Being a team member is one of the most exciting experiences in life. In as much as groups may have clear objectives and goals, conflicts of interests are always inevitable in groups. In one way or another, there are instances when members of the group disagree on some pertinent and petty issues. Having been a member of a small self-support group, I am delighted to mention that group membership gives a wide range of exposure and experiences on how to tackle differences and misunderstandings. The group comprised of ten individuals of almost the same age bracket. We founded the group as a self-help group where members made monthly financial contributions towards supporting members alternately. The group had a chairperson, a secretary, and a treasurer who worked hand in hand in coordinating the group affairs. The group’s main intention was to ensure that the members became self-reliant and financially stable. As such, we collected money on a monthly basis to support the group members in either establishing a start-up or to boost the already established businesses. Whenever a group member had a business idea, he/she would table during the group meetings and the members would see the way forward in actualizing the idea.
In the initial stages of the group, members were so dedicated and promising. However, after benefiting from the group, a few members became egoistic and began to defy the group objectives. In other words, some members began to decline remitting their contributions to support others. Consequently, the level of trust among the group members deteriorated significantly. It is worth noting that the group encountered a number of problems. First, as the grouped grew into maturity, some members began to honor their obligation. In addition, accountability in the group was also questionable. In most instances, there was low transparency and significant figures went unaccounted. Consequently, issues of mistrust and lack of commitment arose.
In an attempt to solve the problems, the leadership tried to employ democratic decision-making. According to Raison B. et al. (2013), group problems are usually disruptive. As such, it was difficult for our group to achieve its objectives. Nevertheless, our group chairperson tried in every way to bring the members together to tackle the challenges together. In an attempt to solve the problems that faced the group, the chairperson rolled out a five-step approach of solving the problems based on the model in Raison B. at al (2013) report. First step was the identification and definition of the problems that the group faced. Consequently, the members determined the possible causes of the problems, particularly, the reason for failure to remit the contribution among the members. In the thirds step, members suggested a number of alternatives. One of the alternatives was that to expel the non-compliant members or impose stringent penalties such as fines. The second alternative was to register the group so that members could be viable to take legal action against members who failed to comply with the terms and conditions of the group membership. The fourth step involved an evaluation of the consequences of each alternatives. Finally, the members resolved that registering the group was the most appropriate solutions.
Notably, the group was ineffective due to a number of reasons. First, the group lacked formal rules and regulation that would guide the behavior of the members. As such, members with a carefree attitude found loopholes to act irresponsibly. Moreover, the group relied on the comradeship and failed to institute legally binding conditions that would ensure that the members acted responsibly. In my opinion, the steps used in solving the problem were appropriate only that the group failed to develop effective ways of implementing the decision. In line with Schmitz (2012), brainstorming and proper implementation are key to the group success. As such, this paper suggests that effective way of solving group problem needs to follow the following five-step approach. The first step just as our group tried to solve involves problem definition. Instead of the simply focusing on possible causes of the problem, the group needs to analyze the nature of the problem and understand how it affects the group in general. In the third step, there is a need to generate possible solutions to the problems as Schmitz (2012) advocate. The fourth step should be the evaluation of the solutions and finally there is a need for implementation and assessment of the proposed solution.
References
Raison B., Lukshin D., Ellzey B. N. . (2013). Fact Sheet Community Development: Group Problem Solving Process. http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CCQQFjAB&url=http%3A%2F%2Fu.osu.edu%2Fraison%2Ffiles%2F2014%2F02%2FFACT-SHEET-Group-Problem-Solving-CDFS_13_13-1cqoba2.pdf&ei=n0l0VKe5EsiHPY2hgFA&usg=AFQjCNEWG0gmGmCvUCNV-t: Ohio State University .
Schmitz A. (2012). A Primer on Communication Studies: Problem Solving and Decision Making in Groups. http://2012books.lardbucket.org/books/a-primer-on-communication-studies/s14-03-problem-solving-and-decision-m.html: Creative Commons eBook.
