© 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved An Introduction to Group Work Practice, 7e Toseland and Rivas Chapter 11 Task Groups Foundation Methods Slides developed by Ronald W. Toseland State University of New York at Albany

© 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved An Introduction to Group Work Practice, 7e Toseland and Rivas Task Groups Social workers spend a lot of time in task groups particularly: –Committees –Teams –Treatment conferences Leadership roles Membership roles

© 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved An Introduction to Group Work Practice, 7e Toseland and Rivas Leading Task Groups Preparing for group meetings Sharing information, thoughts and feelings about issues and concerns facing the group Reviewing progress and setting agendas Involving members and helping them feel committed to the group and the agency

© 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved An Introduction to Group Work Practice, 7e Toseland and Rivas During Meetings Introduce new members Seek approval for minutes and obtain a minute taker Follow the agenda – make sure to save time for all items Model the behavior expected of members

© 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved An Introduction to Group Work Practice, 7e Toseland and Rivas Ending Meetings Summarize the meeting’s accomplishments Praise members for their efforts Identify issues and agenda items that need additional attention and the meeting schedule Mention major topics for the next meeting Summarize tasks members agreed to accomplish for the next meeting

© 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved An Introduction to Group Work Practice, 7e Toseland and Rivas Meeting Agenda Outline Examine and approve minutes Make information announcements Vote to include special agenda items Work on less controversial, easier items Work on difficult items Work on for discussion only items Consider any special agenda items

© 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved An Introduction to Group Work Practice, 7e Toseland and Rivas Between Meetings Ensure that decisions and tasks decided on in previous meetings are carried out Work on and complete any reports to be presented at the next meeting Prepare for the next meeting –Call for agenda items before the next meeting

© 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved An Introduction to Group Work Practice, 7e Toseland and Rivas Sharing Information Make sure all members understand the topic being discussed and the task facing the group Strive for open communication Develop clear procedural steps Discuss one issue at a time

© 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved An Introduction to Group Work Practice, 7e Toseland and Rivas Helping Members Feel Involved Help them understand the importance of the group’s work, & relationship to the agency Assign members specific roles Invite members’ input into the agenda and the decision-making process of the group Encourage decision-making participation

© 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved An Introduction to Group Work Practice, 7e Toseland and Rivas Developing Information and Creative Ideas Group factors that inhibit creativity and idea generation –Status conscious members and non-verbal messages –Norms and social pressure to conform –The censoring of controversial opinions –Covert judgments made but not expressed

© 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved An Introduction to Group Work Practice, 7e Toseland and Rivas Handling Conflict View conflict as natural and helpful part of group development Help members recognize conflict Encourage norms of openness and respect for other’s opinions Encourage members to suspend judgments until the group discussion is completed

© 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved An Introduction to Group Work Practice, 7e Toseland and Rivas Making Effective Decisions Group versus individual decision making –When is the group best –When is the individual best Group think The risky shift

© 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved An Introduction to Group Work Practice, 7e Toseland and Rivas Political Ramifications of Groups Where does the group meet? Meeting room arrangements – circle, square, rectangle, couches? Who is invited to participate? How meeting agendas are structured? How the group conducts its business?

© 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved An Introduction to Group Work Practice, 7e Toseland and Rivas A Model for Effective Problem Solving Identifying a problem Developing goals Collecting data Developing plans Selecting the best plan Implementing the plan

© 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved An Introduction to Group Work Practice, 7e Toseland and Rivas Identifying the Problem Clarify boundaries Seek out members’ perceptions of the problem and their expectations about how to solve it Develop a problem solving orientation Define a solvable problem Specify the problem as clearly as possible

© 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved An Introduction to Group Work Practice, 7e Toseland and Rivas Developing Goals Directed at the mutual concerns of all members Consistent with the mandate of the group Attractive enough to gain commitment, cooperation, and investment Realistic and attainable Time limited

© 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved An Introduction to Group Work Practice, 7e Toseland and Rivas Collecting Data Maintain the group’s openness to speculation Encourage an open search for all pertinent data Encourage all members to present their ideas Demonstrate appreciation for differences Refrain from evaluation until all ideas are in Communicate non-judgmentally, without intent to control, as an equal

© 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved An Introduction to Group Work Practice, 7e Toseland and Rivas Developing Plans Handling information generated by the group –Separate relevant from irrelevant facts –Combine similar facts –Identify discrepancies –Look for patterns across different facts –Rank facts from most important to least important

© 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved An Introduction to Group Work Practice, 7e Toseland and Rivas Selecting the Best Plan Use predetermined decision criteria. Consider using Nominal Group Technique or Multi Attribute Utility Analysis

© 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved An Introduction to Group Work Practice, 7e Toseland and Rivas Implementing the Plan Gain support from constituencies outside the group Seek support from those responsible for deciding if the plan will go forward –Educate them about the value of the plan