Introduction
Trust has been named the pillar of effective relationships. Experts from different fields which include political science, management and other disciplines agree with this notion even though there is little that has been done to determine the actual role of interpersonal trust between individuals or among groups of people (Costa and Anderson, 2011). Most of the research done on trust and its role in relationships point out trust to be a key determinant of performance and has been said to affect the group process. This means that the effectiveness of group processes is directly proportional to the level of trust between the group members. Such group processes such as cooperation are elevated to a significant level (Robinson, 1996).
This paper is basically an individual response that shows my reflection on how my group developed interpersonal trust among the group members. This was accomplished through assessing the change in the four sub-scales before and after the group work. The sub-scales include propensity to trust sub-scale, perceived trustworthiness sub-scale, cooperation behavior sub-scale and monitoring behaviors sub-scale. Different activities displayed by the group members during the group work were recorded and scored.
Awareness
A clear and adequate description of the learning event
The learning event was basically a group work which was meant to develop interpersonal trust among the members. During the group work, several qualities of a person’s behaviour were assessed and this included such things as offering a helping hand, being concerned about the other people’s problems, relying on each other, having complete confidence in one another’s ability to perform a given task and many other variables. A questionnaire was completed and the scores assessed for differences so as to determine whether or not the group members developed interpersonal trust.
Good description of related thoughts and feelings associated with the event
The scores to determine whether the group members hesitated to help a person in need suggested that some members agreed with the notion. Most of the members of the group also agreed that most of them spoke out for what they believed in. The group lacked sincerity when it came to being concerned about the problems of others. A positive aspect of the group is that the members had complete confidence in each other’s abilities to perform the given task. The group members always kept their word and always delivered what they had set out to achieve. The members did not have different ideas about the issue of being able to rely on each other. The group can also be acknowledged for having members who diligently look out for each other’s interests and always try to keep track of their previous commitments. Generally speaking however, it can be said that there was an increase in the trustworthiness and cooperation among the members but the monitoring behaviors were less pronounced.
Arguments to why the learning event provoked associated thoughts and feelings
Some group members might have hesitated to help other members due to lack of confidence in the potential of the members. The needy member in the team might have been thought to be a liability rather than an asset in the group. Every member spoke out for what they believed in and this might have been because of the confidence levels that each member had for themselves. Each member believed in themselves and therefore spoke out confidently. The group however lacked some element of cooperation when members showed lack of concern about the problems of other members. This might be brought about by the spirit of competition which should not be present in a group situation. Most of the members however had confidence in each other’s ability to perform and this shows that they were ready to work together and complete the work at hand. The members’ diligence in looking out for each other’s interests is a spirit of cooperation which should be present in any group or organization. In general, the group members showed that they could work together successfully and not have the need to monitor other people’s activities which is a characteristic of lack of trust.
Critical Analysis
Entries are largely descriptive
The values which are being looked out for in each member describe the values of the member to determine whether he or she is a trustworthy member. The members’ abilities and potential have to be weighed to determine their effectiveness in a group and their contribution towards building trust in the group. The members’ convictions and determinations would also determine the success of a group. It is through these values that a group would be successful in their endeavors.
Highly developed analytic and critical skills of both content and relationship to self-development
It is each member’s responsibility to ensure that one participates fully in the group processes so as to experience aggregate success in the group. Each member should have trust in the abilities of other members to perform tasks and become useful to the group. This calls for the self-evaluation of each member for their different abilities and the ways in which they could add value to the group through participation. Members should also set goals for themselves so that they could be faithful to complete it. Cooperation is required from each member since this helps build interpersonal trust.
Learning
A good understanding of how to implement possible changed perspective and associated aspects of self
Through the assessment of the group’s activities, some values that need to be instilled in each member have been outlined. Each individual needs to participate fully in the group and purpose to deliver results that were expected of him or her. Through delivery of the output that is required of the individual, trust would be developed. This requires commitment to the cause and perseverance. Each member should cooperate and bring in some input to the group while utilizing one’s strengths.
Critically analyzing benefits of possible implementation based on theoretical bases
When trust is present among the members of a group, the members would be motivated and the performance levels would be elevated. Motivated individuals tend to display joint efforts in their activities and therefore the performance of the group is taken to another level all together. Research has it that trust influences the group performance in a rather indirect way due to its effect on the group processes (Pruitt et al., 1980).
Conclusion
It can be concluded that interpersonal trust is important in any group situation such as an organization because it is through trust that people develop cooperative behaviors and other values that are useful to the group. Lack of trust, on the other hand, is deteriorative to the group’s performance since no one would be able to fully exploit their potentials due to insecurities and other negative factors. Each member should add value to the group by offering help and achieving individually set goals. It is through interpersonal trust that groups flourish.
References
- Costa, Arnold and Anderson, Nick (2011) Measuring trust in teams: Development and validation of a multifaceted measure of formative and reflective indicators of team trust. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 20(1), 119-154.
- Pruitt, Daniel et al. (1980) Effects of trust, aspiration, and gender on negotiation tactics. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 38(1), 9-22.
- Robinson, Samuel (1996) Trust and the breach of the psychological contract. Administrative Science Quarterly, 41(1), 574-599.