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MC109/COMM100: INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIP_ CONVERSATION

SULAY JALLOH

SMALL GROUPS

Definition:

Small group is collection of individuals (Proximately 5 to 12 people) who are related to each other by some common purpose ( People on the Bus) and have some degree of organization among them(Two people don’t speak at the same time)

SMALL GROUP PHASES (Figure 3.1)

The small group develops in much the same way that a conversation develops. As in conversation, there are five stages:

  1. Opening,
  2. Feedforward,
  3. Business,
  4. Feedback,
  5. Closing.

1)The opening period is usually a getting-acquainted time where members introduce themselves and engage in phatic communion.

2)Feedforward is the stage where the group attempt to identify what needs to be done, who will do it, and so on. In a formal group, it is known as the agenda.

3)The business portion is the actual discussion of the tasks—the problem solving, the sharing of information, or whatever else the group needs to do.

4)Feedback is the stage where the group might reflect on what it has done and perhaps what remains to be done. Some groups may even evaluate their performance at this stage.

5)At the closing stage, the group members again return to their focus on individuals and will perhaps exchange closing comments—good seeing you again, etc.

These stages are rarely separate from one another. Rather, like the colors of the rainbow, they seem to blend into one another. E.g.: the opening stage is not completely finished before the feedforward begins.

POWER IN THE SMALL GROUP

Power is what enables one person (the one with power) to control the behaviors of the others. Although all relationships are the same in that they all involve power, they differ in the types of power:

  1. Legitimate.
  2. Referent.
  3. Reward.
  4. Coercive.
  5. Expert.
  6. Information or persuasion power.

1)Legitimate power is when the other person believes you have a right by virtue of your position (E.g: Leaders, Lecturers, Judges) to influence or control his or her behavior.

2)Referent Power is when the other person wishes to be like you or identified with you. E.g.: An older brother may have referent power over a younger brother because the younger wants to be like his older brother.

3)Reward Power is when you have the ability to give that person rewards—either material (money, promotions) or social (love, friendship, respect).

4)Coercive Power is when you have the ability to remove rewards from that person or to administer punishments. Usually, the two Reward and Coercive) go hand in hand, and if you have one type of power, you also have the other. E.g.: Parents who may grant as well as deny privileges to their children.

5)Expert power is when group members regard you as having expertise or knowledge (whether or not you truly possess such expertise). Often your position will communicate your expertise. E.g.: Lawyers, Doctors.

6)Information or persuasion power is when you are seen as someone who can communicate logically and persuasively. If people see you as having the ability to communicate effectively, they will be more likely to believe and follow you.

Here are a few ways you can communicate your power in a small group or in any communication setting:

Respond visibly but in moderation; an occasional nod of agreement or a facial expression that says "that’s interesting" are usually sufficient.

Avoid adaptors (playing with your hair or a pencil) they signal that you’re uncomfortable and hence that you lack power.

When you break eye contact, direct your gaze downward; otherwise you’ll communicate a lack of interest to the other person.

To communicate dominance with your handshake, exert more pressure than usual and hold the grip a bit longer than normal.

Walk slowly and deliberately. To appear hurried is to appear as without power, as if you were rushing to meet the expectations of someone with power over you.

Maintain an open posture. When around a table or in an audience, resist covering your face, chest, or stomach with your hands.

SMALL GROUP FORMATS (FIGURE 13.2)

Small groups serve their functions in a variety of formats. Among the most popular formats for relatively formal groups are:

  1. The Round Table

In the round table format, group members arrange themselves in a circular or semicircular pattern. They share the information or solve the problem without any set pattern of who speaks when. Group interaction is informal and members contribute as they see fit.

  1. The Panel

In the panel, group members are "experts" and participate informally and without any set pattern of who speaks when. The difference is that there’s an audience whose members may interject comments or ask questions. E.g: The Oprah Winfrey Show, use this format.

  1. The Symposium

In the symposium, each member delivers a prepared presentation, much like a public speech. All speeches are addressed to different aspects of a single topic. In the symposium, the leader introduces the speakers, provides transitions from one speaker to another, and may provide periodic summaries.

4.The Symposium-Forum

The symposium-forum consists of two parts: a symposium, with prepared speeches, and a forum, with questions from the audience and responses by the speakers. The leader introduces the speakers and moderates the question-and-answer session.

IDEA-GENERATION GROUPS

Many small groups exist solely to generate ideas and often follow a formula called Brainstorming.

Definition:

Brainstorming is a technique for bombarding a problem and generating as many ideas as possible. When the group meets, each person contributes as many ideas as he or she can think of. During this idea-generating session, four general rules are followed.

Brainstorm Rule 1: Don't Criticize

Allow your idea time to develop before you look for problems with it. At the same time, don’t praise the ideas either. All evaluations should be suspended during the brainstorming session.

Brainstorm Rule 2: Strive for Quantity

If you need an idea, you’re more likely to find it in a group of many than in a group of few. Thus, in brainstorming, the more ideas the better.

Brainstorm Rule 3: Combine and Extend Ideas

While you may not criticize a particular idea, you may extend it or combine it in some way. The value of a particular idea may be the way it stimulates someone to combine or extend it.

Brainstorm Rule 4: Develop the Wildest Ideas Possible

The wilder the idea, the better. It’s easier to tone an idea down than to build it up. A wild idea can easily be tempered, but it’s not so easy to

PROBLEM-SOLVING GROUPS

Definition:

A problem-solving group is a collection of individuals who meet to solve a problem or to reach a decision.

The Problem-Solving Sequence (Figure 13.03)

There are six steps to make problem solving more efficient and effective.

1)Define and Analyze the Problem

In defining the problem, the group seeks to identify its dimensions. Appropriate questions (for most problems) revolve around the following issues: (1) Duration (How long has the problem existed) (2) Causes (What are the major causes of the problem). (3) Effects (What are the effects of the problem).

2)Establish Criteria for Evaluating Solutions

Before any solutions are proposed, you need to decide how to evaluate them. At this stage you identify the standards or criteria that you’ll use in evaluating the solutions or in selecting one solution over another. Generally, two types of criteria need to be considered. 1) practical criteria. 2) Value criteria.

3)Identify Possible Solutions

At this stage identify as many solutions as possible. Focus on quantity rather than quality. Brainstorming may be particularly useful at this point.

4)Evaluate Solutions

After all the solutions have been proposed, you would go back and evaluate each according to the criteria established for evaluating solutions. The skill involves thinking with six different hats:

The fact hat focuses attention on the data, the facts and figures that bear on the problem.

The feeling hat focuses attention on our feelings, emotions, and intuitions concerning the problem.

The negative argument hat asks that you become the devil’s advocate. Why might this proposal fail? What are the problems with publishing reviews of courses? What is the worst-case scenario?

The positive benefits hat asks that you look at the upside. What are the opportunities that this new format will open up?

The creative new idea hat focuses attention on new ways of looking at the problem and can be easily combined with the techniques of brainstorming discussed earlier in this chapter.

The control of thinking hat helps you analyze what you have done and are doing. It asks that you reflect on your own thinking processes and synthesize the results of your thinking.

5)Select the Best Solution(s)

At this stage the best solution or solutions are selected and put into operation.

6)Test Selected Solution(s)

After the solution(s) are put into operation, test their effectiveness. If these solutions prove ineffective, you would go back to one of the previous stages and repeat part of the process.

PROBLEM SOLVING AT WORK

Here are three groups popular in business that rely largely on the problem-solving techniques just discussed:

1)The nominal group technique,.

2)The Delphi method.

3)Quality circles.

1)The Nominal Group Technique

The nominal group technique is a method of problem solving that uses limited discussion and confidential voting to obtain a group decision. It’s especially helpful when some members may be reluctant to voice their opinions in a regular problem-solving group or when the issue is controversial or sensitive.

The nominal group technique can be divided into seven steps:

The problem is defined and clarified for all members.

Each member writes down (without discussion or consultation with others) his or her ideas on or possible solutions to the problem.

Each member—in sequence—states one idea from his or her list, which is recorded on a board or flip chart so everyone can see it.

Each suggestion is clarified (without debate). Ideally, each suggestion would be given equal time.

Each member rank orders the suggestions.

The rankings of the members are combined to get a group ranking, which is then written on the board.

Clarification, discussion, and possible reordering may follow.

The highest-ranking solution might then be selected to be tested, or perhaps several high ranking solutions may be put into operation.

2)Delphi Method

In the Delphi Method, a group of experts is established but there’s no interaction among them; instead they communicate by repeatedly responding to questionnaires. The method is especially useful when you want to involve people who are geographically distant from each other, when you want all members to act a part of the solution and to uphold it, or when you want to minimize the effects of dominant members or even of peer pressure.

The method is best explained as a series of eight steps:

The problem is defined (E.g: "We need to improve intradepartmental communication"). What each member is expected to do is specified (E.g: each member should contribute five ideas on this specific question).

Each member then anonymously contributes five ideas in writing. This stage used to be completed through questionnaires sent through traditional mail but is now more frequently done through e-mail, which greatly increases the speed with which this entire process can be accomplished.

The ideas of all members are combined, written up, and distributed to all members who may be asked to, say, select the three or four best ideas from this composite list.

Members then select the three or four best ideas and submit these.

From these responses another list is produced and distributed to all members, who may be asked to select the one or two best ideas.

Members then select the one or two best ideas and submit these.

From these responses another list is produced and distributed to all members. The process may be repeated any number of times, but usually three rounds are sufficient for achieving a fair degree of agreement.

The "final" solutions are identified and are communicated to all members.

3)Quality Circles

Quality circles are groups of workers (6 to 12) whose task it is to investigate and make recommendations for improving the quality of some organizational function. The members are drawn from the workers whose area is being studied.

The basic idea is that people who work on similar tasks will be better able to improve their departments or jobs by pooling their insights and working through problems they share. Quality circle members investigate problems using any method they feel might be helpful (E.g: face-to-face problem-solving groups, nominal groups, or delphi methods). The group then reports its findings and its suggestions to those who can do something about it.

DECISION-MAKING METHODS

Groups may use different decision-making methods in deciding, which criterion to use or which solution to accept. Generally, groups use one of three methods.

1)Authority

In decision making by authority, members voice their feelings and opinions but the leader, boss, or CEO makes the final decision. This is surely an efficient method; it gets things done quickly and the amount of discussion can be limited as desired. Another advantage is that experienced and informed members will probably exert a greater influence on the decision maker.

The great disadvantage is that members may not feel the need to contribute their insights and may become distanced from the power within the group or organization. Another disadvantage is that it may lead members to give the decision maker what they feel she or he wants to receive.

2)Majority Rule

With this method the group agrees to abide by the majority decision and may vote on various issues as the group progresses to solve its problem. Majority rule is efficient since there’s usually an option to call for a vote when the majority are in agreement. This is a useful method for issues that are relatively unimportant and where member satisfaction and commitment is not needed.

One disadvantage is that it can lead to factioning, where various minorities align against the majority. The method may also lead to limiting discussion once a majority has agreed and a vote is called.

3)Consensus

The group operating under consensus reaches a decision only when all group members agree, as in the criminal jury system. This method is especially important when the group wants the satisfaction and commitment of each member to the decision and to the decision-making process as a whole.

Consensus obviously takes longest and can lead to a great deal of wasted time if members wish to prolong the discussion process needlessly or selfishly. This method may also put great pressure on the person who honestly disagrees but who doesn’t want to prevent the group from making a decision.