Individual Reflection Paper
Each person in class will complete this assignment.
What: Paper that reflects on your experience as a team member
Length: 750-1,000 words
Style: Times New Roman, 12 pt., double spaced; your name, team name and word
count in upper right hand corner
WEIGHTED SCORING FOR REFLECTION PAPER
 60% content in response to bulleted prompts in Parts I and II below
 40% grammar/spelling/sentence structure/word count
 Scoring rubric can be found on the Comm 8 Assignments page on my website
under the heading “Resources”
SAMPLE PAPER: See end of this instruction sheet for an example of an A
paper
INSTRUCTIONS
Part One:
In your paper, consider how you experienced each of the topics below within your team
by reflecting on your team’s cohesion, conflict, roles, decision making/problem solving
and leadership according to the following definitions. Incorporate information from the
textbook and examples from your group experience.





Cohesion: The act or state of team members ticking together tightly
Conflict: A struggle between at least two team members who perceive
incompatible goals and interference from others in an attempt to achieve a
specific goal.
Roles: Sets of expectations about behavior and personal contribution in a group
Decision making/problem solving: Choosing between
alternatives/overcoming obstacles
Leadership: Behavior or communication that influences, guides, directs or
controls a group
Part Two:
At the end of your reflection paper, respond to the following two REQUIRED ITEMS in
about 50 words each. Dig deep, be honest.

Item 1: Describe one action you, as an individual, could have taken this
semester that would have improved the small group experience for all of your
team members and tell why it would have improved the group’s experience.

Item 2: Describe something you learned this semester that you will use in a
future group or team to make sure that team members are valued and
appreciated.
SAMPLE
John Smith
Comm B8, MW 8 a.m.
Word Count: 1,227
Part I
The textbook defines cohesiveness as the degree of attraction group members feel toward
one another and toward the group. Cohesiveness was something that our group never failed to
have, even the first time we met. (Name), unfortunately, was not able to attend our Go To Lunch
assignment due to an illness, but (Name), (Name) and myself bonded from the start. I think part
of the reason we bonded so fast was our differences. I was very interested in listening to (Name)
and (Name) as they told me their experiences and things about their lives, because it was very
new to me. Before this group, I had never spent time with someone like (Name) or (Name). I
think their experience with me was probably similar. I think because we were all so different, it
kept us interested, and we found our experience new and exciting. Personally, I was really
nervous going into the Go To Lunch assignment. I didn’t know what to expect from my group,
but once we met for the first time, all my doubts were silenced.
I think the main reason our group had so much cohesiveness is the fact that we were all
focused on the same goal. We worked together well knowing that if we bonded, success would
come. I was blessed with a group that had a lot of cohesiveness.
It seems like every chapter we read in the textbook mentioned something about group
conflict. In fact, conflict is part of the storming step in the four step process used to describe
group formation--forming, norming, storming, and performing. Yet when it came to our group, I
simply cannot think of anything that happened in our group that could be considered conflict. At
no point during this class did our group have members at each others’ throats or arguing with one
another. I think this was simple because we all were blessed to wind up in a group where our
personalities gelled so well together. (Name) is someone we all respected, both as our elder and
as a mother. Since she is a mother of six, she is great at working with groups. (Name) is one of
the nicest people I’ve ever met, and was willing to do anything to help the group. (Name) and I
really got along well because we are both freshman who just graduated from high school, and the
more we got to know each other the more we realized how much we had in common. I am very
glad to say that our group never had to deal with any conflict.
As our group spent more time together, we began to develop roles. When it came to
writing speeches, we always had the same roles. (Name) would do the introduction and a main
point if needed, (Name) and (Name) would do main points, and I would do the conclusion and a
main point if needed. (Name) was the Information Giver who provided facts and examples
when we’d create our outlines. (Name) served as the Coordinator because she always clarified
our ideas and suggestions. (Name) was definitely the Energizer who spurred our group to action
and motivated us to keep going when things got tough. I saw myself as the Evaluator-critic who
evaluated our ideas and conclusions to make sure they were the best they could be. The roles we
played were a big advantage for our group.
When it came to decision making and problem solving, our group used a strategy that
worked out well for us. We would basically sit together and start discussing different ideas. We
would all pitch in, just saying whatever we could think of. Then, it seemed like someone would
always say an idea where everyone else would just all agree that it was the idea we should go
with. Because our group bonded so well and worked great together, we were able to solve
problems and make decisions very quickly. We all knew what needed to be done, and we wasted
little time. We just started attacking our challenges and decisions that needed to be made. The
way we discussed our ideas and agreed on them worked great in our group.
When it came to our group, I don’t think we had any one leader. I think we all provided
leadership in different ways. (Name), being a mother, obviously has experience as a leader, and
it definitely showed. She was great at keeping the atmosphere of our group relaxed but also
knowing when to remind us that we had work to do. (Name) is more of a leader by the example
she sets. Her easy-going personality is contagious, and she had a very positive influence on the
group. (Name) is a person who’s easy to follow because he has such a calming way that he
carries himself. He is an honest, caring, smart person, and this makes him a natural leader.
Because of my experience in sports, I have had experience both being a leader and being around
good leaders. I think I was a good leader for the group. I would set the agenda a lot of times for
our group when it came time to meet, and I hope my group respected me as a leader.
In conclusion, cohesion, conflict, roles, decision making, problem-solving, and leadership
are all important aspects of a functioning group no matter how big or small. Without these
contributions, we wouldn’t have survived everything we’ve been through. Not only did we learn
more about how it is to work in groups, but we also learned something about ourselves. In the
end, the experiences we had, both with the group and individually, were more than worth it. It
prepared us not only in our college careers, but in our future ones as well. I’ve come to realize on
my own from working with this group of mine, that anything can be accomplished as long as you
work together and stick to the plan. As for my own realization, I now know that if I want to
accomplish something, all I need to do is find the motivation within myself to overcome the
obstacles that may get in my way of achieving my goal.
Part 2
One action I think I could have taken that would have improved our small group
experience is I think I could have allowed my group members more opportunity to express their
ideas and opinions. I feel like I am quick at coming up with ideas, and I feel very strongly about
my opinions. While these can be good things, I think sometimes I didn’t allow my group
members enough opportunity to give ideas of their own, because I would state ideas and the
group would just run with it because I felt so strongly about it.
Something I learned this semester that I consider the most valuable is that many times
being on a team with diversity and new people works out the best. In the past, I always just
wanted to be on teams with my friends or people I knew. I will bring this positive outlook to a
future group to help new team members feel valued. This class made me realize that meeting
new people is fun and exciting, and team diversity is so key to a team’s success.