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Antigroup Roles

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Unlike task and social roles, antigroup roles create problems because they serve individual members’ priorities at the expense of group needs. You’ve probably seen evidence of these antigroup roles in the groups you belong to:

An avoider refuses to engage in the group’s proceedings by expressing cynicism or nonchalance toward ideas presented or by joking or changing the subject (“Well, whatever, I’m guessing it’s not a big deal if this party doesn’t even happen, right?”).
A recognition seeker calls attention to himself or herself by boasting or by going on and on about his or her qualifications or personal achievements (“I planned a gathering for a women’s studies group last year, and it went really well. People still talk about it! So trust me on this one”).
A distractor goes off on tangents or tells irrelevant stories (“Does anyone know what happened on Awkward last night? I missed it”).
A troll is someone in an online group who intentionally inserts irrelevant and inflammatory comments into the discussion in order to stir up controversy.

To mitigate the impact of these antigroup roles, members can revisit the norms the group has established and make the changes needed to improve group communication (for example, “All ideas get a fair hearing”). People fulfilling certain task or social roles can also help. For instance, if you’re a gatekeeper, you can prompt an avoider to contribute her opinion on a proposal that the group has been considering. Research also indicates that positive and proactive responses to avoiders and blockers can help establish individuals as leaders in their organizations (Garner & Poole, 2009).