University of Southern California Working in Groups Essay

think about an a small group you are currently in or where a member of in the recent past (work group, school group, religious group, etc…) You will analyze this group by focusing on communication theories, concepts, and skills we have learned about throughout the semester.

You will be analyzing a small group/team that you’re currently a member in or have been in the recent past. You will describe and analyze the group/team by utilizing what you have learned this semester. Below, you will find a step by step prompt for the paper.

In your paper, you will:

1. describe a group/team you are a member currently or in the recent past

2. whether this was a “primary” or “secondary” group and why

3. why you joined the group

4. explain if the group/team wasfunctional or not and why

4. choose one chapter from our textbook and analyze the group in relation to the identified concepts from the chosen chapter.

By Steven Beebe and John Masterson
Presentations Prepared By:
Renee Brokaw
University of Tampa
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•Any public performance or display, including transmission of any image over a network;
•Preparation of any derivative work, including the extraction, in whole or in part, of any images;
•Any rental, lease, or lending of the program.
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Part IIl
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Chapter 10
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 Group assesses present situation
 Group identifies group goals
 Group identifies several alternatives
 Group identifies positive & negative
consequences of alternatives
 Group selects alternative
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 Experts inside and outside of groups
 Individual rankings
 Random choice (coin tosses)
 Majority vote
 Decision by minority
 Consensus
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 Accurately assesses the situation
 Establishes clear goals
 Identifies positive and negative
consequences of decision making
 Has accurate information
 Draws reasonable conclusions
 Encourages active participation
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▪ Fails to analyze present situation
accurately
▪ Fails to establish clear & appropriate goal
▪ Fails to identify positive & negative
consequences
▪ Uses bad information
▪ Has no critical thinking about data
▪ Involves too few people in discussion
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 Use clear criteria
 Focus on quality
 Break up bigger
issues into
smaller ones
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 Is decision a routine decision or unusual
decision?
 Have you or others made similar
decisions in the past?
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1.
Undesirable situation
2.
Goal: What the group wants to achieve
3.
Obstacle: Something that keeps a group
from achieving its goal
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1.
Lack of structure
2.
Lack of cultural sensitivity
3.
Lack of planning
4.
Lack of resources
5.
Wrong people present
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6.
Time pressure
7.
Poor communication
8.
Unsupportive social climate
9.
Negative attitudes
10. Lack of problem solving skills
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 Descriptive: focuses on how groups
solve problems
 Functional: identifies key task
requirements that contribute to effective
problem solving
 Prescriptive: recommends specific
agendas and techniques to improve
group performance
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Phase 1. Orientation (forming)
Phase 2. Conflict (storming)
Phase 3. Emergence (norming)
Phase 4. Reinforcement (performing)
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 There is a natural or normal process of
group problem solving
 Group will follow a normal problem solving
approach unless some external authority
interferes with freedom to solve problem
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 Dialectical
▪ Competing tensions within the group
▪ Stability versus instability
▪ Familiar patterns versus change
▪ The team versus the individual
▪ Structure versus interaction
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 Spiraling Model
▪ Cycle or spiral through phases throughout
group experience
 Teams cycle through their work, TIP
▪ T – Dimensions of time
▪ I – Interaction
▪ P – Performance
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 Punctuated Equilibrium Model
Breakpoint
Burst of
Activity
Inertia
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 Multi-Sequence Model
▪ Activity tracks that do not follow logical steps
▪ Task process
▪ Relational activities
▪ Topical focus
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1. Develop accurate understanding of
problem
2. Develop requirements for acceptable
choice
3. Develop alternatives to solve problem
4. Assess positive features of alternatives
5. Assess negative features of alternatives
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 Group members analyze information
appropriately
 Generate an ample number of ideas
 Evaluate information and solutions
 Remain sensitive to others
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 Establish clear criteria
 See problem from variety of viewpoints
 Gather data and research issues
 Use evidence effectively to reach valid
conclusion
 Ask appropriate questions
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 Search for many alternatives or solutions
to problem
 Make high-quality statements to group
 Take vacation from problem to revitalize
group
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 Examine pros and cons of potential
solutions
 Evaluate opinions and assumptions of
others
 Test solutions to see if meet preestablished criteria
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 Shows concern for both group task
and feelings of others
 Listens to minority arguments and
opinions
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 Invites group members to perform certain
behaviors in specific order to achieve goal
 Offers specific suggestions for structuring
group’s problem solving agenda
 Provides group roadmap to achieve
consensus
 Offers recommendations for sequencing
communication in group
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 Develop mindfulness
 Be flexible
 Tolerate uncertainty and ambiguity
 Resist stereotyping and making negative
judgments
 Ask questions
 Be other-oriented
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By Steven Beebe and John Masterson
Presentations Prepared By:
Renee Brokaw
University of Tampa
This multimedia product and its contents are protected under copyright law. The following are prohibited by law:
•Any public performance or display, including transmission of any image over a network;
•Preparation of any derivative work, including the extraction, in whole or in part, of any images;
•Any rental, lease, or lending of the program.
Copyright © 2015, 2012, 2009, Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Part III
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Chapter 11
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1. What is difficulty or concern?
2. Where is it located and how is it defined?
3. What are possible solutions to difficulty?
4. What are logical reasons that support
solution?
5. What additional testing & observation is
needed to confirm solution?
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 Structure
 Interaction
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 Take more time to deliberate; interaction is
inefficient and off task
 Prematurely focus on solutions rather than
analyzing issues
 Jump at first solution recommended
 Jump from one idea to the next without
seeing big picture
 Prone to domination by outspoken
member
 Unable to manage conflict
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 Deliberation improves group performance
 Sharing information improves group
performance
 Understanding the value individual
contributions improves performance
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Step 1
• Identify the problem
Step 2
• Analyze the problem
Step 3
• Generate several solutions
Step 4
• Select the best possible solution(s)
Step 5
• Test and implement solutions
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 What is the specific problem?
 What obstacles are interfering with the
goal?
 Is the question clear?
 What terms, concepts, or ideas need to be
defined?
 Who is harmed by the problem?
 When do the harmful effects of the problem
occur?
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IS
IS NOT

What is area of problem?

What is not area of problem?



What are symptoms?

What are not symptoms?
When is problem
observed?

When is problem not
observed?

Where does problem
occur?

Where does problem not
occur?

Who is affected by
problem?

Who is not affected by
problem?
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Bar graph that show
data which
describes:
 Cause
 Source
 Frequency of problem
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 What is the history of the problem?
 How serious is the problem?
 What are the causes of the problem?
 What are the effects of the problem?
 What are the symptoms of the problem?
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 What methods are in place?
 What are the limitations?
 How much freedom does the group have?
 What obstacles interfere with the goal?
 Can the problem be subdivided?
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Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
• Identify the goal
• On the right side, list all of the restraining forces
• On the left side of the chart, list all of the driving forces
• Increase the driving forces
• Decrease the restraining forces
• Increase driving forces and decrease restraining forces
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 Cause & effect diagram
 Looks like fish when completed
 Think of effect to be analyzed
 Draw straight line on paper or flipchart
 Angling out from long line, draw lines to
represent possible causes
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 Problem analysis (individual analysis)
 Information exchange (share analysis with
the group)
 Problem resolution (individually identify a
solution)
 Group integration to reach consensus
(work collaboratively to develop the best
solution)
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 Members summarize the problem
 Members identify strategies that analyze
problems
 Members identify possible solutions
 Members individually rank the solutions
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 Members share written information
 Members review their analysis
 Members compare the rankings
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 Members revise their analysis and rankings
 Members privately make a final decision
 Members individually re-rank their list of
solutions
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 Members share their revised decisions
 Members discuss the results and seek a
consensus
 Members make a decision either by
consensus, majority vote, or group ranking
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What outcome are we trying to
accomplish?

How will we know when we have
completed our task?

Which criteria are most important?

Which criteria are less important?
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 List possible solutions in tentative,
hypothetical terms
 Take time to define and analyze issues
 Creatively generate solutions
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▪ What are advantages of each solution?
▪ Are there disadvantages?
▪ What would be long-term & short term
effects?
▪ Would solution really solve problem?
▪ Does solution conform to group’s criteria?
▪ Should group modify criteria?
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 Analyze pros & cons
▪ Create a T-chart with pros on
one side and cons on the other
▪ Silently write down risks/benefits
▪ Share with group
 Average rankings
▪ Rank order & discuss solutions
after pros & cons
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 How can group get approval & support for
proposed solution?
 What specific steps are necessary to
implement solution?
 How can group evaluate success?
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Identify project goal
Identify activities needed to complete
project
Identify sequence of activities
Estimate amount of time for each task
Determine member responsible for
each task
Develop chart that shows relationships
among tasks, time, people and events
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 Action Chart (PERT)
▪ Program Review and
Evaluation Technique
 Flow Chart
▪ Step by step diagram
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2009, 2009,
2006, Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
▪ Take time to reflect on group the procedures
and interaction
▪ Clearly identify problem
 Phrase problem as a question
 Don’t start suggesting solutions until problem
analyzed
 Don’t confuse problem with symptoms
 Constantly evaluate problem-solving method
 Appoint one member to remind group to use
structured method
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 Ideal-Solution Format
 Single-Question Format
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▪ Do all members agree on problem?
▪ What would be ideal solution?
▪ What conditions could be changed?
▪ Of all possible situations, which is ideal?
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▪ What question does the group need to
know to accomplish purpose?
▪ What subsequent questions must be
answered?
▪ Does group have sufficient information?
▪ What are the most reasonable answers ?
▪ What is the best possible solution to
problem?
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 Provide group with copies of guide
questions
 Explain why using selected format
 Keep discussion focused on question
under consideration
 Use collaborative approach
Copyright © 2015, 2012, 2009, Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
By Steven Beebe and John Masterson
Presentations Prepared By:
Renee Brokaw
University of Tampa
This multimedia product and its contents are protected under copyright law. The following are prohibited by law:
•Any public performance or display, including transmission of any image over a network;
•Preparation of any derivative work, including the extraction, in whole or in part, of any images;
•Any rental, lease, or lending of the program.
Copyright © 2015, 2012, 2009, Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Part III
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Chapter 12
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 Creativity is
the generation,
application,
combination,
and extension
of new ideas
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 Idea generation
 Feasibility analysis
 Reality testing
 Implementation
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1. Idea generation phase
2. Development phase
3. Finalization and closure phase
4. Evaluation phase
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 Invention is
process of
developing new
ideas
 Creative
competence can
be learned
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 Mess finding: Isolating a concern or problem
 Data finding: Generating and selecting most
important data
 Problem finding: Generating and selecting
essential statements
 Idea finding: Generating and selecting best
available alternatives
 Solution finding: Using criteria to screen, select
and support idea
 Acceptance finding: Generating ways to
implement solutions
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 Mysterious process that
can’t be learned
 Few gifted people are
creative
 Creativity just happens
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 Premature evaluation of ideas
 Poor physical surroundings
 Too many people
 Poor timing
 Stinking thinking
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 Appropriately analyze and define problem
 Create a climate of freedom
 Listen to diverse points of view
 Encourage people to see things and
themselves differently
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 Analyze and define problem
 Create climate of individual freedom
 Listen to minority points of view
 Encourage “rolestorming”
 Selectively increase group structure
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 Brainstorming
 Nominal Group Technique
 Delphi Technique
 Electronic Brainstorming

Affinity Technique
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Select specific problem that needs
solving
2. Set a clear time limit
3. Put aside all judgments & evaluations
4. Think of all possible solutions
5. Piggyback ideas
6. Record all mentioned ideas
7. Evaluate ideas at later session
1.
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Understand problem
2. Individually write list of solutions
3. Note each member’s solutions on chart
4. Clarify each idea
5. Rank solutions
6. Discuss results of rankings
1.
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 Leader selects problem, issue, policy for
review
 Leader corresponds with members in
writing; sometimes in questionnaire
format
 Respondents complete questionnaire or list
 Leader summarizes responses
 General consensus emerges
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 Resembles NGT
 Generates more ideas
 Ideas based on merit, not who submitted
them
 Ideas usually higher quality and quantity
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 Use Post-It notes
 Sort through and organize ideas that
have affinity
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 Set aside a definite amount of time
 Do not make time limit too short
 Be certain members understand specific
problem to be solved
 Make sure rules are followed
 Try to draw less talkative members into
discussion
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 Consider reverse brainstorming; make
problem worse
 Use role storming (assume roles)
 Tell group what will happen with ideas and
suggestions
 Try random-word technique: trigger for
new creative ideas
 Use a bulletin board or white board
 Try brainsketching
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