Faculty of Management and Human Resource Development

Lecturer : Pn. Siti RokiahCourse/ Code : Effective CommunicationTitle : Group and Team CommunicationSection : 05

Group Members = Group 3 + 7 + 8No Name Matrix No

1 Elnara Latifova AH104014

2 Ong Shwu Er AH100215

3 Ong Siow Thing AH1002164 Ching Sim Mei AH100196

5 Siti Sakinah Binti Burhanuddin AH100219

6 Tee Hui Lee AH100226

7 Fatin Mohammad Zahir AH100198

8 Michele Sylvester AH100206

No Name Matrix No

9 Tan Yuen Li AH100224

10 Tan Shea Lee AH100223

11 Tan Kai Quan AH100222

12 Ashmal Hafiz bin Ahmad Suhaimi AH100193

13 Gan Swee Fong AH100199

14 Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed AH104007

15 Chan Khye Lin AH100194

Synopsis ( Part I)

Introduction

What is Group & Team

Group Formation Types & Purposes of Small Groups

Characteristics of Small Groups

Gender Differences + Ethical Behavior in Group Communication

Disadvantages of Small Groups

Virtual Groups & Teams

Synopsis ( Part II)

Team Building

Leadership

Conducting Meeting Member Participation

Problem Solving & Decision Making

Reflective Thinking Managing Group Conflict

Evaluating Small - Group Performance

Conclusion

What is Group and Team?

Common purpose

Are interdependent

Consists small number of

people

Interact together

Collection of individuals who

influence one another

Small-Group Communication• Consists at least 3 interacting people

• Less than 3 (interview or interpersonal communication)

InterviewingInterpersonal Presentation

Effective Group Communication

• Example:–Ability to ask effective questions– To listen–Deal with interpersonal relationships–Resolve conflict– Present idea

• Small group communication involve:

– Share common purpose• Solve problems, make decision and share

information

– Respect one another• Honest, tolerant, and hold high ethical standards

– Ensure the willingness – not only to listen but also – give feedback, discuss and argue

Team• A coordinated group of people

• organized to work together to achieve a specific goal– Teams develop clearly defined

responsibilities for team members.– Teams have clearly defined rules for team

operation.– Teams develop clear goals.– Teams develop a way of coordinating their

efforts.

Effective team communication

Good manners

Think before your speak

Good attention

Speak only when

necessary

Listen others speak

Group

TEAM

Group

GroupGroup

Group Formation: why we join:

Satisfy important psychological &

social needs

Help people achieve goals

Multiple sources

information& knowledge

Individual’s positive social

identity

Need for security

Why we leave

Restricting personal freedom

Time-consuming , ineffective

Adopt position and policies

Demand( time, energy &

resources)

Types and Purposes of Small Group

To fill basic needs of inclusion

and affection with others

Primary Groups

Focus on socialand interpersonal

relationships

Secondary groups

Purpose : to accomplish a task or achieve a goal

Example : decision makingproblem solvingLearning Group

Characteristics of Small Groups

Interdependence

Mutual dependence of group members on one anotherGroup’s success based on : member’s cooperation, accountability and willingness.

Commitment

Desire of group members to work together to complete a task to the satisfaction of the entire group. Often stem from interpersonal attraction, commonality of attitude,beliefs, and values.

Cohesiveness

• The attraction that group members feel for each other and willingness to stick together

• A form of loyalty• But, too much – lead to unwillingness to change an

unsuccessful decision

• Group SizePoints to consider:

I. Large groups reduce the time and amount of individual interaction

II. Large groups provide a greater opportunity for aggressive members to assert their dominance. As a result, less assertive members might feel isolated and might withdraw from the group altogether

III. Large groups make it difficult to follow a set agenda. It is easy for someone in a large group to switch topics or introduce subjects that are not related to the group’s original priorities.

Group NormsExpected and shared ways in which group members behave.Both informal and formal guidelines determine which behaviors are acceptable and which are not.For a group to function effectively, its members must agree on how things are to be done.Norms also develop in virtual groups.As virtual groups mature over time, so does conformity to the norms of the groups.

Group Culture

• The pattern of values, beliefs, norms, and behaviors that is shared by group members and that shapes a group’s individual personality.

• Created by many factors• Not static, but constantly changing and

developing

Gender Differences in Group Communication

Men

• More engage in aggressive behavior

• dominate the talking• Interested in winning• More goal oriented

Women

• More cooperative with opponent

• Share resources • Interested in fairness

*both women and men understand stereotypes exist and make sure each person participates in group is provide equal opportunities to participate

Ethical Behavior in Group Communication

• responsibility to be ethnical in group• respect each other opinions especially to behaviors within

the group member when participating in group-related activities.

• Group members -have right to state opinion or perspective -willing to share legitimate information -honesty and integrity -use information ethically -keep confidential information confidential

Disadvantages of Small Groups

Going Along to Get Along

•Group can become too cohesive or committed.•Groupthink (a dysfunction in which group members value the harmony of the group more than new ideas, fails to critically examine ideas, hesitate to change flawed decision, and lack willingness to allow new members to participate. )

Time consuming•It always takes longer to accomplish something when a group does it.•Individual can always complete a task in a short time than a group.

Varying Communications Styles• Different communication style and comfort level with the

group.• Some members might dominate and overwhelm

conversations, whereas others members might not contribute at all.

Unfair Workload• Students complain that some group members lack motivation

and do not do their fair share of the work.• Also referred to as Social Loafing. (Tendency for individual to

lower their work effort after they join a group.)

Pressure to Fail• Groups may not meet their potential because the majority of

group members place pressure on the most capable members not to excel.

• Members who do not cooperate and do excel might find themselves teased, chastised, or worse for breaking the group’s norm.

Grouphate Phenomenon• People who have negative experiences with group or those

who do not have the communications skills to be effective in groups dislike group work.

Virtual Groups and Teams

-a group of people that relies on electronic forms of communication to work together to accomplish goal

Teleconferencing use telephones and speakerphones to connect people in different location limited-cannot see at other location Losing nonverbal cues

Videoconferencing -includes picture and sound

-connect group via television in different location -cost and need special equipment to allow picture and sound transmitted -increase face to face interaction

Interactive computer conferencing interaction via computer convenience only computer and connected video camera are required equipment failure occur

Team Building

Setting Goals~Goals must be clear, specific, challenging, and worthwhile.

Determining Roles~Leader~Team members

Leadership

Leadership

An influence process that includes any behavior that helps

clarify a group’s purpose or guides the group to achieve its goal

LeaderA person who is assigned or selected , or who emerges from a group, to guide or provide direction toward reaching the group’s goals.

FIVE WAYS TO BECOME A BETTER LEADER

Get 360-degree feedback on your present level of effectiveness, as judged by co-

workers you respect.

Pick the most important behaviors for change—those you believe will enhance

your effectiveness as a leader—e.g., "become a more effective listener" or "make

decisions in a timelier manner").

Periodically ask co-workers for suggestions on how you can do an even better job

in your selected behaviors for change.

Listen to their ideas—don't promise to change everything—and make the changes

that you believe will further increase your effectiveness.

Follow-up and measure change in your effectiveness over time.

Leadership styles and behavior

1. Autocratic

• Keeps complete control

• Sets policy and makes all decisions for the group

• Defines task and assigns them to members

2. Democratic

• Shares control

• Involves members in making the decisions and etc.

• Guide the task instead of setting it.

3. Laissez-faire

• Gives up control

• Total freedom

• Completely avoid participation

What is gender?

Gender is the culturally created idea of differences

between the sexes.

Gender is a culturally created order of power related

to the idea of female and male.

Gender is one´s unaware actions that are the result of

power structure and these unaware gender related

actions do not aspire to change the order of power, but

to preserve them.

Conducting a Meeting

-Members may appoint or elect a recording secretary.

-For the first time, the members usually begin by introducing themselves & briefly telling their reasons for joining the group.

-To ensure efficiency, procedures must be established, and meeting must be conducted according to a well-organized plan.

-The best way to accomplish this is by producing an agenda, a list of all topics to be discussed during a meeting.

Meeting agenda look like : Roll call / attendance

Reading, correction, and approval of minutes from previous

meeting

Unfinished business from

previous meeting

New business

Announcements

Adjournment

Members Participation

• Roles of group members• Contribution of group members

Roles of group members

• Group task & building

– Help to accomplish task & objective

– E.g :initiator-contributor, energizer, recorder

• Group building & maintenance

– Help to define group’s social atmosphere

– E.g : encourager, harmonizer, compromiser

• Self centered roles

– Counterproductive/destructive

– E.g : aggressor, blocker, buffoon

Contribution of group members

• Comments that are open to evaluation

– Group discussion lead to best possible info and decision if members

offer comments for evaluation.

– Criticism cant be avoided or ignored

• Provocative comments

– Every comments/ideas are valuable

• Prepare to contribute

– Study the agenda in advance

Problem Solving And Decision Making

1) Determining problem Select problem and topic. Should be stated in the form question.

4 types of discussion Questions

Question of fact asks whether something is true or false.

Question of interpretation asks for the meaning or explanation of something.

Question of policy asks what actions should be taken.

Question of value asks whether something is good or bad, desirable or undesirable.

2) Discussing The Problem

5 specific steps developed by the Philosopher John Dewey

5.1 Definition of the problem

5.2 Analysis of the problem

5.3 Suggestion of possible problem

5.4 Selection of the best solution

5.5 Putting the best solution into operation

Reflective Thinking in Problem Solving and Decision Making

Problem solving is a set of activities designed to analyze a situation systematically and generate, implement, and evaluate solutions Decision making is a mechanism for making choices at each step of the problem-solving process.

Steps Involved In Decision Making Process1. Defining / Identifying the managerial problem2.Analyzing the problem3.Developing alternative solutions4.Selecting the best solution out of the available alternatives5. Converting the decision into action6. Ensuring feedback for follow-up

Brainstorming Brainstorming is a popular tool that helps you

generate creative solutions to a problem. Individual brainstorming :1. Draw or doodle while you're thinking.

2. Ask questions. Read something.

3. Take a walk with a little notepad and pen.

4.Work a crossword puzzle or a word search.

5. Do something with the intention of figuring out what you want to focus on.

6. Look around: Write down the interesting things you see, hear, touch, feel, smell, or taste.

Group brainstorming

• Group brainstorming can be very effective for bringing the full experience and creativity of all

members of the group to bear on an issue

• How to Use the Tool:

1. Find a comfortable meeting environment, and set it up ready for the session.

2. Define the problem you want solved clearly, and lay out any criteria to be met.

3. Make it clear that that the objective of the meeting is to generate as many ideas as possible.

4. Give people plenty of time on their own at the start of the session to generate as many ideas as

possible.

5. Ask people to give their ideas, making sure that you give everyone a fair opportunity to contribute.

6. Encourage people to develop other people's ideas, or to use other ideas to create new ones.

Managing Group Conflicto Conflict??? Negative??o Communication is bound to be conflict.o if properly managed, better decisions and solutions to problem.

Group decision making and problem solving

Conflict and open disagreement

Better understanding of issues, better involvement, increased motivation, better decision, greater group cohesiveness.

Tension, increase disagreement, increase in personal attacks, hurt feelings, withdrawal, disbanding of other group

Principle negotiation – A procedure that helps group members

negotiate consensus by collaboration through the expression of

each differing need and a search for alternatives to meet those

needs.

Ways :

1) Express disagreement openly and honestly for discussion

2) Stick to the issues and direct get to the point.

3) Criticize the idea not the person.

4) Don’t simply put down others’ ideas or views.

5) Always remain calm even if someone attacks you. Take a

reasoned approach and do not take the attack

personally.

Evaluating Small-Group Performance

Time for the hands on exercise !!!

• firstly, think back the last time u had your small group discussion

• secondly, raise up your hands based on instructions

Conclusion

There is no way for you to get away from being in a group. Everyone will need to learn on how to get along well with others. This is where communication skills play its significant role.