As individuals, we make our own choices, decide what we agree and disagree with, learn from our mistakes, and learn to evaluate a situation when we are wrong. However, as a group the same approach can be taken, but that doesn't necessarily mean it will work. Teams are made up of a large group of individuals who each have their own opinions and whose opinions others might not see. Instead of making your own choice, a group choice must be made, compromises must be made, and unfortunately not everyone will always agree with the decision. This organizational psychology course really tested individuals' "teamwork skills" the hard way, that is, by depending on the cooperation of your group members, because a large part of your grade depended on the success of your group. The day the groups were assigned, the first thing that came to mind was "Great, now I have to do all the work" and that was followed by "please don't let no social slackers in my group.” Once a group has been assigned its permanent members, the real evaluation begins. Differences in Perception When you join a group, there are bound to be members who have different opinions and are not willing to settle or compromise. Organizational power is of great importance to an individual accustomed to working alone. Cobb's episodic model of power is a model I used for myself when trying to negotiate how I thought things should be handled and how, at the same time, I should also incorporate opinion of everyone on the subject. For example, one of the first meetings my group and I had together was to discuss our group name and come up with a logo. I took the initiative and suggested we go around and state one thing in the middle of the paper... an effective group. Effectiveness Group effectiveness was generally based on objective versus subjective performance criteria. My group definitely grew throughout the semester. We started strong; we had goals and were willing to do the work necessary to succeed. As the semester progressed, it became more and more difficult to keep up with the work, but we did our best and succeeded. Overall, I truly believe that my group did well and I am very honored to be a member of the Tea-Rex team. Personally, I would like to improve my stress levels and I believe that if I can control this, I will probably be able to function better. Taking this course not only introduced me to organizational psychology and made me realize that I will use it every day from this day forward, but it also introduced me to a group of strangers that I can now call my friends..