How do I connect within groups through communication?

 A group is a number of people greater than three who interact over time, depend on each other, and follow shared rules of conduct.  These three or more must see themselves as interdependent on one another to formulate cohesion, the feeling of group identity.  This is also sometimes known as "groupthink".  Two challenges that group formation faces are the pressure to conform and the time needed for the group process.  Work coming from the group can be of lesser quality  when the focus is on time and conformity.  Though groups face these two hardships, there are also a number of benefits that arise from groups.  Greater resourcing is available, along with thoroughness, creativity, and commitment. Task communication, procedural communication, climate communication, and egocentric communication are all different ways in which a group functions to accomplish goals.  The type of communication used largely depends on the type of leadership the group is under.  An authoritarian leader would probably tend to lead the group in task communication, generating results quickly, being the least likely to give power to any other group members.  A democratic leader might lead the group in a procedural communication, using small group discussion, where there is more power given to group members, but the leader still helps guide the discussion and keep the group on track.  Lastly, a laissez-faire leader would most likely lead the group in climate communication, or a harmonizing brainstorm, where there is more power given to other members of the group, and the leader is less likely to use "power over".  The laissez-faire leader is hands-off and would merely help keep a healthy conversation going.  From this project, i learned that there are different ways to lead a group, but the best way is democratic, because of the efficiency and fairness involved. 

How do I connect within personal relationships through communication?

In personal relationships, there is a multitude of processes that we use to connect and relate to others.  In some cases, we use listening to connect with others. The interpersonal climate between two people is also largely affected by the levels of self disclosure we participate in.  Self disclosure has much to do with the closeness between individuals and the level of the relationship they are in.  Relationship conflicts can wedge themselves into personal relationships and create small obstacles that need worked through to overcome.  All in all, the commitment in a personal relationship is the glue that carries the irreplaceable individuals through until the end, and there is an end to some personal relationships, be they friendships or romantic involvements.  Our self disclosures turn into investments, or "that which we put into relationships that we could not retrieve if the relationship were to end." As we disclose more to one another, there builds a trust, and with more trust comes a deeper level of self disclosure.  The rules of the relationship help guide the behaviors of each of the partners. The tensions in a relationship help each of the partners learn and grow together as individuals. These are called the relational dialects. These include autonomy versus connection, novelty versus predictability, openness versus closedness, and the way you manage these different dialects can determine the relationship's success or failure.  The key is to find what works for you, and find a partner that can work with your own style of personal communication to fit their own. From this project, I learned and can take with me the knowledge about explorational, intensifying, and revising communications and how to properly navigate through changes in a romantic relationship.