The one role that begins to match my characteristics would be the martyr. The characteristic that matches this is that sometimes I feel as if I am taking on more work than others, but dont really say much. I kind of let myself account for more of the project so that way I know that it was done well and up to the standards of the assignment. I am also a very relaxed person so if something bothers me I'm more likely to let it roll off my shoulder than start a conflict. To fix these characteristics I can be sure to speak my opinions on topics. To help even the workload our group can clearly distribute the workload together at the begininning of the project.

One positive role is the organizer. This person makes sure each member knows about meeting times and makes sure it fits into everybody's schedule. They can also be in charge of keeping important notes and papers, and are responsible for backing up said notes.

No, I cannot identify any times when I might have taken on one or more of the five roles that were described in the article to the extent that it hurt my group. I don’t describe myself as any of the five descriptions that the article illustrates. If I had to choose one, I might be predisposed toward the “Martyr,” but not to that extreme. I sometimes do more than other group members to make sure the project gets completed, and it is done correctly. I most of the time don’t say anything that I am carrying more weight than another person in the group. I will be a proactive member of the group. I will work and carry my weight in the group, and speak up if a person is not carrying his/her own weight. I will be committed to my responsibilities within the group.

A positive group member role is a coordinator. I am a very organized person. If I am the coordinator, I will try to coordinate the procedures and steps that will be needed to complete this project. I will be flexible and proactive when working on this project.

1. In most cases I take the role of the saboteur if I feel the others are not doing their share of the work. If I think others did not do excellent work, I will edit it myself. I know this is negative and will avoid taking on this role by communicating frequently with my group members. If I know what others are working on, I will not feel obligated to "enhance" the work. Communication also key to know why someone chose to have such a strategy on the project and group members would know there was a reason for a certain strategy and not to change the work.

2. A postive role I would try to adopt is the organizer or the communicator. The organizer makes sure that the work is being done in a timely fashion and let's each group member know what they are responsible for in the time frame to work on the project. The organizer is also responsible for collecting all final documents that will be turned in.

The communicator is the one getting reports on all the group members progess and then reporting to the organizer what is done and needs to be done. The communicator is also responsible for contact with the organization to clarify their wants and needs. I feel the communicator and the organizer will also work together to create group documents to be turned in.

I can only think of one time when my my role in a group has fit any one of these categories. During one particular group project I was completely disinterested in the class and already had a solid grade. The project grade could not have taken me lower than any grade I was willing to accept. Unfortunately I was grouped with a team of students who each fit the deadbeat category. At that point I took on that role as well and completely shirked any and all responsibilities during that project. Luckily I am very interested in potentially using this project as a portfolio piece in the future. That consideration combined with my interest in web programming/layout design will keep me motivated throughout.

Positive outcomes to group projects can usually be attributed to that group's "motivator". There is usually one member who keeps everyone on task and motivates (in whichever way) to successfully achieve the goals set for them during the duration of a project. Throughout this final project I hope to take on this role in order to keep my group on task in a way that is not overbearing but that leads to productivity and successful completion of the task at hand.

I really can't say that I've taken on any of these groups rolls described in the reading. All the group projects I've worked on, our group has gotten along pretty well. If I had to choose one I would lean towards the Martyrs. I definitely would say not to that extreme though. I have never felt that any of my group members were dumb. I just felt like I have taken on more responsibility than others in my group, or have taken on harder tasks. I don’t complain about it, I just take on the responsibilities whether I like it or not. The reason I choose a larger portion of the project is so I know most of the work is getting done and getting done to at least meet my expectations.

Inorder to not take on a disruptive role I think it's best to first talk to all your group members and divide up all the responsibilties of the project. Usually jotting down all the things that needs to be done then the members just start choosing what they would like to do. Then the group makes sure that, that is okay with everyone so there is no complaining about it.

I believe an organizer is a big part of a group project. When you have a group usually the work is scattered among each of you. I think it's best if you have an organizer that keeps track of everything, and then at the end of the project the organizer puts everything together to complete it.

One of the roles I've taken on before is the martyr. I'd always complain out loud that I had the worst teammates, the worst teacher, and the worst assignment, but then I'd end up willingly taking on a huge portion of the project while the others slacked off. To try and keep from doing this in the future, I'll first attempt to get in a good group where nobody intentionally slacks off. Also, I'll try to have the work distributed evenly, so that no one ends up being a martyr.

The positive role I try to adopt is being a leader. Because of my past experience in Boy Scouts, leading a section in the band, and being president of a student organization, I feel I have many of the essential skills needed for leadership. I hope to bring these skills together in a way that also brings the group members together in an effective, cohesive manner.

I have taken on the role of the Martyr a few times before, but slightly modified. I'm usually quite alright with taking on a little extra responsibility, and this often leads to me allowing the other group members to push their work onto me. I don't really complain about it or allow anything to change, but I also don't really complain either. I suppose "Doormat" would be a better negative role title in this case. In order to change this, especially when there are certain things I can in no way fulfill, I will ensure that work is distributed equally, and I don't try to shoulder more work if it is going to be a problem.

A group member role I would most likely adopt is one of motivator. My worst pet peeve are those who keep pushing things more and more and don't get anything done. I will push my group to get the work done quickly and effectively, without falling into the role of not doing any work myself. No one would get anywhere by putting it off more and more, and creating a web page the night before is not going to cut it. I don't want to be cruel however, and simply want us to perform well on the project. So I will definitely be pushing the team to work harder.

Reading Response 5