COMS 217 Final

certainty defensive statements

1) Using terms like: never, always, impossible, can't, won't 2)False Dichotomies

intragroup competition and group productivity (achievement and performance)

1) Cooperation produces higher levels of group achievement and performance on a wide variety of tasks 2) Cooperative groups outperform competitive groups

Why does cooperation promote and competition dampen achievement and performance for most groups?

1) attempting to achieve excellence and trying to beat others are different goals -Trying to beat another diverts attention from achieving group excellence 2) Resources are used more efficiently in a cooperative group climate

how do positive reciprocal communication patterns emerge?

1) communication transactions among group members 2) Group leaders may play an important role in this process by setting a cooperative tone for the group

manipulation defensive statements

We resent people that try to influence us to meet their own hidden agenda

I would really appreciate if you bought me flowers more often is an example of an .... supportive statements

assertive

what is an impervious response?

not even acknowledging a member's concern

who benefits from competition?

the failure of many for the success of few

4 C team goals (how to foster teamwork)

1) Clear Goal: 2) Cooperative Goals: 3) Challenging Goals: 4) Commitment to Goals:

how does defensive communication styles relate to competition?

1) Invites hypercompetitive response to defend -Denying -Counterattacking -Withdrawing Person walks out and slams door

control defensive statements

1) Issuing orders and demanding obedience, especially when no input was sought from group members who were told what to do

communication training

1) Team communication is critical to effectiveness and high performing team members typically exhibit superior communication skills 2) Changing the communication changes the system! 3) Communication training works to build teams!

cultural diversity

1) Teams are composed of members from diverse cultures (especially true for virtual teams) 2) richer array of knowledge with the potential for great decision making and problem solving creativity 3) Accept diversity as an advantage 4) Choose team members for their complementary skills and knowledge but also for their similarity of attitude. 5) Choose a superordinate, transcending goal to bridge differences 6) Be respectful of all team members and avoid cultural bias. Be experimental and try different approaches 7) Keep communication open. Solicit feedback on the decision making process so that if problems arise, they can be addressed immediately

cynicism

1) The attitude that most destroys teamwork and team effectiveness is cynicism 2) What you want in a team is the communication of an optimist, can-do attitude, not a cynical can't do attitude 3) Optimistic attitude nourishes a team's spirits, braces it for coming challenges.

what is reciprocal communication patterns?

1) We tend to reciprocate both defensive and supportive responses 2) Break negative cycles and promote positive ones

empathy supportive statements

1) thinking and feeling what you perceive another to be thinking and feeling. 2) Empathy is built on concern for others

shift response

1) type of competitive listening 2) Attention-getting initiative by a listener Listener 3) attempts to shift the focus of attention from others to oneself by changing the topic of discussion

type of competitive listening where you plan to attack the speaker

Ambushing

verbal/non verbal abuse

Bad behaviors create a group climate that is the antithesis of teamwork

indifference defensive statements

Making little effort to listen to what a member of your group has to say

collaborative interdependence

Team members must work together or they will be unsuccessful in achieving their goals

which conditions must be satisfied in order for constructive competition to occur

all three of them

saying to your boyfriend "John buys Mary flowers every week" is an example of a ....defensive statements

manipulative

guidelines for managing culturally diverse teams

1) Accept diversity as an advantage, not a disadvantage 2) Choose team members for their complementary skills and knowledge but also for their similarity of attitude. 3) Regardless of cultural background, there is no place for egocentrism or cynicism on teams 4) Choose a superordinate, transcending goal to bridge differences 5) Be respectful of all team members and avoid cultural bias. 6) Keep communication open. Solicit feedback on the decision making process so that if problems arise, they can be addressed immediately

ambushing

1) Bias is to attack the speaker verbally, not try to understand the speaker's point of view. 2) The goal of ambusing is to defeat a speaker in a verbal jousting match

6 Evaluative Communication Patterns

1) Description 2) Problem orientation 3) Assertiveness 4) Empathy 5) Equality 6) Provisionalism

what are the essential building blocks of a great workplace (defensive/supportive communication patterns)

1) Descriptive Communication 2) PRAISE and RECOGNITION (A gallup study of more than 80,000 managers concluded that praise and recognition are essential building blocks of a great workplace)

6 Defensive Communication Pattern

1) Evaluation 2) Control 3) Manipulation 4) Indifference 5) Superiority 6) Certainty

clear goals

1) Everyone on the same page 2) clear goals are clearly stated and understood goals -Terms have to be defined clearly at the very start of a team's effort -Definitional discussions should identify what is and what is not included in the team's charge

best team members display...

1) Experience and Problem-Solving Abilities 2) cultural diversity 2) communication training

problem-orientation supportive statements

1) Focus on the problem and how best to solve it 2) reduces personality conflicts and power struggles

distinctions between team and small group

1) Level of Cooperation: a) TEAMS: higher level of cooperation. Collaborative interdependence, Work together b) SMALL GROUPS: Members may oppose each other, may not work together on a common goal 2) Diversity of skills: a) TEAMS: Diverse team is essential to success.Complementary, not identical, skills example: Circus (many types of expertise) b) SMALL GROUPS: Skills not as diverse 3) Group Identity a) TEAMS: stronger group identity. Easily Identifiable. Team members have a sense of cohesiveness and oneness. b) SMALL GROUPS: superficial indicators of identity 4) Time and Resources a) TEAMS: require a substantial resources and long-term commitments example: Sports Teams b) require a limited time commitment and few resources to function

superiority defensive statement

1) Message steeped in "I'm better than you" 2) No, wrong again. I'll just show you how to do it right 3) Group leaders who exhibit superiority to group members undermine their credibility and influence

how to talk in a descriptive way

1) Praise (if worthy), then describe 2) Use I-statements, not You-statements

how to remove a bad member from the group?

1) The bad group member may have to be removed if it prevents the team from being effective NOTE: This should be a last resort after efforts to correct problem behavior have been undertaken 2) those who display incompetent communication, and those with egocentric and cynical attitudes that disrupt teams in relationships can be removed

intragroup competition and group cohesiveness

1) When group members feel loved, valued, supported, and accepted, cohesiveness is strong

conditions necessary for constructive competition

1) When winning is deemphasized 2) when opponents are equally marched allowing all participants the chance to win 3) When there are clear, specific rules that ensure fairness

what is descriptive communication pattern?

1) a first-person report of how an individual feels, what he or she perceives to be true, and what behavior is desired from others 2) Positive evaluations include praise, recognition, and flattery

drawbacks of culturally diverse teams

1) differences in cultures example: a) US take pride in decisive decision making b) Japan and China do not prioritize speed. 2) Decision making is a lengthy process

worst team members display...

1) egocentrism 2) cynicism 3) verbal/non verbal abuse

hypercompetiveness

1) excessive emphasis of defeating others to achieve one's goals

equality supportive statements

1) give everyone an equal opportunity to succeed and exhibit whatever potential they possess 2) We recognize that everyone has faults and limitations

experience and problem solving abilities

1) help move a team toward its objective 2) We look for experienced team members when forming teams 3) Experience counts because with experience, comes knowledge and from knowledge comes

cooperative goals

1) interdependent effort from all 2) Members share information, offer advice, share rewards, and apply their abilities to make every team member optimally effective 3) Cooperative goals enhance team performance

what does negative evaluations do?

1) lead to conflict, demoralize, and defensiveness 2) encourages self-justification to absolve self of blame

competition (winner takes all)

1) mutually exclusive goal attainment (MEGA) 2) individual success is achieved at the expense of the other group members

cooperation

1) mutually inclusive goal attainment (MIGA) process 2) Individual success is tied directly to the success of other group members 3) Group members work together, not against each other, when attempting to achieve a common goal

paraphrasing

1) paraphrasing is a concise response to the speaker which states the essence of the other's content in the listener's words 2) Paraphrasing should be used when you are trying to see if you understand what the other person is communicating or not

egocentrism

1) reveal the Me First attitude that promotes team friction and weakens team cohesiveness 2) Bloated egos can destroy teams. Egos can foster defensiveness and perpetuate errors from egocentric people who desire to protect their image more than correct their mistakes

benefits of culturally diverse teams

1) rich array of different, complementary skills and knowledge with the potential for great decision making and problem solving creativity

probing

1) seeking additional information from a speaker by asking questions 2) Probing includes clarifying questions (can you give me an example of an important goal for the group?), exploratory questions (can you think of any other approach to this problem), and encouraging questions (who can blame us for making a good effort to try a new approach)

how to minimize defensiveness?

1) share your own shortcomings with group members 2) Self deprecating humor that makes fun of your own failings

Provisionalism supportive communication statements

1) sometimes, occasionally, possibility, perhaps, maybe, might 2) Why are we starting on time, and how can we get more of this good thing

intergroup competition

1) students were assigned a symposium project. Two of the four groups chose the same topic, hypercompetitiveness emerged and there was bitter tension between the two groups despite the professor stating that she would not be comparing them at all These groups did not need to compete. By pooling their resources and emphasizing different aspects of the topic, they could have improved both of their final presentations Both groups gave mediocre symposium presentations

what role does culture play in producing competitive or cooperative behavior in groups?

1) the norms of the culture determine its competitiveness, not human nature

what is support response?

1) type of noncompetitive listening 2) attention-giving cooperative effort by the listener to focus attention on the other person, not on oneself

Does competition enhance intragroup cohesiveness?

A review of more than 180 studies concluded that cooperative communication promoted significantly greater liking, support, and acceptance of group members than did competitive communication

how to implement a problem orientation supportive statements

Collaborate: what do you need? Invite someone to participate in the problem solving process, solution may be clearer. Impose what you think is the best way

competitive interrupting

Interrupting becomes competitive when the listener attempts to seize the floor from the speaker and dominate the conversation

is all interrupting competitive?

NO! Group members may interrupt to 1) express support or enthusiasm (Great idea) 2) seek clarification (i'm confused) 3) warn of danger (look out!) 4) cut short a talkaholics nonstop monologue

Evaluation Communication Pattern

Negative evaluations include criticism, contempt, and blame

When executives asked for problem solving ideas from colleagues, 96% of the plans were approved shows the power of...supportive statements

Problem-Orientation (supportive) and collaborating

what does controlling defensive statements create?

Psychological reactance

examples of psychological reactance?

The more you tell your child not to smoke, do drugs or get various parts of their anatomies pierced, the more likely their children are to do these behaviors so they can assert their sense of personal freedom

what is the norm of group interest?

a collective prescription that group members should pursue maximum group outcomes (winning at all costs), even if this means acting hyper competitive against other groups when members may privately not wish to do so

what is defensiveness

a reaction to a perceived attack on our self-concept and self-esteem

1) In the US, an elementary student experiences difficulty discerning the correct answer to a math problem. 2) The teacher urges the student to think harder, applying further pressure. 3) Meanwhile, wave their hands, certain that they have the right answer. 4) The teacher then calls on the other students, who shout the correct answer. What is happening in this example?

cSomebody's success in is brought by the cost of our failures.

We are never going to finish this project is an example of a ...defensive statement

certainty

does wanting to defeat another group increase cohesiveness within your own group?

cohesiveness is enhanced primarily for winning teams but not for losing teams

what is constructive competition?

competition produces a positive, enjoyable experience and generates increased efforts to achieve without jeopardizing positive interpersonal relationships and personal well-being

intergroup interactions are far more...

competitive than interactions between individuals

UCLA basketball coach never mentions winning, and instead wants his team members to learn offensive and defensive skills and to give their best is a condition for .............. to occur

constructive competition

teacher demanding what a student has to do is not usually received well. This is an example of a type of ...defensive statements

controlling

Successful Mars Rover named Sojourner, which explored the surface of Mars in 1997, served as the model for future equally successful rovers in NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Mission that continues today. For this mission, team members helped each other on every part of the project. This is an example of what type of competition?

cooperation

The attitude that most destroys teamwork and team effectiveness is...

cynicism

negative climate

do not feel valued, supported, and respected, when trust is minimal, and when members perceive that they are not treated well

Group Climate

emotional atmosphere, the enveloping tone that is created by the way we communicate in groups

Oh that sucks. What are you havign difficulty with? is an example of ....supportive statements

empathy

If you want, I can show you a way that worked for me is an example of using ....supportive statements

equality

the earthquake in Santa Cruz and the little girl says to her "dad, it wasn't my fault" is an example of a .....communication pattern

evaluative (defensive)

why can't you try harder, that effort sucked, its your fault we got a C are examples of....communication patterns

evaluative (defensive)

what is a pseudo team?

give the appearance of being teams and engaging in teamwork without exhibiting the substance of teams

Uniforms, team tattoo,song, cheer, etc are examples of

group identity

When you suspect that a team member is complimenting your performance merely to gain an ally against other members in a dispute is an example of a

hidden agenda

Student pitted against student through the grading system and faculty member against faculty member for promotion and other academic favours is an example of what type of competition?

hypercompetitiveness

"Study harder" is an example of an ..... defensive statements

indifferent

are collectivist or individualistic cultures more competitive?

individualistic

positive climate

individuals perceive that they are valued, supported, and treated well by the group

what can descriptive communication patterns do?

minimize defensiveness

assertive supportive statements

open, honest, and direct

what are hidden agendas?

personal goals of group members that are not revealed openly and that can interfere with group accomplishment

clarifying questions, exploratory questions, and encouraging questions are examples of...

probing

what is self-justification

providing excuses that absolves blame-even when no evaluation is offered

what is a team?

small number of people with complementary skills who act as an interdependent unit, are equally committed to a common mission, subscribe to a cooperative approach to accomplish that mission, and hold themselves accountable for team performance

what is a team's charge?

task of the team, such as to gather information, to analyze the problem and make recommendations, to make decisions and implement them, or to tackle a specific project from inception to completion

individual achievement

the attainment of a personal goal without having to defeat another personwh

what is psychological reactance?

the more someone tries to control us, the more we resist or do the opposite

true or false: Synergy is more likely to occur in cooperative climate.

true

true or false: the worst cooperative groups out performed the best competitive groups

true

Paraphrasing should be used when...

you are trying to see if you understand what the other person is communicating or not