Individual Reflection Paper

Each person in class will complete this assignment.

What: Paper that reflects on your experience as a team member

Length: 750-1,000 words
Style: Times New Roman, 12 pt., double spaced; your name, team name and word
count in upper right hand corner

WEIGHTED SCORING FOR REFLECTION PAPER

60% content in response to bulleted prompts in Parts I and II below
40% grammar/spelling/sentence structure/word count
Scoring rubric can be found on the Comm 8 Assignments page on my website
under the heading Resources

SAMPLE PAPER: See end of this instruction sheet for an example of an A

paper

INSTRUCTIONS
Part One:
In your paper, consider how you experienced each of the topics below within your team
by reflecting on your teams cohesion, conflict, roles, decision making/problem solving
and leadership according to the following definitions. Incorporate information from the
tex tbook and examples from your group ex perience .

Cohesion: The act or state of team members ticking together tightly

Conflict: A struggle between at least two team members who perceive
incompatible goals and interference from others in an attempt to achieve a
specific goal.
Roles: Sets of expectations about behavior and personal contribution in a group
Decision making/problem solving: Choosing between
alternatives/overcoming obstacles
Leadership: Behavior or communication that influences, guides, directs or
controls a group

Part Two:
At the end of your reflection paper, respond to the following two REQUIRED ITEMS in
about 50 words each. Dig deep, be honest.

Item 1: Describe one action you, as an individual, could have taken this
semester that would have improved the small group experience for all of your
team members and tell why it would have improved the groups experience.

Item 2: Describe something you learned this semester that you will use in a
future group or team to make sure that team members are valued and
appreciated.
 SAMPLE
John Smith
Comm B8, MW 8 a.m.
Word Count: 1,227
Part I

The textbook defines cohesiveness as the degree of attraction group members feel toward

one another and toward the group. Cohesiveness was something that our group never failed to

have, even the first time we met. (Name), unfortunately, was not able to attend our Go To Lunch

assignment due to an illness, but (Name), (Name) and myself bonded from the start. I think part

of the reason we bonded so fast was our differences. I was very interested in listening to (Name)

and (Name) as they told me their experiences and things about their lives, because it was very

new to me. Before this group, I had never spent time with someone like (Name) or (Name). I

think their experience with me was probably similar. I think because we were all so different, it

kept us interested, and we found our experience new and exciting. Personally, I was really

nervous going into the Go To Lunch assignment. I didnt know what to expect from my group,

but once we met for the first time, all my doubts were silenced.

I think the main reason our group had so much cohesiveness is the fact that we were all

focused on the same goal. We worked together well knowing that if we bonded, success would

come. I was blessed with a group that had a lot of cohesiveness.

It seems like every chapter we read in the textbook mentioned something about group

conflict. In fact, conflict is part of the storming step in the four step process used to describe

group formation--forming, norming, storming, and performing. Yet when it came to our group, I

simply cannot think of anything that happened in our group that could be considered conflict. At

no point during this class did our group have members at each others throats or arguing with one

another. I think this was simple because we all were blessed to wind up in a group where our

personalities gelled so well together. (Name) is someone we all respected, both as our elder and
as a mother. Since she is a mother of six, she is great at working with groups. (Name) is one of

the nicest people Ive ever met, and was willing to do anything to help the group. (Name) and I

really got along well because we are both freshman who just graduated from high school, and the

more we got to know each other the more we realized how much we had in common. I am very

glad to say that our group never had to deal with any conflict.

As our group spent more time together, we began to develop roles. When it came to

writing speeches, we always had the same roles. (Name) would do the introduction and a main

point if needed, (Name) and (Name) would do main points, and I would do the conclusion and a

main point if needed. (Name) was the Information Giver who provided facts and examples

when wed create our outlines. (Name) served as the Coordinator because she always clarified

our ideas and suggestions. (Name) was definitely the Energizer who spurred our group to action

and motivated us to keep going when things got tough. I saw myself as the Evaluator-critic who

evaluated our ideas and conclusions to make sure they were the best they could be. The roles we

played were a big advantage for our group.

When it came to decision making and problem solving, our group used a strategy that

worked out well for us. We would basically sit together and start discussing different ideas. We

would all pitch in, just saying whatever we could think of. Then, it seemed like someone would

always say an idea where everyone else would just all agree that it was the idea we should go

with. Because our group bonded so well and worked great together, we were able to solve

problems and make decisions very quickly. We all knew what needed to be done, and we wasted

little time. We just started attacking our challenges and decisions that needed to be made. The

way we discussed our ideas and agreed on them worked great in our group.

When it came to our group, I dont think we had any one leader. I think we all provided

leadership in different ways. (Name), being a mother, obviously has experience as a leader, and

it definitely showed. She was great at keeping the atmosphere of our group relaxed but also
knowing when to remind us that we had work to do. (Name) is more of a leader by the example

she sets. Her easy-going personality is contagious, and she had a very positive influence on the

group. (Name) is a person whos easy to follow because he has such a calming way that he

carries himself. He is an honest, caring, smart person, and this makes him a natural leader.

Because of my experience in sports, I have had experience both being a leader and being around

good leaders. I think I was a good leader for the group. I would set the agenda a lot of times for

our group when it came time to meet, and I hope my group respected me as a leader.

In conclusion, cohesion, conflict, roles, decision making, problem-solving, and leadership

are all important aspects of a functioning group no matter how big or small. Without these

contributions, we wouldnt have survived everything weve been through. Not only did we learn

more about how it is to work in groups, but we also learned something about ourselves. In the

end, the experiences we had, both with the group and individually, were more than worth it. It

prepared us not only in our college careers, but in our future ones as well. Ive come to realize on

my own from working with this group of mine, that anything can be accomplished as long as you

work together and stick to the plan. As for my own realization, I now know that if I want to

accomplish something, all I need to do is find the motivation within myself to overcome the

obstacles that may get in my way of achieving my goal.

Part 2

One action I think I could have taken that would have improved our small group

experience is I think I could have allowed my group members more opportunity to express their

ideas and opinions. I feel like I am quick at coming up with ideas, and I feel very strongly about

my opinions. While these can be good things, I think sometimes I didnt allow my group

members enough opportunity to give ideas of their own, because I would state ideas and the

group would just run with it because I felt so strongly about it.
 Something I learned this semester that I consider the most valuable is that many times

being on a team with diversity and new people works out the best. In the past, I always just

wanted to be on teams with my friends or people I knew. I will bring this positive outlook to a

future group to help new team members feel valued. This class made me realize that meeting

new people is fun and exciting, and team diversity is so key to a teams success.