Working in small groups
Small groups need
effective leadership –not necessarily a leader- to make sound decisions.
Leadership is the ability
to influence group members so as to help achieve the goals of the group.
Kinds of leadership:
·
Implied
leader: a group member to whom other members defer because
of her or his rank, expertise, or other quality.
·
Emergent
leader: a group member who emerges as a leader during the
group’s deliberations.
·
Designated
leader: a person who is elected or appointed as leader
when the group is formed.
Functions of leadership
·
Procedural
needs: the housekeeping requirements of the group, e.g.,
(i) when and where the group will meet; (ii) setting
the agenda for the meeting; (iii) starting the meeting; (iv) taking notes
during the meeting, except in those cases where every member is required to
take notes; (iv) preparing and distributing handouts; (v) summarizing the group’s
progress at the end of the meeting.
· Task needs:
the substantive actions necessary to help the group complete the particular
task it is working on; e.g. (i) analyzing the issues
facing the group; (ii) distributing the workload; (iii) soliciting the views of
other members; (iv) keeping the group from going off the tangent; (v) playing
devil’s advocate for unpopular ideas; (vi) formulating criteria for judging the
most effective solution; and (vii) helping the group reach consensus.
· Maintenance needs:
the interpersonal relations in the group, e.g. (i) ensure members get along with one another; (ii) how
members contribute to the group; (iii) whether members feel satisfied with the
group’s accomplishments, and (iv) whether members feel good about their roles
in the group.
Responsibilities in a small group
· Commit
yourself to the goals of your group
o
Do not have a hidden agenda or private
goals.
o
Be aware of hidden agendas.
· Fulfill
individual assignments:
o
You
may divide the workload among several members of the group. If so, every member
must fulfill his or her assignments.
o
All members have one critical assignment
–listening. Do not tune out the person who is speaking.
· Avoid
interpersonal conflicts
o
Don’t let disagreement to become
personal.
o
Keep disagreement on the task level.
· Encourage
full participation
o
All members must contribute fully and
share their ideas with one another.
o
Every member of the group should take
responsibility for encouraging other members to participate. For example, if
there are one or two quiet members in the group, you can draw them into the
discussion by asking their opinions and showing interest in their ideas and
information.
o
Build a supportive environment.
o
If you are too shy, you will probably
not want to participate. To overcome this diffidence, try to remember that your
contribution is necessary to the group.
· Keep
the discussion on track
o
Every member has the responsibility to
keep the discussion on track and to intervene if the group wanders too far
afield.
o
There is nothing wrong with a little
casual conversation to break the tension or provide a brief respite from work,
but it should not be allowed to get out of hand.
o
When working in a problem-solving group,
make sure the group’s ultimate goal is always in the forefront. But you should
guard against the tendency to progress to a solution too quickly, without
exploring the problem fully.
The
reflective thinking method
This
is a five-step method for directing discussion in a problem-solving group.
· Define
the problem
o
The group must know exactly what problem
it is trying to solve.
o
The best way to define a problem is to
phrase it as a question of policy, i.e., a question about whether a specific
course of action should or should not be taken.
· Analyze
the problem
o
This requires research. You need to have
the best information available.
o
Investigate the scope of the problem.
o
Learn about the history and causes of
the problem.
· Establish
criteria for solving the problem
o
Determine the standards on which a
judgment or decision can be based.
· Generate
potential solutions
o
Discuss the widest possible range of
potential solutions. Do not judge them at this stage.
o
You can use brainstorming.
· Select
the best solution.
o
Evaluate and choose the best solution.
o
Take a particular solution,
discuss it against the selected criteria, and then move on to the next
solution.
o
The group should make every effort to
reach consensus.
o
Resort to vote only when every other
attempt to find a solution agreeable to all members has failed.
o
A vote may resolve an immediate conflict,
but it may not result in the best solution. It weakens unity in the group by
fostering factions.
Presenting
the recommendations of the group: Oral Report
· Select
one person to deliver the oral report.
· All
other members are expected to provide support to the speaker and are expected
to answer questions.
· The
report should have three main sections: (i)
introduction: state the purpose of the report and preview the main points; (ii)
body: spell out the problem addressed by the group; and conclusion: summarize
the main points.
Source:
The Art of Public Speaking by Lucas Simeon Wattam. McGraw Hill.