One section I found interesting in this week's reading was the section on Diversity in small groups and teams. Specifically, I enjoyed reading about the group commitment and consensus. I found this interesting because it is a concept I learned a little about in a previous communication course here at San Jose State. In this section it talked about how members of a group depend on each other for success and productivity. It also mentioned that people in groups are more committed and work harder in a group if feel their input and contributions are valued.
This is important because I feel it is an essential part of a successful group and I completely agree with the idea. I have felt both sides of this particular idea. Meaning that I have been in a group where my ideas and feedback were highly valued and therefore I felt the desire to work harder and put more effort into what I do. On the other hand, I have been in a group where my input and ideas were not appreciated whatsoever and as a result that made me withdraw from the group and not want to work hard at all. Another idea I found interesting in this section was how the book stated that being insensitive to diverse perspectives can lead to negative feelings and could cause those group members to sabotage the group. This is important because if not all members of a group feel like they are valued, then it is obviously not a strong group and it is likely the goals will not be met.
I really liked reading your post because of the way that you used personal examples. You did a really good job of giving an example from both sides of the aspect of a group to get your point across. I have also been in groups where I wanted to work harder because my ideas were up for discussion and I felt my input was really being taken into account. Along with this, I have also ben in a group where my ideas were shunned and I did not want to give one hundred percent. I agree that the idea of being insensitive can lead to negative feelings. I am glad you brought that point up as well because I have witnessed that first hand. Great post.
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