can you identify constructive or deconstructive conflict occurring in this group? What are some key indicators? What conflict styles do you see?
• Based on what you learned this week, how might you handle this situation differently?

Video Analysis - "The Politics of Sociology"

• What are the issues in this meeting?
• What did they do well as a group?
• What types of conflict do you see in this video? Provide examples.
• There is a clear leader in this video. What can he do to be a better leader for this group?
• Based on what you learned this week, how might you handle this team situation differently?