Group Communication

The four steps of the problem solving process:

  1. Begin by describing and understanding the problem
  2. Define the symptoms
  3. Define the scope
  4. Figure out the causes
  5. Identify specific criteria, or standards, by which all the possible solutions to the problems can be judged.
  6. Identify and define all the possible solutions to the problem.
  7. Evaluate each possible solution according to the criteria that have been established.

Group think – this occurs when a group is highly cohesive and more concerned with achieving agreement than with solving the problem. This attitude causes group members to suppress their doubts and encourage others to suppress their doubts. As a result, decisions achieved within a sense of groupthink tend to only consider very limited alternatives and are often simplistic and faulty.

Cohesion – this occurs when members have respect for each other, share some of the same values, and look to each other for support.

Small groups – small gatherings of people who interact with each other, usually face to face, in order to achieve particular goals.

Number of members – while different sources define small groups in various ways, a small group is generally 3-7 people. As a general rule, the group needs to be small enough for all members to know one another and to interact on an interpersonal level.

Interaction–in order for a group to work, the group members must interact both verbally and nonverbally.

Common goals – in order for small group interaction to work, group members must share common goals. These goals may be related to a task or they make be related to the social concept of group membership.

Group Task Goals
Information Seeker / Ask questions; elicit information
Information Giver / Gives the group facts and data
Opinion Seeker / Asks for the opinion of other gives the group his/her opinions
Summarizer / Recalls and briefly restates contributions made by various group members
Builder / Listens thoughtfully and adds to the contributions of others
Procedural Technician / Reminds other members of the routines and processes necessary to successful group functioning
Vision Builder / Sees possibilities ahead
Reality Tester / Seeks to verify the accuracy of information contributed by others
Boundary Tester / Tries to stretch group’s thinking
Group Building Roles
Mediator / Helps resolve conflicts and maintain harmony
Expediter / Keeps the group moving towards the accomplishment of its purpose
Encourager / Supplies members with positive encouragement
Standard Setter / Proposes standards for the functioning of the group or for possible solutions

Constructive conflict – develops when members use their differences to discover the best ideas and not to score points against one another.

Disruptive conflict – can destroy a group by polarizing the members (dividing them in to competing sides that refuse to compromise) and by turning the discussion into a debate where personal victory is more important than a successful group decision.

Disruptive Group Behavior / What It Looks Like / Solutions
Nitpickers / want everything spelled out and will quibble until they get what they want. / Be sure these group members get opportunities to speak, but insist that they keep their comments brief.
Eager Beavers / want to offer a solution whether or not they have given it any thought. They may distract the group’s attention from ideas that have been more thoroughly thought-out. / Group members need to help funnel this member’s enthusiasm into helpful discussions and actions.
Fence Sitters / don’t dare take a position until they are sure what the “key people” will say. / Make it clear that the group values this member’s individual opinion.
Wisecrackers / the group clowns / Pick up the pace of the discussion as these members are most likely bored.
Superior Beings / look down their noses at the whole business / Make these members feel needed.
Dominators / don’t know when to quit talking / Make this individual a recorder or an evaluator (a role in which they must remain quiet during a meeting)

What a Leader Should Know

  1. How to run a meeting
  2. The people in the group
  3. The issues the group will discuss

Good Leaders

  1. Act as a moderator – someone who must get the discussion started, keep it moving, and bring it to a close.
  2. A useful way to begin a meeting is to pose a question. The opening question should be directed to the group as a whole and not to any one individual. It is useful to write out questions beforehand if possible. There are three categories of categories of questions:
  3. Question of fact – ask group members to recall information that touches on the business at hand.
  4. Question of interpretation – ask them to give their opinions on what the information means.
  5. Questions of evaluation – ask members to agree or disagree with possible solutions and to make value judgments.
  6. Keep the discussion going,
  7. In almost every group, there will be a person that talks too much and a person that talks too little. A leader’s role is to ensure that everyone participates in the discussion.
  8. Leaders may need to periodically provide paraphrases of what someone has said ( this should be in the leader’s own words, and should summarize the ideas that other group members have shared)
  9. Set and example
  10. Leaders can encourage group members through both verbal and nonverbal praise. Leaders should take care to avoid sending negative non-verbal signals.
  11. Close the discussion
  12. It is up to the leader to keep track of time and understand when a group is ready to move on to the next point.
  13. The ideal conclusion of a group discussion is a consensus. Consensus – a nearly unanimous agreement among the group’s members about a particular solution.