In English class we've been working on this teamwork issues pyramid (I'm sure it's got a name, but I definitely haven't got it written in my composition book for whatever reason). The bottom level begins with Absence of Trust and moves up to Fear of Conflict then on to Lack of Commitment. Each of the levels branches out into different issues that arise due to the central problems. One of the things I personally am noticing, though, is that the biggest central issue of all - the one that would cause all of the above problems - is lack of communication. It may be just personal opinion, but this a conclusion I have reached.
I am starting to realize more and more that people don't communicate. It's not that they can't, it's that they choose not to. Assumptions are made, arguments begin, fights occur, trust is lost, and things ultimately end badly. That's not how it should be. There's no discussion involved, and unfortunately, that's how most of society goes. The problem? No resolution comes from that. THE FIGHT never ends. This is the extremely disturbing part: we never FIX anything at all, because we refuse to communicate.
It happens all the time: between husband and wife, boyfriend and girlfriend, brother and sister. Between classmates and teammates. Between "gangstaz" and "thugz" and all the "tough" guys and girls. People rarely talk about the real issue. That's why the fight in my first period class happened, and it resulted in in a suspended boy and bloodied arms. That's why some families have feuds and stop talking to each other. It's why things are so dramatic when relationships don't work out. I hate the fact that our fear of conflict, fear of talking things through, creates more problems than it avoids. I think that's why I like speech & debate, because it rarely escalates to stupidity in that sense; it's discussion and communication and LOGIC (usually...). You'd think that we who spend so much time arguing for competition would have the biggest problems, but I personally think that my ability to communicate and resolve conflicts has been significantly increased. I am grateful for that.
I think that the first thing to be dealt with is communication. As long as we can handle that, my team will be successful. As long as we talk and act rationally and calmly, I firmly believe we will never have to even worry about the pyramid of team-related issues. I believe the next step would be to get the rest of society to understand the simplicity of communication. Plus, it makes life so much easier.
I really agree Melanie. I think failures to communicate are essential the root of all conflict. There wouldn't be any wars or fights it people just listen to one another and are able to see other points of view. I also agree with the thing you said about how acting calmly and rationally can end team related issues. On the other hand I understand how hard it can be see the other person's view. Like a lot of people will argue with someone and them just say the other person's point of view is dumb and doesn't make sense. When in reality they aren't truly giving it a fair view. I think it's in human nature to be short-sided and maybe self-oriented. Face it, we all act that way sometimes.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your position on communication, and I like that you focused on the current real world issues that us students are faced with today. I also find that it is interesting that even though none of the pyramid sections pointed out that a lack of communication was a problem, you noticed that yourself. Excellent insightful post. Emily S.
ReplyDeleteI liked the use of real life examples and how you thought outside of the box. Instead of limiting your analysis to teams, you took to examples like families and relationships. This was a good tool to use as a liaison for students to relate team issues to everyday life. Very good analysis.
ReplyDelete-Nick B.
I am glad you all agree. I do believe that it is human nature to disagree, I completely agree with whoever posted for Dragon Fist Bandits and didn't leave their name; we do all act that way at one point or another. However, I also believe there are a lot of things that are "human nature" that we as a society have decided are wrong. It goes way back the philosophical idea of the state of nature - all things that are human nature cannot function together in a non-chaotic way without logical interference. We must learn to alter some of them in order to be successful. - Melanie N.
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