Emma Rogers 2/25/13 Dr. Cooper COMM 362 Case Study: Glen ard !

est "oung #$%e "oung #$%e &"#' $s a non(denom$nat$onal C)r$st$an yout) organ$*at$on %ound at many )$g) s+)ools all o,er t)e -orld. .t $s a out meet$ng /$ds -)ere t)ey are at $n l$%e and -al/$ng along s$de t)em ea+) day $n )opes o% s)o-$ng t)em t)e lo,e o% C)r$st. Most s+)ools )a,e somet)$ng +alled 0+lu 1 ea+) -ee/ %or t)e students to +ome to -)ere t)ey s$ng songs2 play +ra*y games2 and )ear a s)ort message %rom t)e 3$ le. 4olunteer leaders -)o are typ$+ally +ollege aged put t)$s on ea+) -ee/ at t)e )$g) s+)ool $n -)$+) t)ey lead at. 5or my +ase study2 . sat $n on Glen ard !est6s "oung #$%e team meet$ngs -)ere t)ey planned t)ese +lu s ea+) -ee/ and d$s+ussed )o- t)e sa- t)e m$n$stry -or/$ng. .t6s +omp$led o% 11 +ollege students and one "# sta%% person -)o lead t)e group2 $n t)$s part$+ular group t)$s persons name $s 7elly. S)e $s t)e one -)o p$+/ed ea+) o% t)ese students to e on t)e Glen ard !est "oung #$%e &G!"#' team as t)ey appl$ed to ,olunteer %or "oung #$%e. 8)e purpose o% t)e$r meet$ngs ea+) -ee/ $s to plan -)at a+t$,$t$es t)ey -$ll e do$ng at +lu on Monday2 t)$s $n+ludes games to play2 songs to s$ng2 and someone to s)are a message %rom t)e 3$ le. 8)ey also d$s+uss -)at t)ey %eel as a group t)ey are do$ng -ell2 -)at t)ey +an $mpro,e on2 and tal/ a out $nd$,$dual +onta+t -or/ t)ey are do$ng -$t) t)e )$g) s+)ool students. 9 $g reason -)y . +)ose to o ser,e G!"# $s e+ause . also am $n,ol,ed $n "oung #$%e at a d$%%erent )$g) s+)ool. :ot only d$d t)$s g$,e me a lot more $ns$g)t as to -)at t)ey -ere plann$ng ut $t also )elped me see -)at my group +ould e do$ng etter $n our plann$ng pro+ess and -)at -e -ere already do$ng ,ery -ell -$t). .n my +ase study2 -e ran $nto a ,ery $nterest$ng s$tuat$on -)en $t +ame to group leaders. 7elly2 t)e "# sta%% person -)o ran t)e group2 -as pregnant and due any day -)en t)ey )ad t)e$r

%$rst meet$ng. S)e -as +learly t)e strong leader o% t)e group -)o -ould r$ng t)em a+/ toget)er -)en t)ey -ould get o%% top$+2 ass$gn people to +erta$n ;o s and as/ all t)e <uest$ons. !)en . got to t)e se+ond meet$ng2 7elly )ad )er a y and -as go$ng to e on a matern$ty lea,e %or t)e rest o% t)e semester2 -)$+) meant t)at students needed to step up and +)ange roles to lead t)e group. . sa- t)$s $n t-o students $n part$+ular2 C)esle$g) and Ra+)el. See$ng t)$s +)ange )appen %rom t)e %$rst meet$ng to t)e se+ond s)o-ed me t)e %our roles o% a group ta/e pla+e all o,er aga$n -$t) d$%%erent people as leaders. 8)ey ot) essent$ally spl$t 7elly6s role et-een t)e t-o o% t)em2 -)$+) -as ,ery )elp%ul. Ra+)el -ould as/ %or op$n$ons and C)esle$g) -as ,ery good at g$,$ng suggest$ons and op$n$ons. .n Set) 5essenden6s ;ournal art$+le Role-Playing Plays a Role In Group Dynamics, )e tal/s a out group leaders lend$ng t)e$r t)$n/$ng to etter %$t t)at o% t)e group2 spea/$ng 0not as an aut)or$ty ut as ope on +ommon le,el -$t) all. =e )elps ut does not d$+tate. =e does not as/ t)e group to -or/ %or )$m> t)ey -or/ as $nd$,$duals -$t) )$m.1 &pg 2?' See$ng t-o o% t)e students ta/e o,er t)e $mportant role as leader +erta$nly made me see -as 5essenden -as des+r$ $ng ta/e pla+e. 8)e t-o g$rls stepped $n2 not as aut)or$ty %$gures2 ut on t)e ot)er students6 le,els and . t)$n/ t)$s )elped t)em get real and more )onest ans-ers to some o% t)e <uest$ons t)at t)ey as/ed. 9not)er t)$ng t)at . sa- as one o% t)e$r greatest strengt)s $n +ommun$+at$ng -$t) ea+) ot)er -as t)e$r -)$te s)eet o% paper t)at t)ey )ad at t)e$r %$rst meet$ng -)$+) t)ey used to -r$te do-n e,eryone $deas and suggest$ons %or +lu . 8)$s )elped e+ause $t -as a re%eren+e po$nt to a lot o% t)e <uest$ons t)at -ere as/ed and $t )elped t)em stay on tas/ e+ause t)ey sa- -)at else t)ey needed to a++ompl$s). Go$ng a+/ to t)e %a+t t)at . also am a part o% a "oung #$%e team2 $t -as easy %or me to p$+/ out pro lems and strengt)s t)at t)$s group )ad. !)at . sa- to e t)e most pro lemat$+ -)en $t +ame to t)e$r group +ommun$+at$on -as t)at e,eryone )ad %ree re$gns to spea/ -)ene,er t)ey

%elt l$/e $t2 -)$+) meant t)at $t got +)aot$+ at t$mes -$t) people tal/$ng o,er ea+) ot)er and gett$ng t)e group o%% top$+. 8)$s also )ad a lot to do -$t) t)e %a+t t)at 7elly6s role as leader -as not ,ery strong and s)e d$d not )old a lot o% aut)or$ty $n t)e group. . sa- t-o people %rom t)e group $n part$+ular t)at -ere o%ten t)e +ause o% t)e top$+ +)ange. !)en t)ese students -ould s)o- any sort o% tens$on release2 t)e ent$re rest o% t)e group -ould %ollo- t)e$r lead. 8)ese meet$ngs -ere ,ery $n%ormal2 so all o% t)e $nterrupt$ons -ere2 to an e@tent2 a++epted. 9not)er $g pro lem t)at . sa- ar$se -as t)at so many $deas -ere +onstantly t)ro-n out y mem ers o% t)e group ut $t -as al-ays t)e same t)ree or so people6s $deas t)at a+tually got )eard2 t)e rest -ere ;ust $gnored. 8)$s also )ad to do -$t) t)e %a+t t)at +erta$n people -$t)$n t)e group -ere mu+) <u$eter t)an ot)ers. 8)ere -ere 3 people $n t)e group -)o d$d not g$,e a suggest$on t)e ent$re meet$ng. .n order %or t)e group to -or/ to $ts est and )$g)est +apa+$ty2 e,ery mem er needs to spea/ and all t)e d$%%erent $deas need to e )eard. As$ng t)e /no-ledge t)at . )a,e -$t) "oung #$%e meet$ngs2 one t)$ng . t)$n/ t)at +ould )elp sol,e t)e$r +ommun$+at$on pro lems $s y esta l$s)$ng an aut)or$ty %$gure t)at )olds po-er $n t)e group. 8)e pro lems t)ey ran $nto -ere t)ere e+ause t)e respe+t le,el $s not -)ere $t s)ould e -$t) someone -)o $s seen as $n +)arge. .n t)e art$+le The Golden Public Relations Dictum y 3rent 5$lson12 )e suggests t)at $nstead o% t)e leader do$ng t)e order$ng around2 +)allenge t)em to ta/e leaders)$p %or t)e results t)at t)ey -ant. . %ound t)$s most )elp%ul %or t)e part$+ular group . -as loo/$ng at e+ause t)e meet$ngs -ere so $n%ormal and lots o% laug)$ng and )a,$ng %un at t)e meet$ngs $s somet)$ng t)at $s seen as a++epta le. 5$lson6s $dea o% +)alleng$ng t)em to ta/e leaders)$p -ould -or/ -ell e+ause $t -ould get ea+) person on t)e team $n,ol,ed and -ould %or+e people to ta/e +)arge and s)are t)e op$n$ons t)ey )ad. O,erall . t)$n/ t)e
1

5$lson2 3rent. 08)e Golden Bu l$+ Relat$ons D$+tum.1 Bu l$+ Relat$ons Cuarterly ?3.3 &1DDE': 12(13. Commun$+at$on F Mass Med$a Complete. !e 2G 5e . 2H13.

G!"# team d$d a -onder%ul ;o a+t$ng as a group and +ommun$+at$ng -$t) ea+) ot)er. On+e t)ey are a le to de%$ne and get +erta$n leaders)$p roles $n pla+e $t -$ll )elp -$t) t)e$r de+$s$on ma/$ng pro+ess and t)en -$ll )ope%ully )elp t)em -or/ toget)er to-ards t)e results t)ey -ant.