Being an individual while being a team player

Hello readers! The topic for this week is something innevitable in life that really frustrates people. No, I'm not talking about taxes, but rather group work. Although many students may be haunted by past experiences of working in groups, the ability to work as a team is a valuable lesson that is not only applicable to school, but the "real" world.

My personality in terms of groups and leadership

Now before I go on and talk about my involvement in group work, I would first like to talk about who I am and how I function in organizational and leadership contexts.

"Hi, my name is Kjerstin and I am an INTJ."

No, I did not just make a spelling mistake or throw random letters together. For those of you who are not familiar, there are various types of personality tests. One of the more prominent tests used throughout the United States is the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (also known as the MBTI). This indicator identifies sixteen various personality types. The four letters in my personality type signify the following: introvert, inuition, thinking, and judging. More specifically, I possess introverted intuition with extroverted thinking (the latter meaning that I am not afraid to say what I am thinking - isn't it obvious?). In short, this MBTI result is described as the following:

"Independent, individualistic, and visionary. INTJs work well when they can develop strategies, use foresight, implements their ideas, and create intellectual structures to meet goals. Unafraid of difficulty, they objectively analyze varied factors and global isses to meet complex challenges they can forsee in the future" (Hirsh 36)*. 

 In terms of my leadership experiences, this discription holds to be true. I am a goal-setter who likes to challenge myself and always looks for the next adventure. Because of my enthusiasm for challenges, I take leadership roles so I can encourage those who may be a little skeptical to change or are not sure how to accomplish the goal. While I am heading up the leadership role, I am always taking in so much information, analyzing ir, and utilizing it. People have told me that they come to me when they have questions about a number of topics because they know that I am full of random facts and knowledge over various disciplines. When in groups, my personality transforms me into a leader that is always thinking about taking a project to the next step, thinking about what the effects of a project will be like in the future, and thinking about how all of the criteria can be addressed in the most efficient manner. I am the one to make sure that everyone follows through with deadlines and that we are realistic with the goals that we are setting. However, some of my setbacks as a leader are that I do not praise people as much for their contributions or not being as flexible when it comes to changing the plan that was already developed. For me, since I am more of a thinker rather than a feeler, I need to be reminded of the importance of praising others for their work because I enjoy being recognized for my work. In terms of being more flexible, I need to remember the goal that my group set and the fact that a slight change does not mean that the goal will not be achieved. I think my recognition of my weaknesses signifies that I am willing to work on my weaknesses to strengthen myself as a leader and in my ability to work with others in a group.
For more information on what an INTJ such as myself is, go ahead and check the following website for more information: INTJ description.

Being heard as an individual in a group

Now, instead of focusing on myself on how my personality affects my involvement and leadership in a group, it is time to look at the dynamics of the group. One of the most prominent challenges in functioning as a group is trying to work with others who hold different values and perspectives. I recognize that it is important and innevitable to work with people who are different from me. Rather than being burdened by the tought of working with someone who might have conflicting views though, I embrace the challenge. One reason for there being such stark differences is due to people's backgrounds. Coming to Iowa, I was in complete in a stage of culture shock. To start, I knew nothing about farming. I was also used to being in a bigger city where there was more of everything! There were more people, more access to necessities, more visible class differences, more diversity (but that doesn't mean that we were necessarily exposed to diversity), and just more that was going on.

How does all of this relate to functioning in a group you may ask? For starters, people are going to come from various backgrounds and have a number of experiences that affect who they are. Those experiences shape people's values and how they make decisions. Not everybody is going to agree in a group. When someone holds an opposing view on a subject me, many times rather than feeling heard I feel like I am getting ignored. In those situations, I feel like the person is saying, "it's my way or the highway." As an INTJ though, in order for me to be effective, I need to feel heard. In some instances, I will try to fight for my position and try to be heard. However, sometimes it's just not worth the effort to fight over that in the long run might be so irrelevent. In groups, I am usually the one to take charge and mediate ideas. As I hear ideas though, I am very quick to judge (which is why I am an INTJ). Once I hear an idea that is good enough, I try to influence the group to go with it. Sometimes, the rest of the group goes along and we start working on the project which happens in the most ideal situations. I recognize how important it is to have other members give their input as well because they might have a great idea but are just too shy to share it. To work collectively though, I have learned that as long as the group hears everyone out and decides together which way is best, people feel like they are heard and have a part within the group decisionmaking.

Of course, there is always the chance of conflict within the dynamics of the group. Nobody likes to deal with confrontation, but it is essential that groups address problems and move on to make progress. Susan M. Campbell addresses a way to try and lessen the hostility when arguing within personal relationships - whether those relationships be romantic, friendly, or professional. Her solution? The phrase, "I hear you and I have a different perspective." Campbell says that with this phrase, not only does the person acknowledge the other person's opinion and perspective in a respectful way, but then the person shares how they feel. Then, rather sounding accusative, the people can talk more in a respecting manner. 

How I came to recognize the importance of listening to others was from being ignored in a group presentation. During my sophomore year at Wartburg, my Spanish class had to make up commercials about a specific product in Spanish in small groups. When my group started working together, one of my classmates already had an idea of what she wanted us to do and what steps we needed to do to finish it. When I brought up an idea to include in our commercial, the "leader" was skeptical about my idea and told me to bring more information about it to the next meeting so we could try to include a part of it if it fit. However, when I came back the next meeting, she had said that she had talked to the rest of the group on her own and said my part to the project was "not needed." Not only did I feel  like I was ignored, but I felt that the leader had gone behind my back and tried to guarantee her way. I do not want to be someone who makes my teammates feel like that. Each teammate should be heard with their own perspectives. It is a type of respect that one group member should give to another.

While giving people the opportunity to share their ideas does not mean that they will take it. Sometimes people are too scared or shy to share while other times people are more comfortable with letting people take charge rather than handle the challenge themselves. I want to be the type of person that gets those people out of their boxes and interacting more within a group. This can be very important when it comes to managerial positions. For instance, right now while I work in Pathways, I try to conduct meetings where people can be open with their thoughts and concerns about the workings of the office. Since we are students and liberal learners, we are always trying to share knowledge between disciplines. First, I have to make sure that people feel like they can be open enough to share their thoughts. I encourage the people to get involved through having the returners share their thoughts and insights. When the returners saw how well we respond to their thoughts, we start to see some of openness with the new members of Pathways.

Reflecting on the future

In terms of my future, making sure to listen to fellow members will be essential to my career path (whichever direction it takes me). I cannot get anyone to follow my ideas if I consistently ignore theirs. Additionally, as much as I try, it is not possible to do accomplish something big all on my own. I need supporters and teammates and without giving them the respect that they have given me to be a leader, nothing will get accomplished.

Honestly, trying to figure out how to interact in a group is social functionalism at it's best. As a sociology major, I analyze groups and what types of patterns are consistent from group to group. However, not every group can be generalized because of the types of people that create them. I can use my knowledge of how groups work to remind myself of how I should act.

* Hirsh, Elizabeth, Katherine Hirsh, and Sandra Krebs Hirsh. Introduction to Type and Teams 2nd Edition. Mountain View, CA: CPP, Inc., 2003. Print.
 ** Campbell, Susan M. "I Hear You, and I Have a Different Perspective." Bridges Not Walls. Ed. John Steward. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2009. 474-78. Print.