Group Leadership and Problem Solving (M) MT-Q Flashcards
a process whereby an individual influences a group of individuals to achieve a common goal
Leadership
A trait theory wherein scholars through leaders were “born”– that some people inherited traits that made them suited to be leaders.
These theories imply that 1 person enacts leadership
The Great Man Theory of Leadership (Kippenberg, 2002)
A person designated or elected to facilitate the group process
Formal Leader
Members who help lead the group to achieve different leadership functions
Informal Emergent Leader
Are sets of roles you and other members perform to facilitate the work of the group and help maintain harmonious relationships among members
Shared leadership
Is specific communication behavior group members perform
Roles
Help a group acquire process, or apply information that contributes directly to completing a task or goal
Task leadership roles
Help a group to develop and maintain cohesion, commitment, and positive working relationship
Maintenance leadership roles
Help relieve stress among members through humor
Tension relievers
Procedural logistical support and record the group’s accomplishments and decision
Procedural leadership roles
Procedural leadership roles:
Arrange for appropriate spaces for group meetings
Their actions are carried out behind the scenes
Logistic coordinators
Procedural leadership roles:
Keep Track of the group’s objectives and help move the group through the agenda
Expediters
Procedural leadership roles:
Make sure all members have an opportunity to participate
Gatekeepers
Procedural leadership roles:
Take careful notes of group discussions and decisions
Notes are sometimes published as meetings
Recorders
Task leadership roles:
Provide content for discussions
Information and opinion givers
Task leadership roles:
Probe others for their ideas or opinions
Information and opinion seekers
Task leadership roles:
Help the group scrutinize the content and reasoning and help members understand the hidden assumptions in their statement
Information and opinion analyzers
Maintenance leadership roles:
Encourage others
Supporters
Maintenance leadership roles:
Use their knowledge about the social and cultural diversity in the group to help members understand each other
Interpreters
Maintenance leadership roles:
Help resolve conflicts
Harmonizers
Maintenance leadership roles:
Help the group find a mutually acceptable resolution
Mediators
A public written record of the group’s activities
Minutes
An organized outline of the information and decision items to be covered during a meeting
Agenda
A formal written statement describing a problem
Problem definition
Asked to determine what is true or to what extent something is true
Question of fact
Asked to determine or judge whether something is write, moral, good, or just
Question of Value
Asked to determine what course of action should be taken or what rules should be adopted to solve a problem
Question of Policy
Standards used for judging the merits of proposed solutions–a blueprint for evaluating them
Criteria
An uncritical, non-evaluative process of generating possible solutions by being creative, suspending judgment, and combining or adapting ideas
Brainstorming
Is the process of choosing among alternatives
Decision Making
5 Methods of Decision Making:
Once the group eliminated alternatives, the group asks the member who has the most expertise to make the final choice
Expert opinion method
5 Methods of Decision Making:
In this approach, each group member ranks each of the possible solutions that meet all criteria
Average group opinion method
5 Methods of Decision Making:
Group votes on each alternative, and the one that receives a majority of votes (minimum of 50% + 1) is selected
Majority rule method
5 Methods of Decision Making:
The group must continue deliberating until every member believes the same decision is best
Unanimous decision method
5 Methods of Decision Making:
The group continues deliberation until all members find an acceptable solution they can support and committing to help implement
Consensus method
Communicating Group Solutions:
Products of works that must be provided to someone else
Deliverables
Written Formats:
Is a very short document that describes the problem, background, process, decision, and rationale so that the reader can quickly understand and evaluate the group’s product
Written debrief
Written Formats:
Is a written document that provides a detailed review of the problem-solving process used to arrive at the recommendation
Comprehensive Report
Is a one-page synopsis of a comprehensive report
Executive summary
Oral Formats:
A summary or written brief delivered to an audience by a group member
Oral debrief
Oral Formats:
A detailed review of a group’s problem-solving process delivered to an audience by one or more group members
Oral report
Oral Formats:
A set of prepared oral reports delivered sequentially by group members before a gathering of people who are interested in the work of a group
Maybe organized so each person’s speech focuses on one step of problem-solving
Symposium
Virtual Formats:
A computer-mediated audiovisual presentation of a group’s process and outcome
Remote access report (RAR)
Virtual Formats:
A recording that is sent in compressed form over the internet
Streaming video
What are the 3 deliverables?
- Written Formats
- Oral Formats
- Virtual Formats
The way a group interacts to achieve its goal
Group dynamics
