Assuming you now know the basics of the kinds of behaviors that occur in small groups which
contribute to task, maintenance, and individualistic roles, we’ll break down each type of role
individually, covering some of the more common types of roles in each of these categories.
Keep in mind, however, depending upon the textbook or professor, the specific names
for the roles may vary, but the essence is the same.
Also recall that role-playing is a fluid process, meaning that, during a single meeting, group
members can play multiple roles.
If you remember Hobbs & Power’s model, it will help you understand how you may switch
back and forth between your different roles within the same group meeting, and across
the lifetime of the group.
And that role-playing tends to be spontaneous—not scripted—most often an extension of the
group member’s personality.
Finally, not all groups will have all of the roles we’ll discuss.
With the possible exception of “leader,” no single informal role is found in all—or
even most-- groups.
Group members play the roles that are necessary to the specific groups.
As we go through the roles, let’s use planning a dinner for your grandmother’s birthday
as an example.
For a group to be productive, there are certain jobs, or roles, that have to be performed,
such as someone has to offer information, someone has to clarify information, someone
has to write up the notes, etc.
First is the Initiator/Contributor.
This person starts things off (or initiates the discussion), or may help change direction
during the discussion, suggesting or proposing new ideas.
In our example, this is the person who says, “We need to celebrate grandma’s birthday,”
or “let’s figure out what we need to do to make this a party to remember.”
Oftentimes, but not always, the Initiator/Contributor is the Leader, sometimes called the Director.
The information Seeker asks for additional clarification, facts, or other information
that helps the group understand the issues that are being discussed.
If you ask questions like, “Would the party be better if we held it on the weekend?”
or “What kinds of music does Grandma like?” you would be playing the information seeker
role.
Some scholars group the information Seeker and the Opinion Seeker role together.
If you are the Opinion Seeker, sometimes called the Consensus Taker, you are asking the other
group members to share their opinions or to see if opinions held by one person are shared
by other group members.
An Opinion Seeker might ask, “So, it sounds like everyone wants to try for Saturday, the
17th.
Is that what everybody thinks?”
The information giver role is the opposite of the information seeker, doing just what
the name implies: providing information like relevant facts, examples, statistics, or other
data that would help the group in its task.
If you offer information about how much it might cost to rent tables and chairs for the
party, you are playing the Information Giver Role.
And, just as some scholars linked the information seeker and opinion seeker roles together,
some also link the Information Giver and Opinion Giver roles together.
The Opinion Giver offers his or her opinions or beliefs about the group discussion, such
as, “I don’t think we have to go all out for this.
I think Grandma would be satisfied with just cake and ice cream, as long as we’re all
there.”
Much of the time, the discussion requires Elaboration, or clarification.
When you say something like, “If we are talking about cake and ice cream, we could
do something like the Jefferson family did when they…”, and you explain or clarify
what you mean, you are the Elaborator or Clarifier.
You can elaborate or clarify both what you mean and what you think others may mean.
The Orienter, sometimes called the summarizer, reviews and clarifies the group’s position
while not adding anything new to the discussion: “Let me make sure we’re all on the same
page.
We’re talking about a simple party, just cake and ice cream, on Saturday, the 17th
at my house, with Janice in charge of creating the invitation,” and so on.
Another task role is the Evaluator/Critic, sometimes called the Questioner, who assesses
the evidence and conclusions of the group—essentially analyzing the group’s discussion and decisions.
“Do we really need to spend all that money on tables and chairs?”
A special type of Evaluator/Critic is the Devil’s Advocate, who intentionally challenges
the group’s idea and point of view, not to be argumentative—not to be argumentative
and block the group’s process, but to critically test and evaluate the strength
of the group’s ideas, solutions, or decisions.
“Let me see what the downside of this approach is.”
This role may be assigned or it may develop organically.
After some time discussing the issue, the Expeditor (sometimes called the Energizer)
might show up, prods the group to action, or decision, such as calling for a vote or,
some scholars say, stimulating the group to greater productivity.
A Procedural Technician handles tasks such as distributing reports, recording ideas on
a whiteboard for everyone to see, making sure the meeting follows a particular structure
such as Robert’s Rules of Order, and so on.
And, finally, a Recorder makes a written record of the group’s progress.
While task roles are focused on productivity, maintenance roles are focused on the group’s
identity and relationships.
They help the group get along and feel cohesive.
The Encourager, also called the Supporter, provides warmth to individuals, verbally or
nonverbally.
“That’s a great idea, Marcus!” not only helps make Marcus feel good and encourages
him to offer other ideas, it contributes a supportive climate for the rest of the group.
A Harmonizer is concerned with managing conflict and mediating disputes amongst group members,
trying to articulate the common elements in two or more views.
To use a cliché, this person pours oil on troubled waters to smooth them out.
“Hold it!
Janice and Maria, you both have some good points, and we can discuss this logically.”
The Compromiser is focused on resolving conflicts by offering a—what else?—compromise.
“Nick, you think the party should start at 7:00 while Lee is suggesting 8:00.
What if we split the difference and start at 7:30?”
When stress builds up and the group needs to take a break or let off steam, that’s
when the Tension Reliever steps up, often using humor to diffuse the situation.
If the group purpose itself is stressful, the tension reliever might bring snacks to
the meeting to create a more relaxed atmosphere.
Related to the tension reliever is the Dramatizer/Storyteller who makes the meeting fun by telling stories
that are interesting or amusing—without taking the group off track.
The Emotion or Feeling Expresser puts into words how the group may be feeling, such as,
“I know we are all tired and frustrated right now.”
Some groups have a Group Observer who provides feedback to the group and how it is functioning—or
not functioning.
There are two more group roles that most scholars include in maintenance but, depending upon
context, could be classified as task.
The first is follower.
Obviously, tasks can’t get done if everyone is the leader--or fighting to be the leader—the
cliché, “too many chiefs and not enough Indians” comes to mind.
The work has to get done, so you need followers—making it a task role.
Followers, however, grant power to the leader—without this granting of power, the relationships
in the group could suffer, the group is not able to work on the task, and a lot of time,
energy, and tension is spent establishing who is in charge and the direction of the
group.
So let’s say I am used to leading groups, but someone else is the designated leader
or wants to be the leader.
By understanding that the group climate would suffer if I pushed for the leader role, I
instead decide to step back and, by accepting and supporting the ideas of others, I choose
to be a follower for the good of the group—then I’m playing the follower as a maintenance
role.
Constructive followers create "the glue" that allows work to get accomplished—contributing
to cohesion.
Now, the second role is Gatekeeper.
According to Systems theory, a gatekeeper opens and closes the gates to let information—or
people--in or out—making it a task role.
But a gatekeeper can also monitor the group to see who is and who is not participating,
and then limiting those who are dominating the discussion while encouraging those who
may be reluctant to contribute—so you can see why scholars classified it as a maintenance
role.
By making sure that all are heard as well as maintaining the relationships in the group,
the gatekeeper allows the work—the task—to get accomplished.
Perhaps the most interesting observation about these maintenance roles is that they are almost
invisible to the group if the group is working well.
Yet they are imperative for a group to create and maintain the necessary climate to get
the work done.
Now, if you are playing an individualistic role, you are putting your needs ahead of
the Group needs, in essence, letting your individual needs trump the needs of the group.
These types of roles hinder, or interfere with, the group’s process and progress.
Oftentimes, an Individualistic role is a task role or maintenance role taken too far.
The first of these, the Dominator, attempts to take over the group and control all discussions—frequently
talking over others and displaying threatening, intimidating, and bullying behavior within
the team in an attempt to take over the team and control all discussions.
While you don’t have to be the leader to dominate, sometimes the leader’s personality
results in this type of behavior.
The Aggressor, sometimes called the fighter, degrades other group members and their ideas
and may decide to take credit for other group members’ work.
“Simon, that is the stupidest idea I’ve ever heard, especially when you consider the
fabulous idea I brought up yesterday.”
The Blocker is uncooperative, a dominant personality who immediately shuts down other people’s
views for no apparent reason, such as, “I just don’t like it, and I don’t have to
tell you why.”
Very similar to the Cynic, who is pessimistic or questions everything.
Perhaps an Evaluator/Critic or Devil’s Advocate role gone bad?
The Recognition Seeker, also called the Stagehog, wants to be in the spotlight and may brag
about his or her accomplishments or tell stories that put him or her in a positive light, taking
the group’s attention away from the task at hand.
The Joker, also called the clown or the playboy or playgirl, treats group meetings as fun
time and a way to get out of real work, distracting other people by telling jokes or playing pranks—a
Tension-Reliever gone awry.
While all group members are encouraged to keep the group interesting by disclosing information
about themselves and relating appropriate stories, the Self-Confessor goes well beyond
the Dramatizer/Storyteller maintenance role and uses the group as an audience to report
his or her personal feelings, insights, and observations—not connected to the group
work, but about him or herself A Special Interest Pleader is someone who
has a pet project or personal agenda and is constantly trying to recruit the group to
include it in the group project.
Some scholars call this the Zealot role, with the zealot often trying to take the group
back to earlier conversations and decisions about the issue, hoping to get a reversal
of opinion or continue possibly discussing his or her favorite topic.
An Isolate is someone who withdraws from the group, physically by missing meetings, or
psychologically, by declining to get involved in group discussions.
Sometimes called a withdrawer, the isolate could be a follower who really doesn’t do
anything.
And some members play the Help Seeker, or Dependent, making excuses as to why he or
she can’t do something, often looking for sympathy in the process.
Quiz Time!
What are some of the task roles that you see occurring most frequently in the groups you
are involved with?
How does an individualistic role differ from a task or maintenance role?
Which roles do you tend to play most often in a group?
Pay attention to these roles, as you might be unknowingly playing an individualistic
role.
Baseball Hall of Famer, Casey Stengel, summed up the difficulty of managing the various
roles that occur in groups—those that help the group be productive and cohesive and those
that distract, or hinder group performance, when he said,
“Gettin' good players is easy.
Gettin' 'em to play together is the hard part.”