CHAPTER 11 MEMBERS AND LEADERS

CHAPTER 11 MEMBERS AND LEADERS

In this chapter we will explore these 3 major topics: -

·         Members in Small Group Communication

·         Leaders in Small Group Communication

·         Membership, Leadership, and Culture

Members in Small Group Communication

A structure for understand the functional roles of group members. They classified members’ roles into THREE general types: -

1. Group Task Roles
2. Group Building and Maintenance Roles
3. Individuals Roles

Group Task Roles

·         Roles performed by group members to make sure that the tasks of the group are accomplished.

For example:

If one group member tends to take notes in meeting, then the group might give that person the role of recorder. Discuss who is doing what and group member’s expectations for what they should do help the group identify any ignored tasks.

Two researchers (Benne &Sheats) identified 12different task roles include the following: -

1.       Initiator – Contributor

   o   Providing new ideas to the group

   o   May help the group brainstorm new and innovative ways to go about understanding at a problem.

2.       Information seeker

o   Focus on ensuring that the group has accurate and relevant information about problem solving.

 3.       Opinion seeker

 o   This is not concerned with the accuracy of information, but it is more interesting in understanding the group’s value.

4.       Information giver

o   Someone within a group that has some authoritative that can help inform a group’s decision making process.

o   This person can use their knowledge/ personal experience to help group member making decision.

 5.       Opinion giver

 o   Like opinion seeker, is concerned less with surrounding a specific problems, but is more concerned with ensuring to group values.

 6.       Elaborator

 o   Takes the ideas from other people and tries to elaborate the ideas in a different way.

 7.       Coordinator

 o   Find the common links between the various ideas from group member and combine it and tries to organize the various activities.

 8.       Orienter

 o   To showing the position of group by summarizing progress made, and the group will point out when the group completed their task and will be refocus the group back to the decision at hand.

 9.       Evaluator – critic

 o   Evaluates the group’s accomplishments to some criterion. This may include questioning the practically, logic, or procedure of a suggestion.

 10.   Energizer

o   Stimulating the group action or a decision and trying to increase the level or quality of activity.

 11.   Procedural technician

 o   Helping group movement by doing things for the group.

 12.   Recorder

 o   Writing down suggestion, recording group decisions. The recorder fills the role of “group memory”.

Group Building and Maintenance Roles

·         Roles performed by group members to maintain good relations within the group.

There are 7specific group building and maintenance roles: -

1.       Encourager

·         Praises, agrees with, and accepts the support of the others.

For example:

I like that idea, Sally’s suggestion is attractive to me. Could we discuss it further?

2.       Harmonizer

·         Mediating the differences among the other members, trying to settle disagreements and conflict.

For example:

Good hearted jokes and a soothing attitude can releases conflict situations.

3.       Compromiser

·         Operating from within a conflict in someone idea is involved, uses self – discipline to admit errors to maintain group harmony.

For example:

Mary, Sandy and Candy have offered many great solution. Why don’t we integrate them?

4.       Gatekeeper – expediter

·         Enables participation from everyone in group.

For example:

We haven’t heard any comment from Samuel yet.

5.       Standard setter

·         To make sure the group decision making meet a certain level.

For example:

How do we want to operate as a group?

6.       Group observer and commentator

·         Evaluates group progress.

For example:

I think we have learned a lot so far. Sarah and Joanna gave us many great information.

7.       Follower

·         Accepts ideas of others in group.

For example:

Joseph had a great idea. Let’s follow his plan.

Individual Roles

 

·         Roles performed by group members that are not productive for keeping the group on task.

There are 8 types of individual roles: -

1.       Aggressor

·         Someone who act unfriendly to their group member and their ideas with expressing disapproval values, act, feeling and showing envy toward to another.

For example:

Playing desert survival is the dumbest idea I’ve ever heard.

2.       Blocker

·         Someone who rejects to cooperate with other’s ideas.

For example:

I won’t join the Desert Survival.

3.       Recognition seeker

·         Someone who showing how themselves are such as an important person in group by boasting about their successful.

For example:

Sam was get the champion in the football competition, it is because of me who help him in training.

4.       Self - confessor

·         Expresses his/ her own feelings, ideology, and value.  Someone who no problem self-disclosing to group members.

For example:

I really like coffee. Yesterday I went to Starbucks. Their coffee is better than what you get elsewhere.

5.       Playboy/playgirl

·         Someone who lack of involve in the group processes.

For example:

Why don’t we just go have drinks instead of finishing this project?

6.       Dominator

·         Someone who try to control the group discussion and decision making processes.

For example:

I’m going to tell you the six reasons why this is a bad idea

7.       Help seeker

·         People who act helpless to avoid work.

For example:

I don’t think I can put together a magazine. Can you do it for me?”

8.       Special interest pleader

·         Someone who presents their own idea and needs.

For example:

I cannot attend the class tomorrow, because I want to sleep late.

 Interaction Process Analysis

 

It was a method used to classify and observe social interaction among the members of small face – to – face groups. In this system classify four general categories: -

·         Social – emotional positive contributions

·         Social – emotional negative contributions

·         Attempted answers

·         Questions

Member Participation

Guidelines for effective participation in a small group communication: -

Be group or Team Oriented

·         Your participation value = group’s goals and member satisfaction

·         Your talents, knowledge can lead to better solution.

·         Your individuality is not discarded, don’t give up the personal values.

Center Conflict on Issues

·         Conflict in small group situations leads to miscommunication.

·         If everything is thinking similar, then everybody is thinking.

 Be Open - minded

·         Share, hear and see before you conclude/decide.

·         Be willing to go through your suggestion during the discussion.

·         Receive the comments from the members in effective way.

·         Evaluate before you accept/reject any suggestion.

·         Support your comments with reasons and objectives.

Ensure Understanding

Make sure all participants get what you are trying to say.

Eyes contact

Everything is clear?

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Any questions

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If there is anything you can’t understand, please ask me.

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As I understand, you want to teach us how to ask questions during discussion, right?

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What about if I do this essay, is that correct?

Beware of Groupthink

The method of thinking that group members engage in when agreement becomes all important. The following symptoms should help you recognize groupthink: -

·         Illusion of invulnerability

·         Avoidance

·         Assumption of morality

·         Intolerance of differences of opinion

·         Self – censorship

·         Assumption of unanimity

·         Gatekeeping

·         Peer pressure

Leaders in Small Group Communication

 

One person in the group taking responsibility for trying tasks and maintaining good relationships.

·         The ownership of certain traits that society sees as leadership traits.

·         It was once believed that people were born with these certain traits.

·         Focuses on the leaders and not the followers.

·         Emphasizes that having a leader with a certain set of traits is important to having effective leadership.

For example:

Functions and Skills of Leadership

A leader must be able to: -

1.       Be Ready

2.       Activate the Group Agenda

3.       Promote Group Interaction

4.       Maintain Effective Interaction

5.       Empower Group Members

6.       Keep Members on Track

7.       Ensure Member Satisfaction

8.       Encourage Ongoing Evaluation

9.       Manage Conflict

10.   Follow up

Membership, Leadership, and Culture

Individual and Collectivism

A truly talented leader can be able to lead in individual society and leader must be aim to be collectivist.

Cultural beliefs

Japanese executives use variety strengthening – creation of uncertainly and analysis of many alternatives regarding future action.

US executives tend to use variety reduction – limiting of uncertainly and the focusing of action on a limited number of alternatives.