Group Comm Final

Lessons about accountability from Mars Hill

Accountability is necessary with power. Those with power must be held accountable to certain standards by groups. In the case of Mars hill, Mark Driscol was not held accountable creating a multitude of solutions

Concertive Control

Concertive control is a shift in control from rational/bureaucratic system to value-based premises where control is exercised through identification with core values and is enforced by peers.

Currency

Considers whether the information is current and up to date. Currency is often critical for accuracy

North West

Council Chiefs (interrelatedness & timing)

5 Criteria for Making Good evaluations

Credibility, Currency, Relevance, Representativeness, and Sufficiency

Critical Thinking & Effective Decision Making Main Idea (Rothwell)

Effective decision-making relies on critical thinking throughout the process. Primary concern is how you gather and evaluate information.

Drawing People Out

First paraphrase the speaker's statement, then ask open ended, non directive questions. This is the skill that helps participants clarify, develop, and refine their ideas without coaching or intrusion.

Creative Problem Solving - Framing/Reframing

Frames determine whether people notice problems, how they understand and remember problems, and how they evaluate and act on problems. Reframing is the creative process of breaking a mindset by describing the problem from a different frame of reference. Open-ended questions can be a useful technique for reframing.

The problems with the Corporate training programs according to Garvey

Garvey believes one core problem with these programs is that they're education based, not training based. Education increases intellectual awareness of a subject but training makes someone proficient at the execution of a given task. Soft-skills growth in businesses requires training.

5 Lessons from the council ceremony (GTA ME)

Good decisions begin with listening, Truth not turf, A slower process yields better decisions, Make important decisions feel important, Emphasize information not advocacy

Respecting Diverse Communication Styles (kaner)

Groups that tolerate diverse communication styles can utilize more of the ideas put forth by its members. Facilitators aid in stretching the limits of acceptable communication styles.

Balancing

Helping a group broaden its discussion to include other perspectives that may not yet have been expressed. This supports individuals who don't feel safe to express minority views. Creates positive group norms and often comes in for of a question

East

Heyoehkah Chiefs (Freedom & Creativity)

(8 Chief Directions) North

Hunter/Work Chiefs (Clarity & action)

Challenges to building practice based on love?

I-Thou relationships take more attentiveness and Practices based on love require an increasing depth which is counter cultural

Identification (Burke)

Identification is the profound, collective process people use to overcome natural divisions as individuals. To form any sort of collectivity, we use language to transcend our divisions so we can be social. It's beyond team spirit or sharing values, it's about identity. The key is identification with the team's power relationships. This strengthens concertive discipline.

Manufacture of Consent/The Hidden Power of Ideaology

Ideology legitimizes hegemony by making it appear to be something other than it really is. Social legitimation holds groups and societies together, and people willingly adopt and enforce. System/society then can be blamed for the problem, not just one person

Dissent

If there is more than one dissenter in a group, conformity is less likely. Sometimes, the minority can even influence the majority by having more knowledge or using influence strategies

(Group Conformity) Group Locomotion hypothesis

States that the individual is motivated to facilitate the group's goal achievement. This motivation is a sign of commitment to the group, and is more likely when the group requires consensus or unanimous vote

Facilitating open discussion

The facilitators job is to support everyone to do their best thinking. Generally, this means encouraging full participation and promoting mutual understanding. Ultimately, the facilitator needs to organize the flow of the discussion (stacking, encouraging, balancing, etc.) and promote mutual understanding (paraphrasing, drawing people out, tracking, etc.)

Note taking & lettering

The lettering in chart writing is very important. Print should be in plain, block, capital letters, thick lined, straight up and down, without large gaps The goal is legibility.

Hegemony

The oppressed/less powerful identify the dominant group's interests as their own via systematically distorted communication. This happens through the power of rules, routines, and SOP's. People willingly participate in their own domination/control

Antecedent Conditions Present in the Challenger groupthink case study

The people who made the decision to launch had worked together for many years (high cohesiveness), two top level managers actively promoted their pro-launch opinions (leader preference), and decision makers didn't meet with the engineers who dissented (insulation from experts)

Discourse Power

The power to create the base of knowledge from which people reason and make decisions. This is the power to withhold or share information. It's the power to create identification

Role of Zero Chiefs

The role of the Zero chief is to ensure that the process is honored and the discussion moves as it should

What textbook example depicted inferential error

The train example

Ceremony as a Council, not an argument

The tribal council method is structured in such a way that each chief takes turns representing their designated perspective. Chiefs only add their perspective, NOT debate with others.

Decision Making in Cultural Diversity

The value of verbal participation in decision making is perceived differently across cultures. In America (an individualistic culture), speaking is highly valued. In collectivist cultures (like Japan, China, etc.) speaking is not highly prioritized. This is a challenge for culturally diverse groups. Finding ways to boost the verbal participation of cultural minorities in an American culture that values speech is a worthy undertaking.

Convergent Zone Overview

The zone where there is thinking among people who have developed mutual understanding where everything feels smoother, more productive, etc. The purpose of this zone is to aim towards a decision point.

Concertive Control & Shunning at Mars Hill

There was high amounts of concertive control at Mars Hill where the values stated by Mark that were "of the church" maintained a sense of control for "Mark's way." Loss of control resulted in shunning of those who dissented to regain control

"There is no power in wanting or predicting - the power is in deciding" Explain.

This is conveying the idea that ownership is significant, and in fact more important than results. Ownership brings alternative futures into being.

Representativeness

To determine whether statistics are representative, (1) the sample size must be adequate, and (2) the sample must be randomly selected, not self selected.

Facilitator's Main Objective in Divergent Zone

To reconcile these differences, the first step is to make them visible. A facilitator in this zone (regarding matters of content) aids in expanding the range of perspectives and possibilities. In regards to the process of communication, the facilitator is a neutral third party who needs to encourage a supportive, respectful atmosphere. By feeling secure and seeing that they're ideas differ from others, members are encouraged to speak up.

True or False: The shift to I-Thou is crucial to experiencing a dialogical and hospitable community

True

True or false: shadows can also be more positively framed as possibilities unrealized

True

Make important decisions feel important

Turning an important decision into a trivial discussion runs the risk of trivializing the decision. The formal rituals & practices of the council elevate the importance of the decision making process

What's wrong with questions with little power?

Typical questions do not create the possibility of an alternative future. Little-power questions call us to try harder at what we've been doing, while keeping us apart and deepening isolation. The hidden agenda of these questions is to maintain dominance and be right.

Power & Group Dynamic Lessons from Rise & Fall of Mars Hill

Unchecked power is dangerous. Group dynamics where dissent is discouraged and there is limited diversity is risky.

General indicators of power

Verbal include powerful/powerless language. Nonverbal indicators include touch, clothing, space, and eye contact.

South

War Chiefs (power & danger)

How does love allow us transition from ordinary to extraordinary

by allowing the work to be soulful and other centered

A slower process yields better decisions

careful, in dept reflection is needed

French & Raven's Definition of Power

coercive, reward, legitimate, expert, and referent

Shield of Warrior(ess) - North

courage, resourcefulness, strategy

"be your word - (Marshall, Est in the Business)

demands consistency in commitments

Acknowledging feelings

dentifying and naming the feelings of the group members to increase group awareness.

3 types of relational power

dominance - active, prevention - reactive, and empowerment - proactive

Revisions to the Classic/Janis Model of Groupthink from Challenger case study authors

element of time pressure as an influence on group think, leadership given more emphasis in its role in perpetuating (or limiting) groupthink

Summarizing

ending a conversation by restating key themes and main points to help people build categories and internalize them.

What do shadow's refer to?

issues not consciously acknowledged and dealt with that are pushed into the unconscious realm, only to manifest themselves at a later stage, and usually in a more destructive way

What makes Landmark Forum dangerous?

it's dangerous because it requires conformity and obedience, and is exclusive which limits dissent and alternative voices.

Listening for the logic

listening for the logic of the speaker's reasoning, and assessing whether the group appears to be digesting or resisting it.

Be Present (SE)

pay attention to the moment

Shield of the Little Child - South

place of trust and innocence, awe, & wonder

Shield of Nurturer - West

recognize what's needed to heal; balance & care

Legitimizing differences

recognizing that each party is making legitimate points, demonstrating that everyone's views are being respected.

Placemaking isn't only about becoming but also about __________

resistance

Shield of Magical Child - East

spirit of creativity & playfulness, imagination

Relational View of Power

states that power is not the property of an individual and that power/powerlessness is a false dichotomy. All group members have some degree of influence.

Let little child Play (NE)

stay open to vital information, be playful with forces at work in any given situation

The limits of tolerance (kaner)

suggests that an idea that is expressed in an acceptable communication style will be taken more seriously by more people

Encouraging

the art of creating an opening for people to participate without putting any one individual on the spot. Especially helpful early in discussion, and often comes in form of a question

Group polarization

the group tendency to make a decision after discussion that is more extreme (either riskier or more cautious) than the initial preferences of group members. It does NOT mean that disagreement among group members becomes more pronounced. Groups tend to polarize decision making if there is a clear majority leaning one way (risk) or another (caution)

Emplacement

the idea that as people engage in everyday social activity, place is created, highlighting the importance of these subtle daily dialogues

Validating

the skill that legitimizes and accepts a speaker's opinion or feeling, without agreeing that the opinion is "correct."

Credibility

the trustworthiness of information. Must consider the source, bias, be watchful of authorities quoted outside of their field of expertise, and beware of implausible statistics.

How can we acknowledge shadows?

through a dialogical approach to community

Facilitator's Main Objective in Groan Zone

to help the group develop a shared framework of understanding

2 Most common sources of inferential error

under-representativeness (which distorts the facts) and correlation inferred as causation

Evaluating Information

use critical thinking when evaluating the information for its merit is essential to avoid truth decay

I-It Relationships (Buber)

view personal dynamics as a subject-object relationship

I-Thou Relationships

view the other as a co-subject

Facilitation Techniques in the Convergent Zone

The facilitator's listening becomes focused rather than open-ended, using skills like listening for the logic and summarizing.

Guards Out (SW)

are we awake, guarding focus, staying true to purpose?

Listening for common ground

A powerful intervention for when group members are polarized which validates areas of disagreement and focuses on areas of agreement.

Morality as motivated resistance

According to this hypothesis, people with stronger moral convictions are more resistant to group pressure than are people with weaker convictions.

Truth not turf

Designated roles reframe people's "turf" causing them to share perspective from their area, not defend their most natural turf

Sufficiency

Determining when you have enough information to support your claims.

Silencing Dissent at Mars Hill

Dissent was actively silenced at Mars Hiill through verbal abuse, termination, shunning, etc.

3 Component's of Kaner's Diamond Model of Decision Making

Divergent Zone, Groan Zone, and Convergent Zone

What does Fromm say about awakening love in community & hospitality work?

Love requires overcoming egocentricity and making the needs of the other as important as our own...a position of mutuality

South West

Medicine Singer Chiefs (purpose & direction)

When is mirroring a better alternative to paraphrasing?

(Low trust/slow speed) Sometimes paraphrasing can be viewed as passive criticism, in which case mirroring would be a more neutral solution (repeating their words verbatim). New groups that are unfamiliar would benefit from the trust building effects of mirroring. Mirroring also speeds up slow moving discussion. Generally, the more the facilitator feels the need to establish neutrality, the more they should mirror.

Powerful speech

(being direct, making declarations, commanding, etc.) which are often viewed as competent/confident, though not necessarily more correct

Powerless speech

(disclaimers, excessive politeness, hesitations, etc.) are more likely to be interrupted, viewed as submissive, weak, etc.

Truth Decay

(the deterioration of critical thinking practices amidst the eruption of false information perpetuated

4 Main Consequences of Information Overload

1. Critical thinking impairment: separating wheat from chaff 2. Indecisiveness: conclusion irresoltion 3. Inattention: Difficulty concentrating 4. Diminished Creativity

3 Steps to Combat Group Polarization

1. Encourage a wide range of views on issues to be discussed in the group 2. Act as a devil's advocate 3. Discuss issues openly before taking a firm position

4 Ways to increase participation (EMGE)

1. Encourage contributions from low participators 2. Make issues and problems for discussion relevant to the interests of low participators 3. Give low participators responsibility for certain tasks 4. Establish a cooperative group climate

Stages of Groupthink

1. High Group cohesiveness 2. Organizational & situational conditions increase probability for "excessive concurrence seeking" 3. Excessive concurrence seeking gives rise to symptoms of groupthink 4. Result is defective decision-making 5. Low probability for successful group outcome

Symptoms of Groupthink

1. Illusion of unanimity 2. Illusion of invulnerability 3. Collective rationalizations 4. Direct pressure on dissenters 5. Self-appointed mind guards 6. Self-censorship 7. Belief in inherent morality of group 8. Stereotyping of outgroups

4 Objectives of the Facilitator in the Convergent Zone

1. help the group develop inclusive alternatives, 2. to synthesize the alternatives into an approach that will work for everyone, 3. to strengthen and refine the practical logic of that approach, 4. to plan it and bring it to life

Antecedent Conditions of Groupthink

1. highly cohesive group 2. leader preference for a certain decision 3. insulation of the group from qualified outside opinions

Creative Problem Solving - Brainstorming

A creative problem solving technique that generates plentiful ideas and enthusiastic participation. Some rules include encouraging wild ideas, don't evaluate while brainstorming, & expand on ideas of other group members. Ideally brainstorming is individual, then group, then individual again

Linking

A listening skill that invites a speaker to explain the relevance of a statement they just made.

Groan Zone Overview

After a period of divergent thinking, most groups inevitably enter a groan zone. Sifting through and understanding divergent ideas is hard, tedious, frustrating, and a positive feedback loop.

Asch's & Andrew's Studies

Asch's studies showed that when confronted with a majority belief different from one's own, most people will conform to the majority even if it is obviously wrong. Andrew's research goes on to say that the biggest predictor of conformity/nonconformity is ego involvement. Highly ego-involved people are less likely to conform with the group. Low ego involvement and high self monitoring makes it more likely to conform to group opinion

Look for teaching (NW)

Attentive to meaning of each event/happening

How is placemaking a tool for resistance

Because by collectively belonging, you resist the belonging of others

Specific Facilitation Techniques for Facilitating through the Divergent Zone

Chart writing, drawing people out, and validating

How are world cafes, deliberations, a tribal decisions different?

Deliberations come with pre-determined solution-options where you weigh drawbacks and benefits of each progressively. World cafes offer questions rather that facilitate dialogue between people where there is I-thou conversational creation of shared meaning. Tribal Decisions on the other hand, while closer to deliberations, are more formal, ritualled, and force "chiefs" to share the perspective of their designated direction instead of arguing their individual opinion like world cafes or deliberations. However, the ultimate goal of all of them is the creation of shared meaning.

How are world cafes, deliberations, a tribal decisions similar?

Deliberations, Tribal Decisions, and World Cafes are all structured contexts that facilitate shared meaning for the purpose of finding solutions to complex problems

Consequences of power imbalances (Rothwell)

Include bias against women and ethnic minorities, Leadership gap, and workplace bullying/blatant aggression.

Collective Inferential Errors

Inferences are conclusions about the unknown based on what is known. But individuals make inferential errors and these become magnified in a group

Fundamental problem for groups (Rothwell)

Information overload - occurs when the rate of information flow into a system and/or the complexity of that information exceeds the system's processing capacity

Relevance

Information should logically support claims made. Illogical arguments are irrelevant. Helps avoid the ad populum fallacy (basing claims on a popular opinion alone)

Information Underload

Information underload refers to an insufficient amount of information available for group decision making purposes, often occurring because a group member doesn't share critical information, resulting in poor quality decision making. This creates need for more openness in lines of communication

Making space for a quiet person

Inviting noticeably quiet group members to join in and participate. Not forcing them, but creating room.

Groupthink symptoms present in the challenger case study

Invulnerability (NASA's spectacular history), Rationalizations (discounting the engineers data), Morality (leaders ignored the moral consequences of their position even when warned)

Tracking

Keeping track of the various lines of thought going on simultaneously in a single discussion.

North East

Law Dog Chiefs (Integrity & Vitality)

Four Attentions that counterbalance the shields

Let little child play, be present, look for teaching, guards out

Good decisions begin with listening

Listening is required in a council setting that produces shared understanding, not just debate

Specific facilitation techniques for the groan zone

Listening skills like paraphrasing, drawing people out, empathizing, validating differences, encouraging questions, etc. are indispensable. Creating structured activities can also be helpful

What does Freire say about awakening love in community & hospitality work?

Love as a foundation of dialogue - a love for world and humans

What does Westoby & Dowling say about awakening love in community & hospitality work?

Love is necessary in community work to not become shallow, exploitative, and technical and to become transformative

6 Rules of conducting effective group meetings (DCPURD)

Meetings are necessary for effective communication and decision making but often facilitated poorly. To conduct them effectively...(1) Don't call a meeting unless there is no good alternative, (2) Contact every participant with the purpose, logistics, and instructions, (3) Prepare a clear agenda and distribute it to all participants a few days in advance (absence of an agenda is a primary cause of failed meetings), (4) Use procedural communication to accomplish group goals, (5) Reserve a few minutes at the end to determine whether the objectives of the meeting were accomplished, (6) Distribute the minutes of the meeting as soon as possible. It's important to note though that effective leadership/meetings is a group process (not just individual).

What troubled TransAlta employees about the negative assessments?

More commonly, it was the public manner of the negative assessments that troubled the employees

How should you design a question session? (4 Key elements)

Name the distinctions, give permission for unpopular answers, avoid advice and replace it with curiosity, and ask lower risk questions first.

Alternative to Brainstorming

Nominal group technique - another idea generating method where individuals work by themselves to create a list of ideas for a problem and then convene to vote on the ideas.

Deindividuation

Occurs when being in a large group causes a person to feel more aroused and anonymous. Has been known to lead to acts of violence, and can be lessened by increasing a person's private self-awareness.

Stacking

Ordering participants in a facilitation

Love allows us to transition form __________________________ to __________________

Ordinary community work & hospitality to extraordinary work

Gathering information

Output of groups is likely no better than the input available to members, so information gathering (research) should be a focused group effort.

South East

Peace Chiefs (Present condition & appreciation)

Why do people find Landmark forum valuable?

People find the Landmark forum valuable because it creates intense emotional reactions and belonging, and puts you in a context where you can evaluate yourself under stress.

Collective Effort

People get lazy if they don't expect their efforts to lead to personally valued outcomes, or if they don't think their effort will be instrumental in obtaining those outcomes

Emphasize information, not advocacy

Perspective sharing, not arguing for one side

Why study power?

Power is inescapable in human transactions...to ignore power would be strikingly inadequate when exploring communication in groups and teams. There is no virtue in exercising little power, and no group can achieve its goals without exercising some power.

What makes a question with great power?

Powerful questions cause us to become co-creators of our world when answering them. Powerful questions are ambiguous, personal, and evokes anxiety.

Why are questions an essential tool?

Questions create space for something new to emerge. Powerful questions, in their answering, produce accountability and commitment. Powerful questions open up the possibility for an alternative future

(Group Conformity) Social Exchange Theory

States that conformity is a strategic social act that allows the individual to obtain things they value from the group. The group may provide a satisfying social environment, prestige, or a sense of worth for the individual, so they may put aside even their own true beliefs for the group

Who is Ramtha, the Cro-Magnon Warrior?

Relates to the narrative about the FAA receiving corporate consulting/training from J.Z. Knight, a former cable television news woman turned new age guru. She was an initiate of the New Age Ramtha School of Enlightenment (Ramtha is a 35,000 year old Cro Magnon Warrior). The training subjected the FAA workers to physical and verbal abuse

Resistance Strategies

Resistance (as opposed to defiance) is often safer because its indirect and covert. Resistance strategies include sluggish/minimal effort, strategic stupidity, Conscious clumsiness, intentional confusion, fake forgetfulness, tactical tardiness, and purposeful procrastination

Paraphrasing

Saying in your own words what you think the speaker said. Fundamental to active listening. Is non-judgemental and hence validating, and is particularly useful when someone's thoughts are confusing

4 Shields of Human Wholeness & Balance

Shield of Warrior(ess), Shield of Little Child, Shield of Magical Child, Shield of Nurturer

What situations lend themselves best to each of these engagements (world cafe/deliberation/tribal council)?

Situations where a solution is required would lend themselves more to deliberations or tribal decisions where the focus eventually comes back to decision making, and can happen within a reasonable amount of time. If the situation demands bridging divides within a community, a world cafe would be more inviting and facilitate shared meaning in a less formal way.

Social Loafing

Social loafing is when individuals exert less effort in a group than they would if they worked alone

How you could adapt the tribal model for non-tribe decisions

Some of the cultural rituals associated with tribal decisions are not necessarily needed for a non-tribe context. There are other ways to maintain the importance and formality. But forcing turn-taking, wisdom-sharing, and large amounts of designated time are all important and valuable even in a non-tribe context

How to increase your power and be more assertive

Speak up first, offer possible solutions to problems, using wild suggestions/questions/humor to get creative juices flowing, etc. Assertiveness requires consideration of the needs of the self and other. Expertise/knowledgeability also increases one's power.

Process of the tribal council

Starting in the East and proceeding clockwise passing the talking stick for turn-taking, each chief presents their designated perspective for up to 10 minutes. After all chiefs have gone and wisdom has been accumulated, there may be consensus. If there's not chiefs can either suspend the council and take another attempt later, or designate a chief to make a decision if its pressing

(Group conformity) Balance Theory

States that the individual strives for balance or consistency. If the individual believes the group has worth goals and is composed of people with good intentions & values, they may find it painful to recognize that their views differ. Rather than reject the group or realign perceptions of majority's wisdom, they may elect to go along with others. They may even convince themselves that the majority is correct to maintain internal balance

Free Ride Effect

Suggests that people try to benefit from the efforts of others when they can get away with it

What antecedent conditions and symptoms of groupthink existed with the Bay of Pigs case study?

Symptoms include illusion of invulnerability, direct pressure on dissenters, and collective rationalizations. There was significant inferential error due to misinformation as well as time constraints that created additional pressure leading to the group think.

Note taking & group memory

Taking visible notes of people's ideas provides participants with a group memory which strengthens full participation in numerous ways. First, it's validating. Second, having a group memory extends the limits of the human brain by keeping memory on paper, freeing the mind to continue to listen and think

How to avoid groupthink

Test assumptions about facts, values, and people. Aggressively seek outside information & resources. Critically evaluate team decisions & actions. Check up on transactional processes (norms for openness? Right to dissent?)

Elements of spiritual training in the TransAlta/BDA consulting?

The BDA trainers were distributing daily prayers to be read

The Krone Program at Pac Bell

The Krone program at pac bell was another new age cultish corporate employee training where they tried to replace employee vocabulary, excessively monitor and control conformity, etc. Has significant parallels to BDA at TransAlta

Caveat of Powerful vs. Powerless Speech Indicators

The caveat though is that context matters (there are cultural and gendered differences)

Transformation and restoration occur through power of language and how we speak and listen to each other - but that's abstract. How do we do this? (Block)

We do this through conversations within a restorative context where the generosity, gifts, and relationship with others is transformative in that of itself. Conversations of healing, accountability, and commitment are best produced by a value for questions over answers.

Which theorists discuss love in dialogue, peacemaking, & shadows?

Westoby & Dowling

Divergent Zone Overview

When a diverse group begins work on a complex problem, people's views aren't unified, but we need creativity to solve complicated problems. Ultimately, ideas are divergent.

Sucker Effect

When people don't want to get taken advantage of but also suspect others may be taking a free ride

West

Women Chiefs (Maintenance & Balance)

Helping people listen to each other

Working towards mutual understanding by asking questions that support people to interact with each other's ideas. Also increases group cohesion.

Summarize Vonneguts story of emplacement

a New York man has subtle daily social engagements highlighting how they play a role in emplacing that person in that space

"Stop running your racket" - (Marshall, Est in the Business)

a phrase used to demand unquestioned obedience, i.e. do what your told and don't make excuses.