Chapter 2 in The Essential Guide to Group Communication talks about participating in small groups and the etiquette and demeanor associated with those groups. Much like a basketball team (or any team for that matter), these groups must work together, almost as one, in order to successfully complete a task. Whether they are publicly distinguished or not, effective groups utilize certain roles in order for each person to work well with one another. These roles are separated into two different types of roles: task roles and personal roles.
Task roles focus solely on accomplishing goals whereas personal roles deal with the groups chemistry and relationships.
Task roles are very much similar to that of roles of a basketball team. For example, the administrator, or coach from a basketball perspective, keeps track of everyone and makes sure things get done. The initiator in a group is much like a point guard in basketball as they facilitate things to happen. They are also able to come up with different solutions to different problems. Small group roles also include an elaborator, an information giver, and an information seeker.
Personal roles are like the experienced veterans on a championship caliber team. They might not be able to contribute a whole lot in terms of their production, but their presence makes the whole group more cohesive by doing things such as easing any tension in the group. That is the task of the harmonizer. The other roles are gatekeeper and sensor.
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