Communication In Teams

Question 1

What are groups?

Answer 1

• An assemblage of persons who communicate, face to face, in order to fulfil a common purpose and achieve a goal
• A human communication system composed of three or more inddiviauds, interacting for the achievement of some common purpose, who influence and are influenced by one another
• A small group prefers to a group in which individuals members perceive each other and are aware of each other as individuals when they interact

Question 2

What are the stages of group development?

Answer 2

• Forming
• Storming
• Norming
• Performing
• Adjourning

Question 3

What is the forming stage?

Answer 3

• Group members get to know each other for the first time
• Initial assessment of task
• Initial designation of roles
• Avoid conflict and promote collaboration
• Individuals assess their personal and professional need to be part of the group

Question 4

What is the storming stage?

Answer 4

• Group members start working on the task
• Presentation of opinion (including opposing view point)
• Primary or secondary tension:

Question 5

What is primary tension?

Answer 5

• During the storming stage
• Primary relates to a natural feeling of anxiety when people that do not know each other too well start working together

Question 6

What is secondary tension?

Answer 6

• During the storming stage

- Secondary is caused by stress arising from the process of task completion

Question 7

What is the norming stage?

Answer 7

• Regulation of the norms of the group
• A protocol on appropriate behaviours and activities is created
• Clear knowledge of group members’ expertise
• Sense of belonging in the group

Question 8

What is the performing stage?

Answer 8

• Only groups successful in norming reach this strage
• Members now perform optimally
• Members have high identificaiton with the group
• Roles may shift based on emergent priorities
• Members may work independently on specific tasks

Question 9

What is the adjourning stage?

Answer 9

• Members have completed the task
• The group is no longer an active one
• Not all groups go through this phase (ongoing groups)
• Some groups may stay dormant for periods of time

Question 10

What is true about when new members enter existing groups?

Answer 10

• The group may repeat some of the stages
• New members is socialised into the group (forming)
• Norms may have to be re-established

Question 11

What are the group roles categorically?

Answer 11

• Task
• Maintenance
• Individual

Question 12

What are the task roles?

Answer 12

• Responsible for planning, gathering/analysing information, creating a framework and taking action
• Initiator-Contributor
• Information Seeker
• Opinion Seeker
• Information Giver
• Clarifier-Elaborator
• Coordinator
• Recorder
• Director
• Challenger

Question 13

What is the initiator-contributor role?

Answer 13

• Task role

- Provides initial ideas about how to address the task at hand

Question 14

What is the coordinator role?

Answer 14

• Task role

- Collates ideas from other roles in order to create a cohesive action

Question 15

What is the director role?

Answer 15

• Task Role

- Keeps the group from straying away from its objectives

Question 16

What is the challenger role?

Answer 16

• Task role

- Argues over commonly acceptable views within the group to test validity of ideas

Question 17

What are the maintenance roles?

Answer 17

• Responsible for keeping the group cohesive and cooperative
• Norm Establisher
• Supporter
• Harmoniser
• Tension Reliever
• Dramatiser
• Unifier

Question 18

What is the dramatiser role?

Answer 18

• Maintenance role

- Tells stories on related topics to help visualise some of the action

Question 19

What is the unifier role?

Answer 19

• Maintenance role

- Helps foster positive feelings among group members

Question 20

What are the individual roles?

Answer 20

• Roles centred on individual goals, disruptive to group activities
• Aggressor
• Blocker
• Player
• Dominator
• Help Seeker
• Special interest pleader

Question 21

What is the blocker role?

Answer 21

• Individual role

- Criticises group members or their actions

Question 22

What is the player role?

Answer 22

• Individual role

- Considers the group to be a form of relaxation

Question 23

What are the important group attributes?

Answer 23

• Group Size
• Age of group members
• Divsesity
• Openness to Communication
• Time Frame
• Group Cohesions

Question 24

What is important about group size?

Answer 24

• At least 3 members
• Higher the number the more complex
• Large groups have potential for
  
  • Coalitions within the group
  • Social loafing
  • Difficulty in reaching consensus

Question 25

What is important about age of group members?

Answer 25

• Members with varying ages will have different life and work experiences
• Younger members may not be able to present their views to older members
• However a variety of ages is desirable because it brings a variety of solutions and encouragers creative thinking

Question 26

What is important about diversity within a group?

Answer 26

• Has the potential to create conflict
• Professional diversity can create work related conflict, other forms can create emotional conflict
• Conflicts are not always a bad thing - can create out of the box thinking
• When conflicts are voiced, group members get to know each others preferences better, when it is unaddressed or unspoken, performance and group identification can drop

Question 27

What is important about a groups openness to communication?

Answer 27

Unwillingness to communicate reduces opportunities for creative thinking, social interaction and conflict resolution, leading to lower group performance and cohesions

Question 28

What is important about a groups timeframe?

Answer 28

• Groups that have sufficient time during development phases perform optimally
• A tight timeline reduces socio-emotional aspects of a group and concentrate more on task and can impact group identification and cohesion
• Individuals within the group may see time differently - interpersonal or cultural factors in visualising time

Question 29

What is important about group cohesion?

Answer 29

• Based on members perceptions of a group and specific characteristics that attract members
• Cohesion can be social or task related
• Both forms can enhance performance and member loss

Question 30

What things are important about groups and meetings?

Answer 30

• Meetings have a specific space and time allocated to them
• Members are expected to come ahead or on time to a meeting
• Meetings are associated with oral and written communication
• The leader of the group is responsible for connecting each members input to create a cohesive discussion
• Meetings have specific interactions that start and end the event
• The conversation in meetings happens in turns

Question 31

What things are important about decision making in groups?

Answer 31

• Group performance is dependent on the decisions made in groups
• Decision can only be made after intensive discussion and consultation between group members
  
  • Prevention of idead
  • Evaluation of ideas
  • Selection of best ideas to put into action
• Such discussion can lead to conflicts

Question 32

What is true of conflict in groups and what are some myths about it?

Answer 32

• Can generate logical reasoning that leads to effective decision making
• Myths
  • All conflict arise out of misunderstandings and lack of
    communication
  • All conflicts can be resolved if members are willing to talk