Progress seldom comes from the deliberations of a group. Rather, progress most often comes from the creative thinking of individuals working alone.

Progress seldom comes from the deliberations of a group. Rather, progress most often comes from the creative thinking of individuals working alone.

5:40-6:10

In American society, one of the key values enforced in the nation’s classrooms and workforce is group or team work. It is viewed that team work will help accomplish a task more efficiently and often times more successfully than say by an individual. By working as a team it is possible have everyone come up with ideas and amalgamate them for a larger yield. Whether group work or individual work is dependent on the individual’s or groups makeup of attitude, motivation and drive to complete a task.

First consider a situation in which progress or success in  comes from individual creativity and self motivation. In rare cases working in a group may hinder one’s ability to think for themselves because other group members may dominate and take charge. Instead of taking a leadership role, they follow the leader. Time and a well thought out plan is sufficient for one to succeed in a desired goal. Often times working in groups, members tend to : veer of topic, unequal  distribute the work, lack of communication and unfair grading procedures. A well known example, of self motivation and success is Bill Gates. Bill Gates, the son of an attorney and a schoolteacher, Gates entered Harvard in the fall of 1973. He dropped out two years later to found Microsoft with childhood friend Paul Allen. In the 1990s, a stock of Microsoft was worth close $1.50 a share and as he developed his empire, the stock skyrocketed to almost $40. Since the early 1980s, many versions of Windows and multiple products have been launched further expanding Microsoft. In 2007, more than thirty years after he left Harvard, the co-founder of Microsoft would finally receive his degree (an honorary doctorate) from his alma mater. Hence, Bill Gates is an example of a person who progressed up the social ladder as an individual with a personal goal to enhance computers rather than working with a large group.

In contrast, there are situations where progress or success comes from group work rather than individual creativity and self motivation. In the early 1900s during the early years of the Industrial Revolution  people had limited ways of mobility through the steam engine and automobile. However, soon Wilbur and Orville Wright were going to change the course of history. The Wright brothers were inspired by a model helicopter bought by their father at the time from a French architect. Their dream of flight brought Wilbur and Orville Wright to Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. There they worked together to experiment various materials and kites, and after 4 years of experimentation, they achieved the first successful airplane flights in 1903. With courage and perseverance, these self-taught engineers relied on teamwork and application of the scientific process. What they achieved changed our world forever. In addition, during the 1950s, the United States was in close competition with the Soviets in the so called “Cold War”. Both countries had large scientific groups in various fields of nuclear weaponry, aeronautical engineering and space dynamics. With the efforts of these groups working together resulting in remarkable human feats such as John Glenn becoming the first man to land on the moon Hence this is an example where progress has come from deliberations in group work. 

In all it is circumstantial to determine whether or not a group or individual will succeed in  a given task. Whether group work or individual work results in "progress" really depends on the make-up of the members. Some people tend to be more effective on an individual basis and receive creative inspiration when having not to deal with the distraction of various members. Other people tend to slack off and rely on the initiative of the rest of the group whereas they would have taken more responsibility working alone. The group's progress also depends on the individual capabilities of members; a group composed of creative, hardworking people will most likely yield progress. As the old saying goes, a group is only as strong as its weakest link.If a group does not have any good communication and equal distribution of tasks then failure will occur. It is evident that success for a goal can occur for a group or an individual when there is a set goal with steps that must be achieved.