Analysis of Group Dynamics and Team Building: A Personal Reflection

This report provides a personal reflection on a team-building program, analyzing group dynamics and individual roles within the team. The author identifies their strengths as a team worker and resource investigator, and also identifies the roles of other team members using Belbin's Team Roles Theory. The report discusses how the team's diverse attributes, including cultural differences, influenced group dynamics and how the team building exercise helped to harness these strengths. It further explores the author's talents using the Strength Quest Talent Guide, identifying key themes like adaptability, arranger, consistency, empathy, and deliberative. The report also examines the role of Learning Preference Assessment (LPA) in appreciating group dynamics, concluding that group work helps to identify strengths, weaknesses, and improve teamwork. This report offers valuable insights into teamwork, leadership, and self-awareness, making it a valuable resource for students seeking to understand group dynamics and improve their collaboration skills.

Running Head: REFLECTION ON GROUP DYNAMICS
Reflection on Group Dynamics
Name
Institution
Date

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PERSONAL REFLECTION
Introduction
My team members and I recently went out on a team building program. We were able to
share personal experiences about life as students and also carried out team building activities.
These activities helped us as team members to bring out our strengths and weaknesses in the
group. Using the Belbin’s Team Roles Theory, I was able to identify the attributes of all 4 team
members. It emerged that am a team worker & resource investigator. Jason too has the attributes
of a team worker and resource investigator. Rebecca is a good coordinator and implementer
while Gurpeet possesses the attributes of a completer finisher. These different qualities as well as
cultural differences played out in the group dynamics.
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The team building activity helped me to understand how the different attributes strengths,
and talents of the group members could be harnessed to achieve the objectives set out by the
team. According to the Belbin’s Team Roles Theory the condition that must be met for a tem to
perform at its best is that each of the members must have their responsibilities clear cut
(Twardochleb, 201). This is for the simple reason that each member has a specific role and
possesses a unique set of strengths skills and abilities that will be necessary in handling a specific
area of the group task at hand. As a team worker in our group my role would be equated to that
of a negotiator. This manifested in the manner in which I rose to the occasion to level things
during moments when conversations in the group were turning out to be argumentative or
confrontational. According to the Belbin’s Team Roles theory such a person in the group must
have the following traits; they must be diplomatic, persuasive and flexible (Monroe, 2016, p.
778). These are attributes that are necessary for one to foster team cohesion and ensure that the
team is working together efficiently and effectively. Belbin submits that while the role of team
worker is very essential to the success of a group, individuals with this character also have a
number of shortcomings. Most of the time team workers tend to shy from taking up committed
positions in the group and remain indecisive (Zanlungo et al., 2017). As much as this is
perceivably a limitation or weakness, my experience is that it is also a strategy necessary if one is
to play the role of a good negotiator in the group. Why do I say so? It is untenable for the
negotiator of the group to adopt a firm stance since he or she is the one who is supposed to quell
tensions and cool tempers in the face of difficulties.
Another necessary attribute that the team building exercise helped to bring out in me is
that if a resource investigator. The Belbin’s Team Roles Theory holds that resource investigators
are usually extroverted individuals. As such most of the team members tend to be receptive to
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their ideas. On reflection, it appears that the roles of a team worker and that of a resource
investigator are somewhat complementary. Why do I hold this view? Belbin’s Team Roles
Theory stipulates that resource investigators more often than not negotiate for opportunities and
resources on behalf of the group. (Carson et al., 2016) At the same time the role of the team
worker in a group is largely that of a negotiator. I hold that the reason why my role in the team
was valuable is owed to the fact that I carry a blend of the two attributes. On the downside the
Belbin’s Team Roles Theory supposes that resource investigators tend to have a tendency of
being optimistic. This is strength that if not checked, a resource investigator can be overly
optimistic at the expense of being realistic. Also, individuals with this attribute tend to lose
enthusiasm quite fast. This too needs to be checked if one is to be an effective team member.
Using the Strength Quest Talent Guide, team members I was able to find out which of the
theme areas in which I am talented. Similarly I was able to identify the traits of weakness
associated with each of the theme areas identified. These five theme areas stood out for me:
Adaptability- As contained in the Strength Quest Talent Theory, individuals who are
talented in this theme area have a tendency of going with the flow. They take the position that is
generally accepted by the majority of the group members (Gupta, 2015). The downside
associated with this kind of attribute is that such individuals tend to live in the moment and only
wake up to the reality much later. An adaptable individual is likely to be more valuable in a
group if they combine this talent theme (adaptability) with another called ‘command’. People
who are talented with the command strength are able to make critical decisions and influence the
directions things take in the group.
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Arranger- What are the traits of people who are gifted in this theme? They have
enormous ability to organize. To complement this, they also possess the quality of flexibility.
This means that in the group, I am the kind of person who figures out how to fit all the pieces
and resources together in a manner that ensures productivity is enhanced.
Consistency- Attributes in this theme area will manifest in the individual’s relationships
with the rest of the group members. These types of people tend to aspire to treat everyone
equally. They are sensitive to rules that they set for themselves and strictly adhere to them. They
are able to balance everyone’s interests in the team.
Empathy- an individual who has talent strengths in the theme area of empathy is endowed
with the ability of being sensitive of the plight of the members of the group. That means I am the
kind of person that is able to imagine themselves in the position of others and empathize with
them. I opine that this quality is essential to taking care of the emotional needs of the members of
the group.
Deliberative-to be deliberative is quite a vital attribute to group dynamics. Persons
possessing talent strengths in this area are generally very cautious and take incredible amount of
care before making decisions. Such individuals always anticipate obstacles and are keen to avoid
them. As such they love to consult thoroughly before making decisions.
So what can be learnt from the group dynamics? According to the Belbin’s Team Roles
Theory participating in a group learning process helps the individual to put to use their strengths
(Smith et al., 2012, p. 588). In a group situation every individual gets to identify the specific role
that they can play. At the same time one is able to realize their weaknesses, shortcomings and
limitations. What is the role of Learning Preference Assessment (LPA) in appreciating group
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dynamics? LPA also known as Self-Directed Learning Readiness is where individuals take
charge of the learning process, with or without the input of others (Williams, & Brown, 2013).
They decide their own learning goals design their own learning strategies as well as methods of
evaluating learning outcomes. Self-Directed Learning Readiness or LPA is assumed to exist in
all individuals to a certain degree. Even so, there are environments that can stimulate the learning
process. One such environment is provided through group dynamics. This is especially so
because in a group one is able to learn from the strengths of the other members of the group
(Alberola et al., 2016, p. 1104). This way the group members are able to influence each other to
become better people through their interactions.
Conclusion
Working in a group helped me to realize the strengths that had been hidden in me for a
long time. The opportunities presented in a group dynamics helped me to identify my areas of
weakness as well. A group situation teaches one to be a team player since one has to put their
skills, knowledge and abilities into practice in a manner that complements the activities of the
rest of the group. The nature of the group in itself helped me to appreciate the unique abilities
that each group member possesses and how to harness them in order to achieve the goals of the
group.
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