The group's task is the job to be done. People who are concerned with the task tend to:
• 1. make suggestions as to the best way to proceed or deal with a problem;
• 2. attempt to summarize what has been covered or what has been going on in the group;
• 3. give or ask for facts, ideas, opinions, feelings, feedback, or search for alternatives;
• 4. keep the group on target; prevent going off on tangents.

Relationships means how well people in the group work together. People who are concerned with relationships tend to:
• 1. be more concerned with how people feel than how much they know;
• 2. help others get into the discussion;
• 3. try to reconcile disagreements;
• 4. encourage people with friendly remarks and gestures.

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Behavior in the group can be of 3 types:
– 1. that which helps the group accomplish its task;
– 2. that which helps group members get along better (relationships); and
– 3. self oriented behavior which contributes to neither group task nor group relationships.
• Examples of these types of behavior, called roles, are:

• 1. Initiating:
– proposing tasks or goals; defining a group problem; suggesting ways to solve a problem.
• 2. Seeking information or opinions:
– requesting facts; asking for expressions of feeling; requesting a statement or estimate; seeking suggestions and ideas.
• 3. Giving information or opinion:
– offering facts; providing relevant information; stating an opinion; giving suggestions and ideas.

• 4. Clarifying and elaborating:
– interpreting ideas or suggestions; clearing up confusion; defining terms; indicating alternatives and issues before the group.
• 5. Summarizing:
– pulling together related ideas; restating suggestions after the group has discussed them; offering a decision or conclusion for the group to accept or reject.
• 6. Consensus testing:
– asking if the group is nearing a decision; taking a straw vote."

• 1. Harmonizing:
– attempting to reconcile disagreements; reducing tension; getting people to explore differences.
• 2. Gate keeping:
– helping to keep communication channels open; facilitating the participation of others; suggesting procedures that permit sharing remarks.

• 3. Encouraging:
– being friendly, warm, and responsive to others; indicating by facial expression or remarks the acceptance of others' contributions.
• 4. Compromising:
– when one's own idea or status is involved in a conflict, offering a compromise which yields status; admitting error; modifying one's position in the interest of group cohesion or growth.

• 1. Dominator:
– interrupts others; launches on long monologues; is over-positive and overdogmatic; tries to lead group and assert authority; is generally autocratic.
• 2. Negativist:
– rejects ideas suggested by others; takes a negative attitude on issues; argues frequently and unnecessarily; is pessimistic, refuses to cooperate; pouts.

• 3. Aggressor:
– tries to achieve importance in group; boasts; criticizes or blames others; tries to get attention; shows anger or irritation against group or individuals; deflates importance or position of others in group.
• 4. Playboy:
– is not interested in the group except as it can help him or her to have a good time.

• 5. Storyteller:
– likes to tell long "fishing stories" which are not relevant to the group; gets off on long tangents.
• 6. Interrupter:
– talks over others; engages in side conversations; whispers to neighbor.
• 7. Poor me:
– tries to get the group's attention to deal with own personal concerns, discomfort, bad luck, etc