Welcome back to English for Marketing and Sales. In this video we will focus on the roles individuals play in group dynamics. The study of group dynamics began in the middle of the 20th century with Kurt Lewin's scientific study of group behavior. He used the term dynamic to show how groups tend to be powerful, active, fluid, transformative entities. In business focused research, groups have been studied for many reasons including motivation, leadership, productivity, focus groups, idea creation, and goal setting. Though we view the group as a whole, it is really made up of individuals. And much research has been done on both the individual's influence on the group as well as the group's influence on the individuals. But so much has been written and studied about group dynamics that we can't possibly touch upon it all here. Instead, for the purpose of this course, we'll focus on the communication roles, both negative and positive, that individuals can play within a group. Let's begin with the Negative Roles. Negative roles are usually when an individual focuses on personal needs, taking away from the group focus. These include blocking, dominating, clowning, and withdrawing. As Jenny pointed out, blocking is when a person prevents conversation, interrupts is critical of others ideas, often disagrees, and generally creates an atmosphere of evaluation apprehension. In other words, others are afraid to speak up in case the blocker knocks them down. Dominating is when a person talks too much or too often, which deters others from speaking. This behavior can encourage others to withdraw from participation. They just give up. Clowning is when a person uses humor without actually adding quality to the discussion. Often a person will do this to appear as if he or she is actively involved in the discussion, when in fact they're not really working to move the conversation forward. And this behavior can quickly derail the conversation if it's allowed to continue. And finally, withdrawing is when a person simply does not participate. This can happen for many reasons. They may not agree with the path that was decided. They may resent the person who's idea was chosen. They may not feel their ideas are valued. Or they may simply be too tired to engage. To counteract this negative roles, there are positive roles you can take on. Some positive roles are task-based. That is, they focus on a task. Examples of task-based roles are seeking and giving information. Energizing the team, taking notes and sharing that information with others. Expanding on what others have said, initiating conversation or offering new ideas. Positive task-based behavior can help control the clowns and balance the dominators or blockers in the group. Other positive roles are maintenance roles. These roles focus more on relationship building. Some examples of these are encouraging participation, finding opportunities for compromise, or seeking harmony during conflict. Let's review the takeaways from this lesson. Negative rolls impede progress and include blocking, dominating, clowning and withdrawing. Positive roles include task-based roles, which work to support the group in accomplishing the tasks. As well as maintenance roles which work to build positive relationship among the group members. What is important to remember about the roles and groups is that the role you take on is a choice. You choose to have a positive or a negative influence on the dynamics. What will your choice be? If you're interested in learning more about group dynamics our other course in the specialization english from management and leadership. Discusses the phases of group development and the leadership roles you can take to guide groups successfully through those phases. Thanks for watching English for marketing and sales.