Messy Roommates

Submitted by Group 9
Abad-Cuenca, Stefany
Argyle, Ryan
Davis, Anthony
Martin, Tyler
Naranjo, Augusto
Salt Lake Community College
COMM 1010-410
April 3, 2016

Table of Contents
Executive Summary 2
Project Description 3
Methods 4
Problem Question 4

Analyzing the Problem 4

Setting Criteria 6

Brainstorming Solutions 7

Analyzing Solutions 7
Conclusion 9
Works Cited 10
Appendices
Appendix 1: Team Contract 11

Appendix 2: Comparison Chart 13

Appendix 3: Participation Points 14

Executive Summary
This report was designed to examine the problem-solving process for our group project
our communications course. In this project, we were directed to use a reflective thinking
sequence to solve a group problem. The problem we proposed in the group was to recommend a
plan of action to resolve a dilemma that involved a group of roommates. The dilemma involved a
group of roommates that were experiencing a problem keeping their living establishment cleanly.
Two roommates were adversely affected by the untidy environment. These roommates would
like the workload to be distributed equally and fairly per the agreement that was set in the
beginning of the arrangement.
Our team used Deweys reflective thinking process to find a solution to the problem. As a
group, we were able to use this process to form a consensus on each step of the process. Through
this process, we were able to find an agreed plan of action. This plan will enable the affected
parties to neutralize the problem and allow the group to work harmoniously to meet the initially
set expectations.
Our recommendation for the affected housemates is to create a plan for a house meeting.
This way they will be able to communicate their discomfort in a professional manner. In this
meeting they can get a consensus of the roommates of an action plan or schedule going forward
to keep everything cleanly, fair, and productive. This solution provides offers open
communication

Project Description
Moving into a new apartment/house and your roommates are great, up until a few months
later. They start to become very messy and careless. The house was great at first, but the
environment is even becoming dangerous with all of the items all around the floor. The tidy
roommates are getting very upset because their environment is becoming unlivable, but they tidy
roommates dont want the messy roommates to feel attacked. The tidy roommates want to
maintain a good relationship with the messy roommates while also keeping the house nice and
clean at the same time.
Five of us students make up group 9 in the COMM 1010 class got together on this
assignment. We used reflective thinking to come up with the best approach to help tidy
roommates be able to live effectively and safely with their messy roommates. Our team met four
times once a week for more than an hour at a time to come up with an effective solution. Critical
thinking was used thought out the whole process when developing solutions. All of the members
of the group were encouraged to participate, and that is how we developed the best conclusion.
Finding an answer to this problem is important because there are many college students
that have to live with very messy roommates. This affects all of the roommates living in the
house, but it also affects all of the roommates friends because it could be a hazardous
environment. Finding a solution to this problem will allow us to be able to help many college
students with the same problem.
Our group came up with a lot of different solutions. The solution that we decided on will
have the best results when dealing with a messy roommate while keeping the peace at the house.

Part I: Problem Question

Our group came upon the topic of how it is dealing with messy roommates, and came to
the problem of How can we maintain a livable environment, with equally distributed work
duties so that each roommate can live comfortably? It seemed to be something that all of our
group members had good opinions to build off of, and something that we have all dealt with first
hand.

Part II: Analysis of the Problem

To be able to find the best solution we really needed to research and figure out everything
we could about the problem. We decided to target all of the characteristics, stakeholder affected
by the problem, things that had been done in the history to fix this issue, and policies and politics
including with the dealing of these issues.

A.Characteristics
-Uncomfortable living situations for selected roommates (negative)
-Damaged relationships (negative)
-Damaged home and appliances (negative)
-Unfair work load (negative)
-Hazardous environment (negative)
-Laid back environment for selected roommates (positive)
-No stress load for unwilling participants (positive)
-No stress related to being unable to meet expectations (positive)

B.Stakeholders
Laid Back Tenants - The laid back tenants are impacted by not having any responsibility
therefor maintaining a low-stress level and the comfort of being able to pursue other issues in
their lives. Their ultimate goal is to be comfortable in their home.

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Tidy Tenants - The Tidy tenants are being impacted negatively and are experiencing high-stress
levels and uncomfortable living arrangements. Their goal is to have a livable and comfortable
living arrangement with an equal workload.
Landlord - By losing time and money on repairs after the tenants leave the Landlord is being
impacted negatively. The landlord has the expectations of being able to rent out the home to
future tenants as soon as with as much ease as possible.
Relatives and Close Friends of Tidy Tenants - This group could be affected negatively by the fact
that the tenant might be taking the stress out of them, or even staying at their homes to avoid the
harsh living environments, hurting the relationship between the two. The relatives and close
friend want to keep a maintainable relationship, without any unnecessary stress added from the
tenants problems.
Cleaners and Repair Teams Hired by Landlord - The cleaners hired after the tenants move out are
going to be positively impacted by ensuring job security. The goal of the cleaners and repair
teams is to make a living.

C. History or Background
Chore Schedule - This solution will help even out the work load for the tidy roommates,
and will hinder the laid back roommates by adding more stress to their lives and taking time
from other activities they are participating in. The group has decided we have all seen these work
effectively and fairly, with the exception of non willing roommates.
Moving - The roommates that make the decision to move may obtain a better
living situation and be happier. It could hinder them by financially hurting them by
having to possibly break a lease, or not get their deposit back. They also face the stress of
moving and the costs accompanied by the process.
Direct Confrontation - Circumstances may benefit the Tidy Tenant by making the
Laid Back Tenant more aware of the situation. The Confrontation could hurt all the tenants by
making the laid back tenants upset or hurt, resulting in violence, or uncomfortable living
arrangements for the laid back tenant. The group agrees that this has caused resentment and a
negative experience if not approached delicately, but can work if done right.
Positive Reinforcement - This solution can impact the tenants by bringing them all closer
together and improving the morale of the home. It could hinder the situation by not working and

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adding more stress to the Tidy tenants for feeling hopeless. We have seen these solutions most
often effect situations in positive ways as a group.

D. Policies/Politics
Culture needs to be acknowledged and respected, Some tenants might not agree with how
the others are living, but it might be a cultural difference that could be discussed and talked over.
Ethical exceptions of equality and fairness need to be recognized and respected. When
living with roommates you need to be aware of these things, or you wont be able to maintain
positive living environments.
Ethical expectations of health and wellness. People can be adversely effected by a dirty
environment and deserve the right to live in a cleanly and safe home.
Landlords policies need to be respected and exercised. If these aren't obtained and
acknowledged the landlord can take whatever actions necessary which will effect all tenants
living in the home, not just the roommates accountable.

E. Resources Available to us as we attempt to find a solution

Personal Experience
Conducting a problem solving and decision making meeting
Communication at Work Text Book
Knowledge given by current or previous Landlords

Part III: Criteria

Along with finding a solution, we needed to cooperatively come up with the criteria we
were all expected to meet. We had analyzed a number of different elements of the problem and at
this point our group had already felt like we had a pretty good understanding of what we wanted
our criteria to contain.

A. The Ultimate Goal

We would like to maintain a livable environment, with equally distributed work
duties so that each roommate can live comfortably.

B.Specific Criteria
A Comfortable living environment
A Safe living environment
A clear consensus between all tenants
Fairly distributed work loads
Low stress levels for all tenants
Improve home morale
Cost less than $50 dollars
Tenants will gain knowledge and improve in being responsible
A clear contingency plan agreed upon

Part IV: Brainstorm possible solution

Our brainstorming process consisted of a group effort of throwing out any and all ideas
that were appropriate for the situation. After that it became a process of elimination in which
solution would be most effective for our targeted audience. Below is the list we came up with.
1.Direct confrontation: Leads to accountability for the problem and the messy
roommates remedy their untidiness .
2.Chore Schedule: Create a chore schedule with the group and delegate
responsibility fairly. Establish repercussion for failure to meet requirements.
3. Incentive program : Create a plan where each roommate puts in money to the
incentive. Each week if you complete your responsibilities you get your money back. However if
you fail to complete your tasks the money is given to those who did follow through.
4. Enjoy a laid back environment: Stop having an expectation that your
roommates will do their fair share and enjoy being only responsible for yourself.

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5. Establish Weekly Meeting Schedule: Create plans around weekly meetings to
discuss individual responsibilities.
6. Fee Structure: Failure to meet established requirements entitles roommates to
charge additional amount to provide maid service. Votes at a group meeting decides if your are
going to receive the fee.

Part V: Solution Analysis

As we threw out all possible solutions to our problems we tried to combine and modify
them into more specific and more well rounded ideas. We got down to a final 5, in which we then
created a chart to evaluate which would be most effective which has also been attached with this
report.
After evaluating all of these elements we chose a solution, which leads to our conclusion.

Conclusion
In this COMM 1010 class, we formed a team of five for a group project. As a group, we
decided to help college students find an effective way to deal with their messy roommates.
Throughout four weeks, we brainstormed and used reflective thinking to solve the problem. We
suggested different problem-solving methods, created criteria for the roommates to follow, and
we also came up with potential solutions. We then decided what method and solution would be
best for the roommates to implement.
The best method we decided on for college students to use with their messy roommates is
to have weekly house meetings. This is the best solution because the roommates will be able to
discuss all the things that are on their mind and they will be able to communicate without having
time conflicts. With the weekly meeting, they are able to speak freely so no one feels attacked or
singled out. All of the roommates will know what is going on in the house and they will be able
to work out their problems together. A spreadsheet will be put in place to ensure that everyone is
involved even if a meeting has to be missed. If the environment turns hostile a mediator will be
involved to avoid further conflict.

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Works Cited
Adler, Ronald B., Jeanne Marquardt. Elmhorst, and Kristen Lucas. Communicating at Work:
Strategies for Success in Business and the Professions. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2013.

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Appendix 1: Group 4 Team Contract
Class: COMM 1010-410
Semester: Spring 2016
Date created: April 3, 2016

Team Members / Contact Information

Abad, Stefany - sabad1@bruinmail.com - 801-8426905
Argyle, Ryan - rargyle7@bruinmail.slcc.edu - 435-740-0403
Davis, Anthony - adavi218@bruinmail.slcc.edu - 8017934632
Martin, Tyler - tmart199@bruinmail.slcc.edu - 801-703-3998
Naranjo, Augusto - augustonaranjogk@gmail.com

Team Norms
Relational norms:
1. Taking turns with certain parts of the project so not one person gets overwhelmed or feels like
they are putting in more work than others.
2. We all commit to being punctual and respectful of other people time.
3. We all commit to hearing everyone in the group's opinion before submitting an answer.
Team Member Roles
Relational roles:
Participation Encourager - members who maintain conversational flow being on task. Tyler
Martin
Gatekeeper - Regulates participation of members. Ryan Argyle
Harmonizer - Resolves interpersonal conflicts between members. Stefany Abad
Moral booster - Reinforces accomplishments and contributions of members. Anthony Davis
Tension Reliever - Uses humor or other devices to release members anxiety or frustration.
Augusto Naranjo
Praise Giver - Everyone
Task roles:
1. Scribe- Takes all information down that was said at the meeting. (rotates weekly)

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2. Brain Stormer/Leader - gets a head start on the assignments to lead the group (rotates weekly)
3. Meeting Coordinator - Coordinates meeting and makes sure it fits in people's schedules.
Anthony Davis
4. Diagnoser - Offers observations about the task-related behavior of team. Ryan Argyle
5. Summarizer - Reviews what has been said, identifying common themes or progress. Augusto
Naranjo
6. Starter or Energizer - Initiates or encourages the task-related behavior. Stefany Abad

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Appendix 2: Solution Analysis Chart
This chart, which we used in Step VI, evaluates each solution in terms of each criterion.

Analysis of Potential Solutions Based on Criteria

Enjoy
Establish
Laid back
Weekly
Environm
Meetings
ent

Direct
Confronta
tion

Chore
Schedule

Incentive
Program

Comfortable
Living
Environment

Safe Living
Environment

Clear Consensus
between all parties

Fair Work load

Lower Stress level

for parties

Improve Home
Morale

Cost less than 50

Dollars

Tenants improve
knowledge on
accountability

Contingency Plan
consensus

TOTAL POINTS

25

36

28

29

39

32

Fee
Structure

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Appendix 3: Group 4 Member Participation Points
At our last meeting, we assigned participation points to each group member. We show here our
list of points and reasons.
Stefany Abad-Cuenca 12 Points
1. Stefany was always prepared for the meeting and used the book to give good input. Stefany
scribed two times and she included everyone's ideas in the assignments. She attended all 4
meetings. She completed the conclusion, she also put the team report together.
B. Ryan Argyle- 12 Points
1. Ryan always had great input to our meeting. He always had opinions about the topic we were
talking about. When every he was assigned something he fully completed it. He attended all 4
meetings. Ryan put together Part I - Part V to help with the team project.
C. Anthony Davis 12 Points
1. Anthony was the one that took control of the group. He had good leadership skills and always
kept us on task. He attended all 4 meetings. He always had great input at out meetings. Anthony
put the executive summary together for our group.
D.Tyler Martin 6 Points
1. Tyler attended 3 meeting and gave good input when he was present. He did not complete his
part of the report.
E. Augusto Naranjo 4 Points
1. Augusto attended one meeting and gave good input. He completed the Project Description for
this report.