Task Group Background

How does a person’s background influence his/her participation in a group? According to Ph.D. Nader Hl Chaaban (n.d), “Certain relevant back ground factors influence our behavior in small groups: personality, gender, age, health, attitudes, and values.” (p.3) For example if someone grew up in rural, farm country in Wisconsin, with small schools and less populace access they tend to be more reserved as well as a working person behind the scenes within a group setting. Whereas you taking someone from big ranch country of Texas, with large schools, and metropolitan access their background might influence them to be out going within a group setting. Sometimes it’s not even where someone grew up but it can be how they grew up too that influences …show more content…
Being in a task group, you are defined by a particular goal. Even if it is a reoccurring goal, it is one that has to have a clear task that has to be met. That takes time and effort for the lead of that group to set that up as perimeters for the task group. Each member must also keep in mind that each person has a different value system, background, and up bringing which creates diversity and sometimes frustration when balancing all of that within a group. Even with all the different values of people, it is important to have all types of personality within a group as well because not all can be extraverts or introverts. You need to understand the variety of people. Learn how, “people are energized, information they pay attention to, how decisions are made, and who likes to organize.” (Tubbs, 2012, p.127) Then you will have all personality types working within their character as well as their values toward a common goal. Just like the Bible describes in 1 Corinthians 12:18-20 “But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body.” (Holy Bible New International Version, 1989, p. 1306) The other values would be to be respectful of others because of the diversity within a group and stay within your lane that you were tasked with. The most important value within a …show more content…
First and foremost if I was leading and there was difficulty already, prayer is the first thing. Another way to respond to situations of person with different values, make sure you restate the goal and help them understand that there is a task that needs to be accomplished and they need to add to it within the perimeters that were given and not take away because of their personal beliefs. If that doesn’t work, get guidance from a mentor or someone you trust to figure out next step even if it means asking the member to leave. As an introvert though I sometimes have a difficult time within a group setting because, “the outside world can be too loud, too stimulating, too demanding of action.” (Quenk, 2000, p.125) So if anyone would need to be confronted it would be me. Most of the time though I do not make it to that confrontation point and I run from the situation or group if there was conflict. Just like Tubbs describes, “Esteem: I am valued, recognized, and rewarded in a way that is meaningful to me” (Tubbs, 2012, p.119) if I did not have that feeling as an introvert I would run from that group. Unfortunately though, or maybe fortunately, due to my military job I am required to put my uniform on and many times have to confront the issue. As I mentioned early, if I had to lead a group and there were conflict I would go to trusted