Essay On Group Cohesion

Recently, I was involved with a group project where we were to build a website together. Our professor assigned five of us to the project: Cheyenne, Craig, Shelby, Zach, and myself. Though most of us were close friends previously, this project strengthened some friendships, yet destroyed others. If we are to investigate these interactions we must analyze the group by looking at five aspects of the group experience: cohesion, conflict, roles, decision making, and leadership. In the end, group success is determined by their competency in these areas and communication throughout this process is critical.

To begin, within a group, cohesion between the members is important if you wish to produce the best results. Cohesion, as defined by Kory Floyd,

Now, I know how to respond better in a small group setting, making the experience enjoyable for all parties involved. Furthermore, I have learned that cohesion, conflict, roles, decision making, and leadership are all critical to the success of a small group.

PART 2

One action I could have taken in this small group setting would have been to better deal with conflict. While Craig was being yelled at, and Zach began yelling at me, I became upset and began to gossip about Zach out of frustration to other members of the group. This led to more tension as we tried to accomplish this project and left hurt feelings for multiple members of the group. If I had not gossiped or rather found one person not in my group to confide in, I believe the group may have gotten along much better and would have completed the assignment with less stress.

One thing I learned throughout this group project is the need for cohesion. Though it isn’t always possible to choose your group members, especially with group projects for classes, it is possible to unite around a common goal and your desire to complete it to the best of our ability. Cohesion will lead to a sense of appreciation for all members and relieve a huge amount of stress for each