Finding the Right Group

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One of the key elements of a collaborating is the group that will collaborate.

Group dynamics play a key role here, and is well described in Donelson Forsyth's book Group Dynamics. In Chapter one he specifically defines groups and group dynamics as we examine collaborative groups.

In Forsyth's chapter, he defines a group as two or more people, and that the group comes together to achieve a goal. The goal can vary from long term to short term, or what skill sets make up the group, but ultimately there is a common goal.

This forms the foundation of a group as we look at the specific type of group, the community of practice. This is a type of group that requires a group of people who share a set of interests and skill sets.

I found this particularly interesting because the internet enables us to form communities of practice with people who live on the other side of the world. I think today social media plays a huge role in allowing us to be part of a community of practice.

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For example, I am a person who enjoys who enjoys testing out beauty products and makeup looks. Unfortunately, I live on a college budget, and can't afford to try every product that hits the market. With social media, I can find a beauty community that is composed of people who enjoy doing makeup as a hobby, and people who are professional makeup artists and beauty influencers.

Social media gives me the ability to tweet out my question on a new product. Usually it's friends and followers who interact, but I could also use a hashtag to reach out past my own circle.

I'll get replies back suggesting a brand or type of product from followers sharing their favorite products.

We all share a common interest of beauty products, and we work to each further our hobbies. It helps me achieve my personal goals of trying products because if multiple people tell me it's not a good product and it doesn't work, I might decide to save and not buy it.

As technology advances, it's made it easier for people to operate as a community around beauty products. They share the common interest of beauty around the world, and I can watch a youtube video of a person in Canada, New York, or the U.K. testing a lip color I was interested in. The community is sustained through the ability to constantly share whatever we're looking into or testing out that day.

I think social media gives us the opportunity to collaborate in groups and communities of practice. I think it's important to focus on how the internet allows us to form groups in our hobbies. People collaborate all the time for work projects, but the internet and social media opens doors to finding people who share interests and goals.