My Effective Group
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MGT 414
Dr. Jjjjj kkkk
February 2, 2011

Everyone was a part of a group that was effective in some point. I will share a true story of an effective group that I was a part of along with relating the stages of group development to the situations and experiences that our team shared during the course of our high school year.
My high school football team is a good example of an effective group because our main focus was based on one pursued goal which was to win a championship. The team cohesiveness, brotherhood, communication and trust that our team displayed created team effectiveness. We developed a level of chemistry that couldn’t be matched by any other team in our league.
I would like to start with giving examples of ways that our football team shared brotherhood and cohesiveness. Most of the players on our team lived in the same neighborhood therefore we would walk and from school together; we also attended football practice and spun all of our time during the summer together. The neighborhood was small and most of our parent knew each other. Whenever football season was over; we would visit each other homes and play video games or play different types of outside games. We all had dreams of being professional football players growing up. Playing street football was an everyday ritual afterschool or on our spare time. Since the majority of us had already known each other most of our lives; there wasn’t a problem of getting to know one another once football practice started. We were anxious to start playing right away.
Things were not as we thought they would be ones spring practice started. There were kids who were new to our school that tried out for the team. It took a while to get everyone to use to one another. There was a lot of adversity in the beginning because we didn’t know anything about anyone and there were individuals on the team who was only concerned about themselves. We were currently in the forming stage. The team was not used to the style of coaching that was given. In the beginning; we thought that our coach was talking down to us rather than actually talking to us. His expression and the way that he said certain things made the situation very difficult. There were a lot of players on the team that showed up late for practice and some not showing up for practice at all. Some players even felt that they didn’t have to practice but felt that they should play the actual preseason scrimmages against other teams.
Things were still the same during the beginning of summer going into the forming stage of our team. After practicing together during the spring, we still couldn’t get along with the new player on the team. I became very frustrated because I was sick and tired of dealing with the different attitudes on our team. I gathered everyone together during practice and told them how I felt about everything. I told them that we had a very good team that’s filled with talent but we were too selfish to realize it. One of the players said that the season starts in three months and that will not win any games if we don’t get our act together. Everyone began to say how they felt about everything. Our coach told us that he was tired of everyone disagreeing and fighting with each other and that everyone will be accounted for one another from now on. The time we spent fighting and arguing with each other will equaled extra time spent running laps and lifting weights after practice. The coach told us that our motto will be “All for one and one for all”
Our team began the norming stage towards the end of summer. The arguing and fighting began to decrease and we were getting used to being around each other. I felt that everything was beginning to from together slowly but surely. Some of us began to joke with each other in a friendly manner and we would sit together during water breaks. We still had to run laps and lift weights after practice because of the few arguments that we had during practice but we was used to it and we didn’t complain about it. I felt our team changing during this course.
I felt a difference in our team during the end of summer. We’ve practiced and played together a lot during the spring and summer. We began to run laps and lift weights after practice because we began to enjoy spending time with each other. We would have house parties on the weekends or we would play football in the park on our spare time. Our team spent so much time outside of football to the point where practice was just another day at the park. I noticed the team chemistry forming and the timing of our plays. The team was beginning the performing stage. We understood each other attributes and roles to the team. The coach started to take notice of the team coming together. He began to create more complex plays on offense and defense. Our team memorized the whole playbook by august.
When the season started; we became a confident team going into the performing stage. During football games; I remember calling certain plays in the huddle and changing them before the snap of the ball. I would read the opposing team’s defense at the line of scrimmage and know which person was going to blitz or who was going to play the zone. Our team communication was outstanding. Sometimes I didn’t have to say anything at the line of scrimmage because I trusted my receivers enough to know that they would find the open spot on the field. We went undefeated during the course of the season that year and became state champions.
The team came together in the locker room after the championship game during the adjourning stage. We talked about how everything was different during the spring and summer. We also talked about how we came together as a team and a family. Our coach gave us a thank you speech that left us in tears. He told us that we should never forget the moments we spent together because they where memorable. After 10 years; we still keep in touch with each other.
In closing we’ve touched basis on a true story that I shared about an effective group that I was a part of along with relating the stages of group development to the situations and experiences that our team shared during the course of our high school year. I hope that we can be aware our group stages in the future.