Concept from Chapter 7: Maintenance Roles

Reading about group communication in chapter 7 provided a lot of insight for me. I found the part about maintenance roles particularly interesting. I had never really thought about it before, but now that I look back, it seems that in most of the groups I have been in, some if not all of these roles were filled. There is the encourager: the person who gets the group members motivated, and obviously encourages the group. Next, there is the harmonizer: the person who resolves conflict. Then there is the compromiser: the member who looks to find a solution for conflict that involves their own ideas. Fourth there is the gatekeeper. I feel that I fall into this role in most cases. This group member keeps the lines of communication open and gets the group members involved. Next we have the standard setter. This person applies standards to the group process. Then there is the group observer. This member observes and offers feedback. Lastly, there is the follower. This member accepts the ideas of the group and serves as an audience. In the end, if the maintenance roles are performed, the task roles should be easily handled and the group should experience success.