Assignment 3
Observing a Group Meeting When wanting to observe a group we wanted the opportunity to see one that would not only show someone leading it, but to also find one that would be difficult to maintain order. Observing a somewhat disorderly group would give us the opportunity to see how the leader of the group handled the situation and what the other members did during the person’s decision making. The group we chose an alcoholics anonymous meeting. When we arrived and was granted permission to attend, we found several of the members to be very warming and inviting. We also observed several members whom we wanted to observe the most, have a very distant and cold persona. When the meeting began the leader discussed the events that would take place and why everyone was attending. They continued by stating how proud they were for everyone attending and how no one should ever feel alone. The leader then asked people to begin telling everyone how their week went and how they handled situations that they may have felt difficult to control. The speeches went without much tension until the member discuss previously in this paper began his speech. The member first started out saying they were trying, but continuously struggled. At one point, the member began yelling about how the police are out to get him and that nothing is going right. The leader of the meeting allowed the member to vent for approximately five minutes until it was noticeable that the other members were becoming agitated and that the member’s frustration was becoming increasingly hostile. The leader found an opportunity to halt the speech by the member and respectfully told everyone to stand up and stretch. The leader then told everyone to close their eyes and take long, deep breathes. When that was complete, the leader of the group told everyone to sit down. The leader of the group then focused his attention back to the agitated member and spoke to them as though he was completely understanding of his situation. The leader pointed out that several members, including themselves, have been where the member is now and that this was the point where they could go down one of two roads. The leader continued on about strength and faith, about how through support and acknowledging they cannot do everything on their own, they can get through this rough point. The leader reminded the member to keep searching for that ray of light at the end of the tunnel and that everyone else at the meeting would be there for them to see them through. The leader then allowed the member to continue, but this time the member was calm and emotional about how he needed reassurance that there was hope. The other members immediately consoled the member and the rest of the meeting went on without incident. We observed this type of leadership as People-Oriented/Relations-Oriented Leadership. The leader of the group was approachable, caring of the other members, and saw themselves as an equal and not the leader. A big example of this would be how they handled the agitated member and how their compassion calmed the member down to where it actually brought the group closer together, instead of separating them.