Page 139 - Effective group discussion theory and practice by Adams, Katherine H. Brilhart, John K. Galanes, Gloria J

122 Chapter 5

Ryan Gosling, a former Mickey Mouse Club member, who played a private eye in
The Nice Guys, a player in Crazy, Stupid Love, and a jazz pianist in LaLa Land,
individuals enact many diverse roles in the numerous groups to which they belong. In
one group the role might be daughter or son; in another, art director; and in yet another,
church treasurer. A given individual might be a leader in one group and play a support-
ing role in another. The role a person enacts in any particular group is a function of
that person’s culture, personality, abilities, and communication skills; the talents of
the other members; and the needs of the group as a whole.

Formal Versus Informal Roles
There is a difference between a member’s formal role, sometimes called a positional
Formal Role role, and that member’s informal, or behavioral role. A formal role refers to a specific
A specific, position with a set of expectations for fulfilling that position. For example, a group’s
established position chair is expected to call meetings, distribute agendas, and coordinate the other mem-
in a group with bers’ work. A group’s secretary is responsible for taking notes, distributing minutes,
expectations for and handling correspondence. Members who hold these roles are usually elected or
fulfilling that position. appointed to them. Often, the duties associated with formal roles are written into
a group’s bylaws or operating procedures.
Informal Role
An informal role refers to a unique role created as a result of a member’s behav-
A unique role iors. Informal roles reflect the traits, personality characteristics, habits, and
resulting from a
member’s pattern of
behavior. Recap: A Quick Review
he Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® (MBTI) classifies people by how they interact with
Tthe world, as measured along four dimensions.
1. Extraverts focus on the outer world and introverts on the inner world. Extraverts talk
to figure out what they think, while introverts consider carefully before they speak.
2. Sensing individuals trust facts, figures, and what they can apprehend with their
senses; they are well grounded. Perceivers trust imagination and intuition; they are
inventive but may appear flighty.
3. Thinkers make decisions based on objective facts and hold everyone to the same
standard. Feelers make decisions subjectively and adjust standards to meet others’
needs. Thinkers help groups complete their tasks, and feelers make sure members’
feelings are taken into account.
4. Perceivers are spontaneous, flexible, and excited by starting new projects. They
may be indecisive because they want to gather all information possible before
deciding. Judgers are very decisive and are excited by finishing projects. However,
they dislike changing a plan once it has been settled.
5. All five of the Five Factor Model of Personality—extraversion, agreeableness, con-
scientiousness, openness to experience, neuroticism—have been found related to
a variety of group outcomes.
6. Diversity of members makes a group’s work more challenging because members
have to pay more attention to their communication behavior. If they do so, a diverse
group can be more successful than a homogenous one.

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