W2 - Discussion Question # 1

Like a car that cannot run without all of it’s parts, a small group must have all the necessary components in working order to be successful in reaching it’s goals. If something is amiss in a small group; things will run off course and the group will ultimately fail in meeting its objective.

A few years ago in one of my classes, I was assigned to work in a small group with random students from my class chosen by the professor. Our task was to analyze a public speech and write a group paper and also present our findings to the class. Our group had five people who were all from very diverse backgrounds and also very different schedules. It was extremely difficult trying to set a time and place where we could all meet and when we did, it was even more difficult for us to work together as there were language and educational barriers between the five of us. Since everyone was not on the same page from the beginning and group participation was minimal, it ended up being that I and another classmate carried the load for the whole group. Because of this incident, I still have to admit that I do not like working in small groups and try to avoid doing so at all costs.

Another recent small group experience that comes to mind is when I was put in a group with two of my other colleagues at work to come up with a new training presentation for the new hires that just started out at our company. Unlike the small group that I was put into for school, this small group experience was a lot more pleasant as the three of us were all in the same positions in our job and therefore had the same amount of knowledge and understanding of what needed to be done. In addition, our schedules were the same at work so we were able to make time to meet and discuss the new training material, provide both positive and constructive feedback to each others ideas, and shared a common vision for what we wanted the outcome to be. While our personalities are very different, we were able to put our differences aside and communicate effectively because we agreed that we had a job to get done and we wanted to make sure it was done correctly. Every small group experience is different, from the people to the purpose of the small group; however, one thing remains the same and that is that if the group cannot work together cohesively, it will not be able to succeed.

HELLO COMM141 CLASSMATES!!!!

Hello,

My name is Grace A.K.A. GCL, and I am a junior at San Jose State University. I am a Communication Studies Major and I thoroughly enjoy studying Communications because I am able to use what I have learned in the different areas of my life: business, social, personal, school etc...

I think the bulk of my "communication experience" comes from the different jobs that I have had in my life. From a Starbucks Barista & retail clerk, to my current position as an Assistant Manager of a financial institution, I found that being an effective communicator is important to be successful in any job. In addition, you have to be able to adapt and be receptive of different communication styles and also be able to tailor your communication style as different situations arise. I hope that this course will help me to further understand how to be an effective communication in small group settings - especially in my current job.

As far as online courses go... I love them! This is my fifth online course here at State and I took quite a few while I was at De Anza. I would say that this is definitely not for everyone and it does require a great deal of discipline. However, I personally enjoy them for two reasons: 1) Save on gas and parking and 2) You get to go at your own pace - if you have a busy weekend coming up, you can pretty much do all your homework in one day and just remember to post it at the different scheduled times.

My current interests include: going to the gym, sleeping, watching movies, and reading.

Well, that's enough about me... I wish everyone the best of luck this semester!!!

Sincerely,
GCL