Chapter TwentyEight Communicating in Groups Chapter TwentyEight Table

Chapter Twenty-Eight Communicating in Groups

Chapter Twenty-Eight Table of Contents z. Becoming an Effective Group Participant z. Leading a Group z. Making Decisions in Groups z. Making Presentations in Groups

Communicating in Groups z. Small group: limited to between three and twenty people. z. Presentational speaking: reports delivered by individuals or groups within a business or professional environment.

Becoming an Effective Group Participant z. Clear communication is vital to working cooperatively in groups. z. Listening is key, as is critically evaluating information.

Becoming an Effective Group Participant z. Focusing on the Group’s Goals z. Assuming Roles within the Group z. Using Productive Conflict to Focus on the Issues z. Avoiding Groupthink

Becoming an Effective Group Participant: Focusing on the Group’s Goals z It may be easy to go along with the majority or get emotional, but remember to use your group’s goals as a guide.

Becoming an Effective Group Participant: Assuming Roles Within the Group z. Task roles: group members’ roles related directly to the objectives and mission of the group. y. Information giver y. Information seeker y. Elaborator y. Initiator

Becoming an Effective Group Participant: Assuming Roles Within the Group z. Interpersonal roles: relational roles that facilitate group interaction. y. Harmonizer y. Gatekeeper

Becoming an Effective Group Participant: Assuming Group Roles z. Counterproductive roles: negative interpersonal roles that are usually irrelevant to the task. y. Blocker y. Avoider y. Recognition seeker y. Distractor y. Dominator

Becoming an Effective Group Participant: Using Productive Conflict to Focus on the Issues Productive conflict is issue-based rather than personal-based. z. Personal-based conflict: group members argue about each other rather than with each other z. Issues-based conflict: productive conflict in which group members test and debate ideas and potential solutions

Becoming an Effective Group Participant: Avoiding Groupthink z. Groupthink: tendency of group participants to accept information and ideas without critically analyzing it.

Leading a Group z. One of the primary responsibilities of the leader is to set goals and encourage active participation.

Leading a Group z. Setting Goals z. Encouraging Active Participation

Leading a Group: Setting Goals z. Each member should be able to identify the purpose and goals of the group. z. The group leader should set the goals and ensure they are reached.

Leading a Group: Setting Goals z. Guidelines for setting group goals: y. Identify the problem. y. Map out a strategy. y. Set a performance goal. y. Identify resources. y. Recognize contingencies. y. Obtain feedback.

Leading a Group: Encourage Active Participation Group members may not want to participate for the following reasons: y. Apprehension y. Lack of self-esteem y. Dominance y. Status differences

Making Decisions in Groups Effective groups make decisions that all participants understand to which they are committed.

Making Decisions in Groups z John Dewey’s group decision-making: y y y Identify the problem Conduct research and analysis Establish guidelines and criteria Generate solutions Select the best solution Evaluate the chosen solution

Making Decisions in Groups: Identifying the Problem z. All members must agree on the issue or problem at hand. z. Each participant should briefly state what he or she thinks about the problem.

Making Decisions in Groups: Conducting Research and Analysis z. The group may need to research an issue for several reasons: y. To close gaps in information. y. To investigate past solutions to similar problems.

Making Decisions in Groups: Establishing Guidelines and Criteria z. Group participants should establish criteria to evaluate the problem. z. Establishing guidelines and criteria is an interactive process that should end in consensus.

Making Decisions in Groups: Generating Solutions z. Conduct a brainstorming session. z. No debate and discussion of the merits of the proposal should occur during this stage of the decision-making process.

Making Decisions in Groups: Selecting the Best Solution z. Next, weigh the relative merits of each against the criteria agreed on earlier. z. Select the best alternative.

Making Decisions in Groups: Evaluating the Solution z. Re-evaluate the criteria and guidelines against which the solution was measured: y. Were the criteria useful and appropriate? y. How strictly were the criteria used? y. Does the solution resemble the criteria that were developed? y. What other criteria would have been helpful? y. Does the solution have any weaknesses?

Making Presentations in Groups z. In a group presentation some or all of the members divide the tasks that would ordinarily be done by one person.

Making Presentations in Groups z. Assigning Tasks z. Ensuring Consistency of Delivery

Making Presentations in Groups: Assigning Tasks z. Together with the group leader, members must decide who will do which tasks.

Making Presentations in Groups: Ensuring Consistency of Delivery z. Each group member should practice delivery to avoid inconsistencies of style within the group.