Group Dynamics

                As I stated in class, I actually have not had the juicy situations where a school group project just goes wrong. I guess I have been simply fortunate, either that or I really am to go with the flow. But my experiences with work in Illinois football have had their moments. I work for the Illinois football equipment staff, with the official title of student managers.  Let’s just hope they don’t stumble across this post.

            We have had moments where we work together like a machine. When we do field set up at Camp Rantoul, it is like magic. We have managers who enjoy the grunt work, (setting up the small stuff and moving the heavy or awkward shaped) the guys who do the busy work. Then we have the guys who do the showy work, driving around in a golf cart setting up the major stuff, the expensive stuff. You chat while you’re on the cart and entrusted with a type of leadership role.  Rantoul has plenty of work for both types of managers. The managers who do the grunt work are often quiet and less outgoing. The non grunt guys are talkative, slightly arrogant, and often seem to enjoy the spotlight. With age someone who is a grunt worker might turn into a showier manager. You could say that they think they are bigger than student managers. I tended to do most of the grunt work and felt like I grew into a respected leader/hard worker over the years. While setting up the showier guys hangout with the boss, because they want the recognition, and the grunt workers set up the little but important things. Everyone works and it feels fair. So yes, in Rantoul everything is in sync.  We each finish at the same time.

            Then there are pretty much all the other situations where the grunt workers could complain or the showier guys could complain. While setting up practice the one group rides on their cart and set up some of the more expensive stuff. They do less manual labor. Then during practice there are certain tasks that they are simply too good to do. They determine their own overqualified status. These tasks include running hats during special teams. Hats are those things you put over your helmet to show that you are the opponent. Basically we run out and make sure everyone who needs one has one. Some individuals seem as if they would rather die than help or do this simple step. No one has an official title of hat guy but a grunt worker will adopt the position just because he takes on the task so the job gets done. In the end the job gets done but it can be pretty frustrating. Then there is locker room cleanup. While everyone does a fairly decent job, the grunt workers end up doing the garbage pickup. This means we pull up piles of fresh game worn ankle tape and toss them in the trash. This may cut down on how fast we get out of the stadium so it can be frustrating. I have had my fair share of hidden anger against one guy in particular but as we aged we became leaders and simply respected each other as people who were good at what they do and took on tasks that the other did not.

            My guess is this prompt is to analyze group dynamics and why or why not groups succeed. Our group in the end did get the tasks done but sometimes we wish egos were put to the side.