Flint Michigan Water Crisis Exercise

Power, Group Dynamics, and Roles

Observer’s Instructions 2 page paper

Congratulations! You are the group’s observer. This is a very important role as your notes, in conjunction with two note-takers, will form the main part of the archival record for your group.

As observer, you DO NOT participate in the group discussion or process. As an observer, you must:

• Track the communication patterns in the group
• Track the cohesion of the group
• Track the culture (and it’s development) of the group
• Track the social interactions and influence of the group
• Make a quick diagram of where everyone is seated and then refer to dialogue exchanges by participant initials or number.
• Remember… your job is not to transcribe the meeting, so be OK with missing some of the smaller details or verbatim exchanges in favor of catching general observations of the group process and personality.

•Describe any conflicts and how they were resolved

•Who emerged as thegroup leader -give examples

•Who seemed to have the power – how do you know

•Did you observe any stages of group development – if so, what happened

Here are some strategies…

•Divide the note paper in half lengthwise and use one half to take notes on the conversation, while using the other half to record impressions.

You will provide your reflection, along with notes from the group tasks, to your group