© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Serving as Designated Leader © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. C H A P T E R 1 3 Twelfth Edition Theory and Practice EFFECTIVE GROUP DISCUSSION

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Chapter Content  Group-Centered, Democratic Leadership  Responsibilities & Techniques of Leaders  Administrative Duties  Leading Discussions  Developing the Group  Ethical Principles for Group Leaders

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Group-Centered, Democratic Leadership  Leadership style depends on situation  Democratic leadership is ideal  Distributed leadership

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Leader as “Completer” Figure 13.1 The Leader as “Completer” of the Group

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Responsibilities & Techniques of Leaders Leaders should adjust based on: 1.Group’s purpose 2.Expectations of members 3.Member skills and maturity 4.Member involvement 5.Leader’s skill and experience 6.Time

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Responsibilities & Techniques of Leaders Good leaders: 1.Define the group’s goal 2.Foster a collaborative climate 3.Build members’ confidence 4.Manage the team’s interaction 5.Structure the group’s tasks 6.Manage the group’s performance 7.Inspire confidence and loyalty

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Responsibilities & Techniques of Leaders  Administrative duties  Leading discussions  Developing the group Continued

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Administrative Duties  Assemble the group 1.Select group members carefully 2.Develop a group charter 3.Ensure members commit to group goals

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Administrative Duties  Plan for meetings 1.Define meeting’s purpose 2.Establish start and end times 3.Prepare and advise special attendees 4.Prepare the tools needed Continued

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Administrative Duties  Plan for meetings 5.Make physical arrangements 6.Ensure technology works 7.Define how to evaluate the meeting 8.Notify members

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Administrative Duties  Follow up on meetings  Act as liaison  Virtual groups  Provide virtual space

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Administrative Duties  Manage written communication  Personal notes  Group records, minutes  Meeting notices and agendas  Formal reports and resolutions Continued

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Personal Notes Figure 13.2 A Discussion Leader’s Personal Notes

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Informal Minutes Figure 13.4 Example of Typical, Informal Minutes From a Student Group

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Meeting Notice & Agenda Figure 13.6 An Example of Combined Meeting Notice and Agenda

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Leading Discussions  Opening remarks 1.Introduce members and guests 2.Explain meeting’s purpose and goals 3.Establish special roles 4.Distribute handouts 5.Establish ground rules 6.Suggest procedures 7.Focus initial discussion

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Leading Discussions  Regulate and structure discussions  Decide on the level of formality 1.Keep the discussion goal-oriented 2.“Park” off-topic items 3.Use summaries as transitions 4.Move discussions forward 5.Close the discussion

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Leading Discussions  Equalize opportunity to participate 1.Address the group, not individuals 2.Allow members equal opportunity to speak 3.Listen actively to all members 4.Avoid commenting after every remark 5.Withhold your opinions 6.Remain neutral during arguments

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Leading Discussions  Stimulate creative thinking 1.Defer evaluation 2.Brainstorm 3.Search for more alternatives 4.Ask for improvements to solutions 5.Look for new areas of thinking

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Leading Discussions  Stimulate critical thinking 1.Suggest more problem analysis 2.Encourage critical evaluation 3.Ensure group accepts factors used in making judgments 4.Test proposed solutions 5.Prevent groupthink

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Leading Discussions  Foster meeting-to-meeting improvement  Regulate and structure discussions in virtual groups

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Developing the Group  Help individuals grow 1.Encourage assessment of the group’s processes 2.Model example behavior 3.Delegate needed group duties

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Developing the Group  Establish and maintain trust 1.Establish ethics-based norms 2.Confront problem members 3.Embrace the group’s diversity 4.Be a principled leader

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Developing the Group  Promote teamwork and cooperation 1.Plan group fun 2.Promote the group 3.Share all rewards with the group 4.Seek group input and buy-in 5.Confront problem members 6.Keep arguments focused on the issue 7.Seek compromise on divisive issues

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Developing the Group  Develop virtual groups  Online communities  Face-to-face meetings

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Ethical Principles for Group Leaders 1.Tell the truth 2.Place concern for others above individual gain 3.Establish clear policies for the group 4.Respect all members 5.Stand behind members 6.Do not discriminate or show favoritism

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. As with any other desirable behavior, the leader should model ethical behavior as a standard for members to follow. By doing so, the leader creates a climate of trust and a spirit of cohesiveness.