Entropy and Equifinality

I am familiar with the concept of entropy. The authors write, "Living systems tend toward entropy-that is: disorganization, stagnation, and chaos. I was involved in a small group within a church for many years that eventually experienced entropy. We were originally excited and eager to share ideas. We accomplished a lot, including collecting input from the greater parish and writing and implementing a five-year plan for our particular area of the parish’s long-range plan. However, by the seventh year, the group had lost members and was down to the same three people coming to meetings, which were no longer effective and to which I no longer wanted to go.  The group had lost its focus of working for the good of the parish and the members were discussing the same things over and over at each meeting. We were definitely stagnating because we had no fresh input, just the same-old, same-old. We were somewhat disorganized; we didn’t always send out agendas prior to the meetings, and we didn’t always use agendas in the actual meetings. There was an event we put on that bordered on chaotic because we assumed it would go on as before so we didn’t put much effort into organizing it. Our group was fully into the state of entropy. Instead of doing what the book suggested to prevent entropy, “increasing inputs of energy and information,” I decided to quit the group. I have no idea how well the group is going now, or even if it still exists.

The authors write, “Equifinality refers to the fact that living systems can take different routes to the same destination. This was apparent to me over the years when I served as a small group leader at a retreat for teens. As an icebreaker, a scavenger hunt was always held the first night pitting small groups against each other. As many years as I was involved, none of my various groups ever used the same strategy and yet my group won more than once. The teens who had been to the retreat before learned that there was more than one way to be successful in a scavenger hunt. So, as the authors also write, “there is more than one way to skin a cat!”

Interdependence and Interrelationships

A couple of examples from my own experience in small groups show the importance of understanding interdependence and interrelationships as they relate to groups as living systems. For several years I was co-chair of our church festival. One of the years I made a huge mistake and chose a co-chair without thinking about her management style. Her style was to tell people what they needed to do and that they better do what she said or quit. This didn’t go over well with people who were volunteering! I was barely able to keep the heads of the various parts of the festival from quitting, even though they had worked year after year in the same positions. I sure learned the importance of interdependence and interrelationships. The next year I chose a friend to co-chair with me who did not rule with an iron hand but believed as I did that there would be a better outcome in the friend- and fund-raising aspects of the festival if all of the heads of the festival depended on each other and shared in the responsibility for the group process and work. No one wanted to quit that year!

Another example that shows the importance of understanding interdependence and interrelationships occurred during a group project a year or so ago. One person was chronically late or didn’t show up at all, but the rest of us put up with it. About two-thirds through the semester, we were blown away when the chronically-late person blew up in our group and said she was tired of doing everything while no one else did anything, and she wanted to start from scratch and do things her way. By accepting her lateness and her lack of participation, we weren’t including everyone and sharing the responsibility for the group process. Once we got over our shock, we let her know that we could have used her input throughout the semester and would like her input now, but the decisions needed to be made as a group. We all agreed that once she started contributing, we shared more ideas and had more beneficial interactions that made our group project even better.

Introduction

Hi. I grew up in Los Angeles, but didn’t like the smog so moved to San Diego before moving up here. Currently I’m a San José State fundraiser seeking donations from alumni and friends of the university. Among other tasks, my job entails writing, which always includes marketing and promoting the university as well as building Spartan pride. Previously I’ve worked as a development director for a grammar school. That’s where I’ve had most of my experience in public relations and marketing. I’ve also volunteered in several non-profits and always seem to end up in one way or another in the PR and marketing areas of these organizations.

I love to read. That’s how I relax. I also enjoy walking and hiking. I bribe my husband each weekend to walk for four to five miles with coffee and a pastry halfway through the walk, fully realizing that this defeats one of the healthful purposes of the exercise.

I love learning and especially enjoy communication and psychology classes. I enjoy the openness and willingness to share experiences by students and teachers that seems to come with being in communications.

I am eager to take this class because both my career and my volunteer work involve a lot of interacting in a small group setting, so I’m eager to learn all I can. Knowing more about communication in small groups won’t hurt at home, either!

I look forward to getting to know you. “See” you online!