Working and Writing in Teams Module Eighteen Copyright © 2014 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. McGraw-Hill/Irwin

Learning Objectives LO 18-1 Identify message types for the group’s attention. LO 18-2 Classify roles for group members. LO 18-3 Apply strategies for leadership without arrogance. LO 18-4 Apply strategies for conflict resolution. LO 18-5 Apply strategies for co-authorship of documents. 18-2

Possible Group Ground Rules 18-3

What kinds of messages should groups attend to?  Informational  Focus on the problem or challenge, data, and possible solutions.  Procedural  Focus on methods and process.  Interpersonal  Focus on people, promoting friendliness, cooperation, and group loyalty. 18-4

Stages of Group Development  Orientation  Members meet and begin to define their task  develop social cohesiveness.  Formation  Members choose a leader and define the problem. 18-5

Stages of Group Development  Coordination  Members do most of the work; the longest phase.  Formalization  Members seek consensus. 18-6

What roles do people play in groups? 18-7 Seeking Information and Opinions Giving Information and Opinions Summarizing Evaluating Coordinating

What roles do people play in groups?  Encouraging Participation  Relieving Tensions  Checking Feelings  Solving Interpersonal Problems  Listening Actively 18-8

What roles do people play in groups? 18-9BlockingDominating ClowningWithdrawing

Leadership in Groups  Informational leaders  generate and evaluate ideas and text.  Interpersonal leaders  monitor the group’s process, check people’s feelings, and resolve conflicts

Leadership in Groups  Procedural leaders  set the agenda, make sure that everyone knows what’s due for the next meeting, communicate with absent group members, and check to be sure that assignments are carried out

Characteristics of Successful Student Groups 1.The leader sets clear deadlines, scheduled frequent meetings, and dealt directly with conflict that emerged in the group 2.Listens to criticism and makes important decisions together 3.Has a higher proportion of members who work actively on projects 18-12

Leading Without Being Arrogant Smile Share Suggest Think Volunteer Ask

Peer Pressure and Groupthink  Groupthink  The tendency for groups to put such a high premium on agreement that they directly or indirectly punish dissent

Peer Pressure and Groupthink The best correctives to groupthink are to  Consciously search for additional alternatives  Test assumptions against those of a range of other people  Encourage disagreement  Protect the right of people in a group to disagree 18-15

How should we handle conflict?  Make responsibilities and ground rules clear at the beginning.  Discuss problems as they arise.  Realize that group members are not responsible for each others’ happiness

Troubleshooting Group Problems 18-17

How should we handle conflict?  Make sure that the people involved really disagree  Check to see that everyone’s information is correct  Discover the needs each person is trying to meet  Search for alternatives  Repair bad feelings 18-18

To Respond to Criticism  Paraphrase  Check for feelings  Check for inferences  Buy time with limited agreement 18-19

How can we create the best co- authored documents?  Make your analysis of the problem, the audience, and your purposes explicit  Plan the organization, format, and style of the document before anyone begins to write  Consider your work styles and other commitments  Build some leeway into your deadlines

How can we create the best co- authored documents?  Allow time to discuss problems and find solutions.  Get to know group members.  Be a responsible group member.  Be aware of differences in seeing things and expressing ideas.  Don’t assume that because the discussion went smoothly, a draft written by one person will necessarily be acceptable