System or Group?

Kat and Tyler led the class on “Understanding Group Process”. They opened up with an interesting activity that related well to the lesson. One part of their lesson that really stuck with me was the video they showed of the fish. How the whole group of fish worked together so well as to survive and avoid predators. Not that we have predators to be avoiding as peer mentors, but that by working together in a cohesive group we are better off.

Our book describes a group as a system that description really appealed to the engineer in me. When I think of a system I think of heat transfer, mass flow rate and work being done. It is defined as a set of connected things or parts forming a complex whole. Our book defines it as a complex set of interactive variables. I think all of these are accurate. Take any group, lets use a group a mentors as an example. (Completely random I know, but go with it J)  Imagine all of us bringing different ideas and viewpoints into the group. This is like our mass flow, but it’s not always constant and is most certainly not equal among all inputs. There are many variables that determine the amount of information, time, and energy we can all bring to the group/system. With this combination of variables, the system is changing and often work is being done. (Totally an awesome metaphor if you’re an engineer). Something is being produced and it is often to the benefit of those involved. We could get real crazy and have some mass flow out of the system when things are going very smoothly. Or increase the pressure within the system when the group is under a quickly approaching deadline.

No matter how you look at it, having an understanding of group processes is an important key in being successful. Everything from group dynamics to basic communication plays on role within groups of all shapes and sizes. It is important that we continue to engage with the group and share common goals while bringing our own experiences and views to the table.