ABSTRACT
Groups are the basic units of society within which we grow, learn, socialize and work. Each of us has a lifetime's knowledge about how groups work and yet, for all this experience, many people are unproductive in group settings. Because so much of our work as facilitators is done with teams and groups, we need to understand core group dynamics and must also know how to guide groups through the more difficult processes that they experience. One of the best places to start for facilitators who are trying to understand how teams and groups get along is to focus on roles. Contributor roles that help achieve the task include: the information provider; the questioner; the clarifier; the initiator; and the concluder. The intent of the activity, picture boxes, is to raise awareness among participants about the roles that they naturally take in the team or group.
