M591 a Case Study: the Forgotten Group Memeber

In the case study of “The Forgotten Group Member”, we have a situation of five students coming together to review and present a written analyze and an oral presentation on a seven-page case study. Christine was elected to be the “Team Coordinator” of the group and she seems to have some serious doubts about her role as “leader”. In the beginning of the case, there are some statements made that flagged some foreseeable issues that should have been addressed at the first meeting. One, Christine should have clearly stated her concerns about being the team leader and two the issue with Mike and his non-committal attitude towards team meetings.

The stages of group development are Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing and Adjourning. The first stage of forming is the initial entry of members to a group which pulls people together with a clear understanding of the goals. This is the stage you question the purpose of “Why am I here?”. The second stage is storming is when you are trying to decipher the purpose of the other members of the team. You then ask the question, “Why are they here?”. The storming stage can also be very problematic because of different points of view; however this is expected as long as it is done in a justifiable manner in content to the goal. The third stage is norming or initial integration which is when the members start to come together as a coordinated unit. During norming they agree to “cease fire” and get along for the good of the group. This is a critical stage as it is a turning point in the transition of individuals into the team, so now you ask the question, “What can we agree on?”. The fourth stage is performing or total integration which is the stage where the team has matured into a group of a well function organized team. The performing stage has team members that genuinely agree with one another, and so now you as “What can we accomplish?”. The fifth stage is adjourning which is the disbandment of the...