Group Roles

So I had some time to think friday afternoon while driving to NYC. And I started to think about various group dynamics and peoples' various roles in a group. And I realized it really is very similar to a baseball team. Look at a good group out for a night on the town and you'll see what I mean. A baseball team has some important parts. Lead-off hitter, power-hitters, pitchers, etc. And each hitter has a job to do. If they aren't doing their job, the line-up suffers. And certain hitters are better at different things. When you force a guy to do a job he's not very good at the line-up will suffer. So a good line-up gets every role taken care of by the hitters that are best suited for that role. How is a group the same way? Let's check out a couple key people.

The Planner
They are like the lead-off hitter of the group. If they are having an off night, you'll find yourself at alot of bars you don't want to be at. And staying at bad bars too long. Sure, anyone can be a planner, but some people are just better at it. They are blessed with the ability to forge a plan everyone will enjoy, and then get everyone to follow it.

The Censor
While no one likes this person, they are the reason you don't get kicked out of more bars. They've mastered not only the skill of getting drunk people to settle down, but also talking bouncers into letting the group stay. Without a Censor around, parties and gatherings can quickly get really out of hand. While some funny stories often result, you don't want to be the main character in any of these.

That Guy
Maybe it's just cause I fill this roll so often, but I feel every good group has someone that's constantly pushing the limits. Getting loud, getting a little rowdy, drinking a little too much. Nothing obscene, just pushing the envelope a little. Offensive comments, removal of clothing, general frat-boy type behavior.

The Closer
This is the guy that ends the night. They typically do something so awful that you know it's just time to leave. That Guy pushes things, but not to this extent. The Closer lets the entire group know that they've had enough fun for 1 night. Pay the check, get them into a cab, and start getting your stories ready for those that weren't there. You'll likely find them being pinned down by bouncers, peeing on buildings, or any number of other terrible ideas.

Classy Lassy
Not always a girl, but a funny name. This is the person that lends credibility to your group. You may have a bunch of social devients, but if you've got at least 1 classy person you're all set. Suddenly your whole group seems slightly better. Like the rest of you are better for just being around that person. Down-side...that person can easily seem like a buzz kill. To outsiders and to your own group. Everyone else is ripping it up, they're sitting quietly sipping a martini. But most classy ones are the social types that draw new people in.

That about wraps it up. If you've got more, shoot me an email and let me know. If I get enough new roles, I'll put up a version 2 of this. Or maybe we can try to put out a baseball line-up of the people. Match each character up with a position. That'd be fun.
PEACE!!