Roseli Falcon - Blog Post #1

Understanding Groups:
     Culture, Decisions, and Leadership      

      We looked into chapters 3, 9, and 10 during our class presentations; each of them included useful information about group communication, leadership, and cultural awareness. After watching the presentations along with taking part in one myself, I had the chance to reflect on the topic. I was able to delve deeper into the topic of leadership and how it manifests in group dynamics by working on slides 10.1c and 10.1d in Chapter 10.

Chapter 3

       Intercultural communication was the subject of Chapter 3, which I believe is crucial in the multicultural world of today. The group that presented did a fantastic job of using relatable real-life examples to illustrate how culture affects communication. They clarified a complex subject and demonstrated how cultural differences alone can lead to misunderstandings.

  

      The concept of gaining perspective struck me as being very relevant. I am open to learning about different cultures and generally try to understand the points of view of others. But sometimes I find myself drawing conclusions based on a person's actions. I learned from this chapter that something that seems strange and rude in one culture might be totally acceptable in another. I will keep that in mind, especially in the future when I work in diverse group settings.

      

       Adding more interactive components to the presentation was one way to make it stronger. It would have been even more interesting and memorable to analyze cultural misunderstandings from a TV show or social media.

Chapter 9

      In Chapter 9, the presentation discussed a variety of decision-making techniques, including authority rule, consensus, and majority rule. The group did a great job outlining the advantages and disadvantages of every approach and emphasizing how crucial it is to clearly define the group's decision-making process. In my opinion, they did a good job of illustrating how disagreements can occur when opinion are ignored or choices are made too hastily.   

   

 

   It brought back memories of my time working as a theater stage manager. The director, who was typically the most outspoken person, frequently made decisions, which occasionally led to results that failed to reflect everyone's comfort levels or opinions. I was able to appreciate the importance of structured communication in group settings thanks to this chapter. It also helped me realize that although I usually follow the crowd when working on group projects, I naturally take the lead when given a leadership role 

      An in-person role-play or demonstration of each decision-making style would have strengthened the presentation by allowing us to observe how they acted in actual circumstances. The small-group activity could have made the ideas more vivid.

Chapter 10

       I found this chapter especially important because I helped create it, specifically slides 10.1C and 10.1D. Chapter 10 covers the three different leadership styles: authoritarian, democratic, and laissez-faire. It highlights that leadership is more about behavior than a job title. That struck a chord with me because, although I don't take the initiative right away, I do participate in other ways, such as organizing tasks, coming up with ideas, and helping the group.       

     

One of the most important lessons I learned was that being the loudest person in the room is not a requirement for leadership. It involves actively listening, being receptive to the needs of the group, and assisting others in achieving their goals. This helped me identify leadership traits in myself that I had not previously given much thought to.

      Our group aimed to make the presentation engaging and included a Kahoot at the end, which I think was a fun and effective way to reinforce the content. We could have considered including a brief reflection exercise where students identify their leadership philosophies and share them with their peers. This might maintain the collaborative atmosphere while promoting a closer connection with the subject matter.

      How leadership style may change depending on the makeup of the group or the level of stress is one aspect of the chapter that I wish we had discussed in greater detail. For instance, in times of crisis, a leader who usually practices democracy might have to adopt an authoritarian stance. A case study or video clip demonstrating this shift in action would have been a useful addition to demonstrate the adaptability and complexity of leadership. This could have prompted a meaningful conversation about how a group's success sometimes depends on a leader's ability to modify their behavior depending on the circumstances.

Reflection

       All three presentations were informative, but I believe there’s always room to make them more engaging. At times, the presentations leaned more toward lecture-style delivery, which could be balanced with more interactive elements. Incorporating interactive elements, examples from real life, or images might have raised interest and improved the content's memorability.

      Including audience interaction like polls, brief discussions, or even role play would have brought the material to life. Since culture, leadership, and group decision-making are part of our everyday experiences, tying them to student life or workplace examples could have made the lessons more relatable and meaningful.

      Looking back at my slides, I see that I could have prompted a class discussion with more applicable scenarios or open-ended questions. My primary focus was on effectively communicating the information, but it would have had a greater impact if I had made it more interactive and personal.

Final Thoughts

      The presentations helped me better understand how I interact with people and collaborate with others. Being in charge is not the only aspect that leadership entails; it can also involve organizing ideas, supporting others, and aiding the group in subtler ways. Although I may not be a conventional leader, I now recognize the important roles I play in group dynamics.

   

      I was also reminded by these chapters to be more deliberate in my interactions with people, especially in situations where there is cultural diversity. Asking questions, speaking up more during decision-making, and confirming my assumptions are all things I'll keep working on. In summary, these presentations not only taught me communication skills but also helped me better understand who I am, what I am good at, and how I can develop further as a considerate team player and a future leader.