CHAPTER TWO A MODEL OF SMALL GROUP COMMUNICATION.

CHAPTER TWO

A MODEL OF SMALL GROUP COMMUNICATION

Nanotech Investment Targets

Chapter 2

Phases and Stages in the Processof Group Development

Dr. Kasch“Research strongly suggests that

one of the defining and distinguishing

characteristics of a long term marriage is

the ability to engage in collaboration and

the ability to engage in joint problem-

solving. The same is true when working in

teams.” Listen to….

i

"There is a world of difference between making a decision alone and making a group decision. The unique chemistry of social interaction can distill the best that each member has to offer, creating a resonance of ideas and a synthesis of viewpoints. A different chemistry can stop the reaction and contaminate the product. The catalyst for such social chemistry is communication. It is the medium for the coordination and control of group activities, member socialization, group integration, and conflict management among other functions."

Randy Y. Hirokawa

In order to enhance the chances of effective teamwork when working in a project team it is useful to understand the stages in the problem solving process, the goals at each stage of the process and the rules and strategies which can enhance problem solving effectiveness

What are the four general stages of group life?

• Formation

• Organization

• Activation

• Termination

Randy Hirakawa

What is Formation?

• The period of time it takes for a collection of individuals to develop perceptual boundaries and awareness of their unity.

Randy Hirokawa

What are the major tensions at the formation stage?

• I want to work with others, but I want to do things my way

• I want to fit in, but I don't want to give up my individuality

• I want the rewards of being in the group, but I don't want to incur the costs

Randy Hirokawa, Ph.D.University of Iowa

What is Organization?

The period of time it takes for a group to determine what their purpose (s), goal (s), and/or task (s) are; and develop norms, roles, structure, and procedures for accomplishing their purpose(s), goal(s), and/or task(s).

Randy Hirokawa,Ph.D.University of Iowa

What are the major tensions at the organization stage?

• want the group to do well, but I don't want to put in too much effort

• Long-term goals are important, but short-term goals are important too

• It is important to be realistic, but idealism provides us with standards of excellence


What is Activation?

The period of time it takes for a group to accomplish its purpose(s), achieve its goal(s), and/or perform its task(s).

What are the major tension at the activation stage?

• It is important to divide the work equally, but it is also important to assign work on the basis of ability and competence

• It is important to conform to established ways of doing things, but it is also important to be creative

• It is important to keep everyone happy in the group, but it is also important to do what has to be done for the group to be successful

What are the major tension at the activation stage?

• It is important for members to have the freedom to disagree, but too much conflict is detrimental

Randy Hirokawa,Ph.D.• It is important for a group to be cohesive, but too much

cohesiveness can work against us University of Iowa

What is Termination?

• The period of time it takes for members to either redefine their purpose(s), goal(s), or task(s); or sever their relationships and revert back to a collection of individuals.

Randy Hirokawa, Ph.D.Dean, School of Communication

University of Hawaii

What are the major tensions at the termination stage?

• I want to leave, but I also want to stay

• I am happy with what I contributed to the group, but I wish I could have done more

• I want to say goodbye, but I don't want to say

goodbye

What are the major tensions at the termination stage?

• I want to tell people why I'm leaving, but I don't want to create any hard feelings

• I want to look to the future, but I also want to remember my time in the group


Fisher’s Stages of Group Development

Orientation

Conflict

Consensus

Reinforcement

Do all groups proceed through these phases or stages in an invariant sequence?

What are the primary task and relational goals at the orientation stage of the

problem-solving process?

What are the primary relational goals at the orientation stage?

Initiate Relationships

Buffer Primary Tension (Communication Apprehension)

Why are buildingrelationships importantwhen working in teams?

What is primary tension?

Do people experienceprimary tension or communication apprehension on a first date?

“Everyone feels awkward or withdrawn during the first moments of a meeting, especially if the first meeting of a newly formed work group.”

Cragan, Wright, & KaschCommunication in Small Groups

What are the primary task goals at the orientation stage of the

problem-solving process?

What are the primary task goals at the orientation stage or the problem-solving process?

• Reduce Uncertainty

• Clarity of Meeting or Project Agenda

“After all, a social system does not yet exist, and members do not know what to expect or what is expected of them.”

B. Aubrey FisherSmall Group Decision Making

QUESTION

What strategies can facilitate the attainment of relationship goals

during orientation?

What strategies can be used to buffer primary tension and initiate relationships?

• Buffer primary tension hrough the use of humor


• Buffer primary tension through the use of humor

• Search for common ground


• Buffer primary tension through the use of humor

• Search for common ground

• Engage in moderate self disclosure

What isSelf-Disclosure?

Communication is Reciprocal

“If You Want it, you must give it away.”

“Disclose when disclosed to.”

“Disclose something about yourself personally. People want to know who you are as a person, not just as a trainer or instructor. So share personal incidents that reveal some aspects of your self, personality, your trainer style, and/or your family life.”

Julius E. Eitington

The Winning Trainer

What strategies can facilitate the attainment

of task goals during orientation?

What strategies can facilitate the attainment of task goals during orientation?

• Take risks to foster orientation

“Nobody likes to appear foolish or ignorant, especially in the early stages of groups formation; however, successful problem-solving discussions occur more frequently when the group is willing to take communication risks.”

Cragan, Wright, & KaschCommunication in Small Group

What rules and strategies can facilitate the attainment of task goals during orientation?


• Seek information and opinions

What rules and strategies can facilitate the attainment of task goals during orientation?


• Seek information and opinions

• Ask questions

“Questioning provides a vehicle for the full exploration of necessary information and opinions regarding the discussion topic at hand… When in doubt in what to do in a group, ask a question.”

Cragan, Kasch, & WrightCommunication in Small Groups

What could it mean when no one is asking questions?

QUESTION

What are the four stages if the process of group What are the four stages if the process of group problem solving?problem solving?

Orientation

Conflict

What are the defining characteristics of the conflict stage?

Ideational conflict

What are the defining characteristics of the conflict stage?

Ideational conflict

Role and Relational conflict

“You know your moving into stage two when there is a “decline of ambiguity and the increase in strong reactions both-favorable and unfavorable.”

Cragan, Kasch, & Wright Communication in Small Groups

.

“Team building behaviors at this stage include acknowledging and confronting conflict openly at the task level and listening with understanding to others at the relationship level. Desired outcomes in this stage are clarification and belonging.“

Kormanski and Mozenter

The 1987 Annual: Developing Human Resources.

Characteristic of Conflict

Conflict

Vs.

Consensus

Ideational

and

Role Conflict

Idea Generation

And

Idea Evaluation

What are the Task Goals During the Conflict Stage?

What are the task goals during the conflict stage?

• Idea Generation

Quote

“Involved members focus their critical abilities on these ideas and submit them to rigorous examination. During this process of critical discussion, some ideas are accepted; - many are modified and combined with others.“

B Aubrey FisherSmall Group Decision Making

What are the task goals of the Conflict Stage?

• Idea Generation

• Idea Evaluation

What strategies can be used to enhance the chances of effective idea evaluation?

• Engage in Vigilant Decision-making

What is Vigilant Group Decision-making?

“Vigilant group deliberation is characterized by the careful, thorough, and critical analysis of the information, ideas, proposals, and reasoning upon which a decision rests.”

Randy Hirokawa, Ph.D.Dean, School of CommunicationUniversity of Hawaii. Hilo

http://twist.lib.uiowa.edu/36c31/vitals.htm


• Engage in Vigilant Decision-making

• Examining Advantage and Disadvantages

of Solutions

Examining Advantage and Disadvantages of Solutions


• Engage in vigilant decision-making

• Examining Advantage and Disadvantages

of Solutions

• Insure the central negative role gets played to increases ideational conflict

“High Levels of ideational conflict are essential for good group decisions. It is good to pass the central negative role around and let a number of people play this role at various times.”

Cragan, Kasch, & WrightCommunication in Small Groups



• Examining Advantage and Disadvantages of solutions

• Insure the central negative role gets played

• Engage in paraphrasing

“Paraphrasing should occur at both emotional and the ideational level of a group discussion… Paraphrasing is also an important communication strategy for clarifying the ideas that a group is discussing.”

Cragan, Kasch, and Wright

Communication in Small Groups

What rules and strategies can be used to enhance the chances of effective idea evaluation?




• Be willing to compromise





• Be willing to compromise

• Minimize conflict

What strategies can one use to minimize conflict?

• Suspend Evaluation

“If your ideas immediately receive negative criticism, we might not be willing to risk further ideas to more criticism… Simply by allowing time to elapse between the suggestion of an idea and its criticism does much to reduce the fear of personal criticism on the part of group members.”

Cragan, Kasch, and Wright Communication in Small Groups



• Separate people from ideas



• Separate people from ideas

• Try not to personalize conflict

“It’s not personal, it’s just business.”

Don Corelone Godfather I

What are important role and relational What are important role and relational goals at this stage of problem-solving?goals at this stage of problem-solving?

What are important role and relational goals at this stage of group development?

• Create stable role structure

• Develop and maintain relationships

“The most coveted role-that of leader is the one we compete for the most…If one does not perceive that the group members are playing various roles, the chances are great that competition for role formation has not yet occurred; if it has not, the group in fact will not have become a group and productivity will be low.”

Cragan, Kasch, and Wright Communication in Small Groups

What strategies can be used to build a stable role structure within the team?


• achieve a working consensus on who will assume the role of task leader


• Achieve a working consensus on who will assume the role of task leader

• Develop an initial project plan, a task list, and assign members based on knowledge and skill

What strategies can help develop and maintain interpersonal relationships?

What strategies can help develop and maintain interpersonal relationships?

• Avoid stereotyping

“So fight the tendency to categorize group members superficially, and listen carefully to what each member has to say.”

Cragan, Kasch & Wright

Communication in Small Group

What strategies can buffer the effects of conflict?


• Empathic listening

What strategies can buffer the effects of conflict?


• Empathic listening

• Provide Emotional Security

“If you make an effort to make that person feel comfortable, wanted, and included during discussions, then the overall emotional security of the group should be strengthened.”

Cragan, Kasch, & Wright

Communication in Small Groups

Characteristic of ConflictCharacteristic of Conflict

Conflict

Vs.

Consensus

Ideational

And

Role Conflict

Idea Generation

And

Idea Evaluation

What are the four stages in the process of group problem solving?

Orientation

Conflict

Consensus

What are the defining characteristics of the consensus stage?

• Recurring secondary and primary tension



• Movement back and forth between generating solutions and revisiting the problem



• Generating Solutions

• Emerging Consensus

What are the defining characteristics of the consensus stage in group task development?


• Generating Solutions

• Emerging Consensus

• Acting on the Group Consensus

Rules and Strategies of Accomplishing Consensus

• Seek agreement but not necessarily complete satisfaction

“The solution that the group thinks is the most positive gets chosen, unless a member of the group finds the solution totally unacceptable. Consensus is based on compromise, and the ability to find common ground.”

Consensus Online

http://www.msu.edu/~corcora5/org/consensus.html

Some Guidelines for Reaching Consensus

What are the four stages in the process of What are the four stages in the process of group problem solving?group problem solving?

Orientation

Conflict

Consensus

Reinforcement

What are the defining characteristics of the reinforcement phase of group task development?

• Minimal Conflict

What are the defining characteristics of the reinforcement phase of group task development


• Membership Satisfaction

What are the defining characteristics of the What are the defining characteristics of the reinforcement phase of group task developmentreinforcement phase of group task development??



• Cementing Consensus

What are the defining characteristics of the reinforcement phase of group task development?



• Cementing Consensus

• Engage in CR Talk

Blank Transition

Four Stages of Problem Solving SkillsFour Stages of Problem Solving Skills

Primary Tension

Conflict

Role and Ideational

ConsensusSolutions Emerging

ReinforcementCementing consensusMember Satisfaction

Orientation Conflict

ConsensusReinforcement

“Still another definition based on commonality specifies the sharing of a common fate. – The outcome affects all members of the groups as a whole and not each member individually.”

B.A.. Fisher

Small Group Decision Making

Married Ratio

Divorce

Married

What are the primary task goals at the orientation stage or the problem-solving process?

• Reduce Task Uncertainty

CHAPTER TWO A MODEL OF SMALL GROUP COMMUNICATION.

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