Chapter 1: Introduction to Group Communication
Learning Objectives
1.1 Describe the pervasiveness and importance of group work.
1.2 Compare the advantages and disadvantages of working in groups.
1.3 Explain the importance of the five key elements in the definition of group communication.
1.4 Describe how applying theories, strategies, and skills to each component of the group communication process can enhance group effectiveness.
1.5 Explain the guidelines for establishing a group’s common goal.
1.6 Explain how successful groups balance various dialectic tensions by using a collaborative both/and approach.
1.7 Apply the ethical principles included in the National Communication Association’s Credo for Ethical Communication.
Activities
• The First Class Meeting: Getting to Know You
• Group Communication Competencies Survey
• It Was the Best of Teams, It Was the Worst of Teams
• How Good Is Your Goal?
• Applying the Ethics Credo
The First Class Meeting: Getting to Know You
Module 1.1
Goals
• To get to know group members in an efficient and meaningful way.
• To demonstrate the value of open communication among group members.
Participants
Groups of 5 to 7 members
Procedure
1. Distribute or download the Getting to Know You worksheet.
2. Beginning with statement 1, every group member should complete the statement orally and in turn before going on to statement 2. Let a different person begin each round of statement completions.
3. Tell students to try to be as open and honest as possible. If they feel uncomfortable or unable to complete a statement, they should say “I pass” and go on to the next person.
4. It is not necessary to complete all the statements during the allotted time.
Teaching Tips
You may add or subtract statements to create a list more appropriate for your students and your instructional needs. Creating a friendly, nonevaluative climate for this activity enhances trust and acceptance among group members.
Discussion Questions
• How well did the exercise help you get to know other group members?
• Why is it difficult to get to know other people without this kind of exercise?
• Which statements were the most difficult to complete?
• How do you feel about your group and its members?
GETTING TO KNOW YOU
Regardless of whether you like, have mixed feelings about, or dislike working in groups, you cannot avoid them. You’ll participate in them for family, social, self-help, learning, service, civic, organizational, public, and/or professional reasons. The sooner you get to know the members of a group, the more effective your group will be and the more you will understand how your group can work at its best.
Directions: Complete each statement orally in the list below. Every group member should share statement 1 before going on to statement 2. A different member should begin each round of statement completions so one person isn’t always going first. The group will have 30 minutes to complete as many of the statements as time allows. Try to be as open and honest as possible. If you feel uncomfortable or unable to complete a statement, just say “I pass” and go on to the next person.
Getting to Know You Statements
1. My name is…
2. I am taking this course because
3. When I am in a new group, I …
4. Two words that describe me are …
5. It is frustrating to work in groups when …
6. When I have free time, I like to …
7. A good group member should
8. When someone disagrees with me, I
9. An effective group leader should
10. This experience has made me feel
Group Communication Competencies Survey
Module 1.2
This activity is also featured in the textbook.
Goals
• To identify and compare student knowledge, interests, concerns, and goals
• To demonstrate how the course will cover topics that students view as important
Participants
Individual students and groups of 5 to 7 members
Procedure
1. Distribute or download the Group Communication Competency Survey
2. After students have completed the survey, create groups of five to seven members.
3. Each group should identify the five items that, in its collective opinion, are the most important group communication competencies.
4. When groups have identified their top five items, ask a representative to write them on the board or share them verbally or online
5. The class or instructor should identify the 10 competencies with the highest scores.
Teaching Tips
The Group Communication Competency Survey introduces students to many of the topics covered in the course. In addition to identifying items that are important to students, the survey gives you the opportunity to explain why other topics are equally important. For example, students may not rate “Develop clear group goals” as important as “Reduce your nervousness when speaking in a discussion or meeting.” In a case like this, you can explain why clear group goals are essential for effective group communication and how they can help reduce member anxiety.
At the end of the course, you may want to revisit the survey to see whether students have changed their minds about the most important group communication competencies and assess whether they think they have learned or improved these competencies.
Discussion Questions
• Which items were selected by most groups? Why do they see these as the most important?
• What, if any, are the significant differences between individual results and the classroom group results? What may explain these differences?
• Which items did not receive high ratings? Why and why did these not seem very important?
GROUP COMMUNICATION COMPETENCIES SURVEY
Directions: On a 5-point scale, where 5 is “extremely important,” and 1 is “not at all important,” rate the following group competencies in terms of their importance for becoming an effective group member. Select only one number for each item. When you are finished, ask yourself this question: How competent am I in the “extremely important” areas? Group
4. Assume critical task roles (ask questions and analyze ideas) and social roles (motivate and support members)
5.
It Was the Best of Teams, It Was the Worst of Teams
Module 1.3
This activity is also featured in the textbook.
Goals
• To identify the advantages and disadvantages of working in groups
• To identify the many different types of groups to which students belong
• To provide students with the opportunity to share their past group experiences with other students
Participants
Individual students and groups of 5 to 7 members
Procedure
1. Ask students to think about some of the groups in which they have worked. Students should consider groups they have liked working in as well as groups they disliked.
2. Students should identify the characteristics that were unique to the best groups and the characteristics unique to the worst groups. Tell them to write down at least two characteristics for each type of group.
3. Divide the class into groups of five to seven members. Distribute or download It Was the Best of Teams, It Was the Worst of Teams worksheet.
4. Tell students to take turns explaining one unique characteristic for each type of group. Encourage them to share stories about their experiences.
5. Groups should record on the worksheet as many unique characteristics of the best and the worst groups and be prepared to discuss them in class.
Teaching Tips
This activity is designed to help students identify the advantages and disadvantages of working in groups based on their own experiences and the experiences of others. When sharing their comments, members do not need to identify the group or its members beyond a general category, such as a study group, an athletic team, a work group, or project volunteers.
Emphasize the research that groups working on a complex task do a better job of making decisions and solving problems than individuals working alone even when individual results are combined.As Chapter 1 notes: The critical question is not “Are groups always better than individuals?” Rather “How can we become a more effective group?”
Discussion Questions
• What are the major factors contributing to positive group experiences?
• What are the major factors contributing to negative group experiences?
• Do the positive experiences of working in groups outweigh the negative experiences, or vice versa?
• How can groups avoid engaging in the behaviors that were perceived as the worst characteristics?
IT WAS THE BEST OFTEAMS, IT WAS THE WORST OF TEAMS
Directions: Think about a group in which you are or were a member that was productive and enjoyable. What did you like about working in that group? Put your answers in The Best of Teams list. Then think of a group in which you worked that was less productive and frustrating. What didn’t you like about working in that group? Put your answers in The Worst of Teams list. When you’ve finished, form a group with at least two other classmates and discuss your answers. How were your group experiences similar and different? What were some of the most notable of the best and worst group experiences?
The Best of Teams
Example: One member kept track of everyone’s birthday. On the meeting day close to a birthday, we presented a card signed by everyone and shared a cake or cookies.
The Worst of Teams
Example: The boss or leader refused to explain their decisions. When we’d ask why we could or couldn’t do something, we were told, “Because I said so.”
1. 2. 3. 4.
How Good is Your Goal?
Module 1 4
Goals
• To demonstrate the importance of identifying and evaluating group goals.
• To recognize how clear goals improve group success.
• To identify ways in which a group goal may be undermined.
Participants
Individual students and groups of 5 to 7 members
Procedure
1. Group members should identify a particular group they currently belong to or belonged to in the past. Examples of groups might include work groups, athletic teams, clubs, community groups, etc.
2. Distribute or download the How Good is Your Goal? worksheet.
3. Students should assess the group they identified using the criteria identified on the worksheet.
4. After students have completed the assessment tool, give them time to discuss their answers in groups.
Teaching Tips
Emphasize that researchers identify a clear and elevated goal as the most important attribute of a successful group. Two highly respected researchers Carl Larson and Frank LaFasto claim that groups with a clear and elevated goal lose their sense of time. . . . The rate of communication among team members increases dramatically. . . . There is a great sense of excitement and feelings of elation whenever even minor progress is made toward the goal.
As an alternative option, you may ask students to complete the assessment for two different groups that they belong to or belonged to in the past. Tell students to evaluate a group they believe was successful. Then tell them to use the assessment form to evaluate another group that was unsuccessful or did not provide a satisfying group experience.
Discussion Questions
• How important is a clear goal in promoting group success?
• How is a group affected when the goal is unclear or not valued?
• What effect do hidden agendas have on group goals?
• What strategies can groups use to promote a goal among group members?
HOW GOOD IS YOUR GOAL?
An effective group has both a clear understanding of its common goal and believes that the goal is meaningful and achievable. The How Good Is Your Goal assessment is an opportunity to evaluate the effectiveness of the goal in a group in which you have been a member.
Directions: For each of the following questions, answer “Yes” or “No” to assess the overall goal of a group you currently belong to or belonged to in the past. Each time you select a “No” response, consider how the goal could have been improved.
Questions
1. Does your group have a shared common goal?
2. Is the goal clear and specific?
3. Do group members understand the nature and importance of the goal?
4. Do group members believe the goal is worthwhile?
5. Is the goal achievable?
6. Are the resources available to achieve the goal?
7. Is the goal sufficiently challenging to group members?
8. Are all members committed to the goal?
9. Do all members know what they should do to achieve the goal?
10. Are members confident that they have the skills to achieve the goal?
11. Does the goal require group collaboration?
12. Has the group identified and resolved any hidden agendas?
13. Do members receive feedback about their own progress and the group’s progress?
14. Is there a reward for achieving the group’s goal?
15. When achieved, is the goal observable or measurable?
Applying the Ethics Credo to Groups
Module 1.5
This activity is also featured in the textbook.
Goals
• To demonstrate the applicability of the National CommunicationAssociation’s Credo for Ethical Communication to a variety of group communication contexts.
• To assess the extent to which students understand and can apply the principles in the NCACredo for Ethical Communication in group communication contexts.
Participants
Individual students and groups of 5 to 7 members
Procedure
1. Review the NCACredo for Ethical Communication in Chapter 1, with special emphasis on the preamble.
2. Distribute or tell students to download The Ethics Credo in Action worksheet.
3. Students should add a second example that demonstrates their understanding of the nine ethical principles and how they apply to group communication.
4. If time permits, form groups of five to seven students. Group members should share their examples with one another and choose one or two examples that, in their opinion, best represent the credo principle.
5. After students have completed the worksheet, they should discuss their answers with group members as well as any questions they have about ethical communication.
Teaching Tips
This activity asks students to apply the principles set forth in the NCACredo for Ethical Communication. You may give students time to think about their responses before they begin working in groups. Group examples can be shared with the entire class and lead to a discussion of communication ethics. Please note that many of the questions posed for discussion do not have a right or wrong answer. Also, student examples can be used as the basis for exam questions about ethical communication in groups.
Discussion Questions
• Can you provide examples of groups or group members who have “violated” this credo?
• What should a group and its members do if two principles are in conflict? For example, what if being truthful and expressing your personal convictions could hurt members’feelings or invade their privacy?
• What are some of the Dos and Don’ts you would list for group members who want to be more ethical communicators?
• Based on your personal experiences in groups, what, if any, principle would you add to the list of ethical principles?
APPLYING THE ETHICS CODE TO GROUPS
Are there unique ethical standards for working in groups?Are members ethically obligated to share accurate and important information with other members? Should members encourage one another to express controversial and conflicting points of view and opinions? Provide examples in The Ethics Credo in Action activity that demonstrate your understanding of ethical communication in groups.
Directions: Form a group with at least two other classmates. Review the preamble and principles in the NCA Credo for Ethical Communication. The first column lists all nine principles. The second column provides an example of how the credo can be applied to groups. Your group’s task is to provide another example in the third column for each of the ethical principles to demonstrate your understanding of each principle. An example can be a situation you or group members have experienced personally, or it can be taken from current events or from history.
Credo for Ethical Communication Principle
1. Truthfulness, accuracy, honesty, and reason are essential for ethical communication.
2. Freedom of expression, diversity of perspective, and tolerance of dissent are fundamental to a civil society.
3. Ethical communicators strive to understand and respect others before evaluating and responding to their messages.
4. Access to communication resources and opportunities are necessary to fulfill human potential and contribute to the wellbeing of individuals, families, communities, and society.
Example of Application to Working in Groups
Group members should accurately quote and cite the sources of researched information they share with others.
Groups should create a supportive climate in which members feel free to express their ideas, opinions, values, and feelings.
Group members should strive to understand members’ unfamiliar or controversial beliefs and values before making judgments.
Group members in virtual groups should have easy access to one another and similar equipment and software
Additional Example
5. Ethical communicators promote climates of caring and mutual understanding that respect the unique needs and characteristics of individual communicators.
6. Ethical communicators condemn communication that degrades others through distortion, intimidation, coercion, and violence, and through the expression of intolerance and hatred.
7. Ethical communicators express their personal convictions in pursuit of fairness and justice.
8. Ethical communicators share information, opinions, and feelings when facing significant choices while also respecting privacy and confidentiality.
9. Ethical communicators accept responsibility for the consequences of their own behavior and expect the same of others.
Groups should respect and adapt to members whose cultural backgrounds are different than most group members.
Group members should not tolerate statements that belittle or stereotype others within or outside the group.
Group members should express well-informed and reasonably argued political and personal beliefs.
Group leaders should keep members informed about their individual progress in private and in confidence.
Group members who are justly criticized for disrupting the group process should accept the consequences of their actions.