Ch 8

Noted group communication scholar Gloria Galanes observed that group leaders must attend to four issues:

(1) identifying the task of the group; (2) creating cohesiveness among the group members; (3) monitoring and adapting the behaviors of the group members as needed to accomplish tasks; and (4) keeping the group focused on the task at hand.

Strategies for helping non-native speakers feel included are

(1) providing written information in advance of discussions, (2) asking someone in the group to take notes that can be copied and distributed to all group members, (3) viewing difference as a strength of the group, and (4) matching tasks to members' abilities.

Here are some tips for planning effective meetings:

1. Know the task at hand. Later in the chapter you will learn about the group problem-solving model. Effective leaders should understand the problem facing the group and take care to communicate that task to group members. 2. Know the people. As you will learn, individual group members have different skills, motivations, frames of reference, and knowledge bases. Understanding how to draw on group members' strengths and manage interpersonal dynamics is a key role of the group leader. 3. Collect information. The group leader should attempt to become knowledgeable on all issues facing the group. If you are knowledgeable, you will know when discussions are off track. 4. Distribute leadership. In certain situations, leadership should be distributed among all group members. The designated leader may need to delegate responsibility, especially when smaller tasks need to be assigned to individual group members. Distributed leadership, whereby all members share in leadership responsibilities, can result in highly productive group outcomes. 5. Organize the discussion. Although some types of group discussions may not need much organization—a short class discussion assigned by your teacher, for instance—most discussions need more structure. The group leader should plan an agenda for the discussion.

Other members of the group will understand your views more easily if you follow this advice:

1. Relate your statements to preceding remarks. 2. Use conventional word arrangements. 3. Speak concisely 4.State one point at a time.

In addition to helping us perform task functions, such as solving problems, groups also allow us to do the following:

1. make decisions 2. effect change 3. negotiate conflict 4. foster creativity 5. maintain ties between stakeholders

group decision support system (GDSS)

An interactive network of computers with specialized software, allowing users to generate solutions for unstructured problems.

According to Wilmot and Hocker's perspective, group leaders likely use one of three types of power:

Distributive power, whereby the leader exerts influence over others. Integrative power, which highlights interdependence with another person or persons to achieve mutually agreed-upon goals. Designated power, which reflects the importance of relationships between people. Marriages, families, and groups often hold such power for us.

Remember, a key task of effective leaders is to help focus the group on what is being discussed.

First, the language and terminology should be *concrete* rather than abstract. If ambiguous terms such as effective, good, or fair are used, providing examples helps each group member have as close to the same meaning as possible. Second, a *well-stated discussion question* helps group members know when the solution has been achieved

Problem-solving groups typically handle three basic types of discussion questions.

Questions of fact deal with whether something is true or can be verified. Questions of value ask whether something is good or bad, better or worse. Cultural and individual values and beliefs are central to questions of value. Questions of policy ask what action should be taken. The key word should is either stated or implied in questions of policy.

Whereas Wilmot and Hocker describe how power influences us, a classic study by French and Raven describes different ways in which group members enact power:

Reward power—the ability to give followers what they want and need. Punishment power—the ability to withhold from followers what they want and need. An extreme form of punishment power is coercion, in which compliance is forced through hostile acts. Referent power—power based on others' admiration and respect. Charisma is an extreme form of referent power that inspires strong loyalty and devotion from others. Expert power—power that arises when the other members value a person's knowledge or expertise. Legitimate power—power given to a person because of a title, position, or role.

implicit

Within-group diversity based on individuals' worldviews, perspectives, and other personality characteristics

observable

Within-group diversity based on physical characteristics that can be seen

Task functions

are behaviors that are directly relevant to the group's purpose and that affect the group's productivity; their purpose is to focus group members productively on their assignment. clarifying and recording

Maintenance functions

are behaviors that focus on the interpersonal relationships among group members; they are aimed at supporting cooperative and harmonious relationships showing solidarity and tension relieving

self-centered functions

are behaviors that serve the needs of the individual at the expense of the group. withdrawing and blocking

Task-oriented groups

are formed for the purpose of completing tasks, such as solving a problem or making a decision

Stakeholders

are groups of people who have an interest in the actions of an organization

Criteria

are the standards by which a group must judge potential solutions. For example, a solution's likely effectiveness ("Will it work?"), acceptability ("Will people vote for our proposal?"), and cost ("Does this option keep us within the budget?") are common criteria.

Relationship-oriented groups

are usually long-term and exist to meet our needs for inclusion and affection

Communication

creates a group, shapes each group in unique ways, and allows the group to function.

Typically the problem-solving process includes

determining the discussion question, identifying the criteria, identifying potential solutions, and evaluating potential solutions.

Democratic leaders

encourage members to participate in group decisions, even major ones: "What suggestions do you have for solving our problem?"

examples of maintenance

establishing norms gatekeeping supporting harmonizing tension relieving dramatizing showing solidarity

Brainstorming is most effective when

group members are free to identify multiple ideas, they are asked to defer any judgment (positive or negative) until all ideas have been identified, and the ideas are succinct. main rule of brainstorming is "no evaluation,"

examples of task functions

initiating and orienting information giving information seeking opinion giving clarifying extending evaluating summarizing coordinating consensus testing recording

An informal role (sometimes called a behavioral role)

is a role that develops naturally, or spontaneously, within a group.

formal role (sometimes called a positional role)

is an assigned role based on an individual's position or title within a group.

An emergent leader

is someone who becomes an informal leader by exerting influence toward the achievement of a group's goal but does not hold the formal position or role of leader.

A designated leader

is someone who has been appointed or elected to a leadership position (such as a chair, team leader, coordinator, or facilitator)

Cohesiveness

is the attachment members feel toward each other and the group

Small-group communication

is the interaction among three to nine people who are working together to achieve an interdependent goal

Within-group diversity

is the presence of observable and/or implicit differences among group members.

Group culture

is the socially negotiated system of rules that guide group behavior.

Autocratic leaders

maintain strict control over their group, including making assignments and giving orders: "Here's how we'll solve the problem. First, you will . . ." they make more attempts to coerce and fewer attempts to get others to participate.

Group diversity can be implicit when

members of a group have differing values, attitudes, and perspectives—personal characteristics that cannot be seen.

Emergent groups

occur when a group of individuals decide to form a cohesive group out of personal need or desire, but they are not appointed to be part of the group.

Assigned groups

occur when individuals are appointed to be members of the group.

Laissez-faire leaders

take almost no initiative in structuring a group discussion; they are nonleaders whose typical response is "I don't care; whatever you want to do is fine with me."

content curation,

the collection and storage of information from across the web

groupthink

the practice of thinking or making decisions as a group in a way that discourages creativity or individual responsibility.

role,

which is a consistent pattern of interaction or behavior exhibited over time

power,

which is the interpersonal influence that forms the basis for small-group leadership

self-centered functions examples

withdrawing blocking status and recognition seeking

norms

— informal rules for interaction created and sustained through communication

control

—the ability to influence our environment

affection

—the emotion of caring for others and/or being cared for