1. How do groups work well together? What’s your job?

2. Warm up Discuss the following questions at your table: Who is responsible for making a group work well together? What does a group working well together look like? Sound like? What are positive jobs in a group? What are negative jobs in a group? What makes a group work well together? What makes a group not work well together?

3. Note the answers In your journal, make bulleted lists based on your group’s discussion of the following questions: What makes a group work well together? – _ What makes a group not work well together? – _

4. Group Jobs Below is a list of jobs in a group. Some of these jobs help a group work well together while others do not help a group function. Talk in your groups about what each of these jobs mean. Decide which ones are positive and negative. Aggressor Blocker Clown Compromiser Coordinator/Leader Deserter Dominator Elaborator Encourager Energizer Follower Gatekeeper Harmonizer Information Seeker Information Giver Initiator/Contributor Observer Opinion Seeker Opinion Giver Summarizer

5. Group Jobs In your journal, list the positive and negative jobs based on the discussion your table had. Aggressor Blocker Clown Compromiser Coordinator/Leader Deserter Dominator Elaborator Encourager Energizer Follower Gatekeeper Harmonizer Information Seeker Information Giver Initiator/Contributor Observer Opinion Seeker Opinion Giver Summarizer Positive Job +Negative Job -

6. Initiator or Contributor Suggests new ideas or different ways of approaching a problem; starts discussions, contributes ideas that help the group explore new areas

7. Information Seeker Asks for clarification, figures out what information is missing before moving on

8. Information Giver Provides factual information to the group, relates own experiences when relevant

9. Opinion Seeker Asks for clarification of the values, attitudes and opinions of group members, checks to make sure that different viewpoints are given

10. Opinion Giver Shares ideas, beliefs, and opinions about the topic

11. Elaborator Takes people’s ideas and builds on them with examples and facts, considers the consequences of ideas and actions

12. Coordinator or Leader Identifies and explains the relationships between ideas, may pull different ideas together and make sense of them

13. Energizer Gives the group energy to carry them forward, challenges the group to finish a task

14. Summarizer Summarizes main points of people in the group; restates main ideas

15. Encourager Supports, praises efforts of group, demonstrates warmth, provides a positive attitude

16. Harmonizer Seeks ways to reduce tension sometimes with humor, reconciles differences

17. Compromiser Offers to change position for the good of the group, willing to meet others half way

18. Gatekeeper Makes sure all members have a chance to talk and share ideas, encourages shy and quiet members to contribute ideas, limits those who dominate the conversation

19. Follower Follows ideas of the group, accepts what others say, but not silent

20. Aggressor Makes personal attacks, uses belittling and insulting comments; actions are usually attempts to decrease another member’s status

21. Blocker Opposes every idea or opinion and refuses to make own suggestions, puts up a lot of resistance that stalls the group

22. Dominator Tries to control the conversation and tell people what they should be doing, claims to know more and have better ideas than anyone else; The Dictator

23. Observer Sits and observes, but not engaged or contributing to the conversation even when given opportunities to share

24. Clown Uses group time as fun time and a way to get out of work, distracts other people by telling jokes, gets people off task

25. Deserter Doesn’t fulfill responsibilities, often leaves group to do other tasks to work alone or with other groups