Small Group Communication

Small-group time! Yep, there is way more to small groups and the way different groups communicate than you ever thought! Its okay, I’ll just have to tell you all about it.
First, the textbook (Tubbs) give us five different types of groups. We have problem-solving groups (task oriented), casual and social groups (primary-group relationships), learning and educational groups (teach or learn something about given subject), “enlightenment groups” (members attempt to resolve problems but have no authoritative input with their decisions), and finally, work groups (specific goals to achieve). And within those groups there are group task roles – and there’s a lot!
The task roles include: initiating-contributing (proposing new ideas or a changed way of regarding a group goal), information seeking (asking for clarification, for authoritative information and facts relevant to the problem under discussion), information giving (offering facts or generalizations based on experience or authoritative sources), opinion seeking (seeking information related not so much to factual data as to the values underlying the suggestions being considered), opinion giving (stating beliefs or opinions relevant to a suggestion made), elaborating (expanding on suggestions with example or restatements, offering rationale for previously made suggestions, and trying to determine the results of a suggestion if it were adopted by the group), coordinating (indicating the relationships among various ideas and suggestions, attempting to combine ideas, and suggestions, or trying to coordinate the activities of group members), orienting (indicating the position of the group by summarizing progress made and deviations from agreed upon directions or goals or by raising questions about the direction the group is taking), evaluating (comparing the group’s accomplishments to some criterion or standard of group functioning), energizing (stimulating the group to action or a decision, attempting to increase the level or quality of activity), assisting on procedure (helping or facilitating group movement by doing thing for a group), and finally, recording (writing down suggestions, recording group decisions, or recording outcomes of decision). Then, with the task roles there are also individual roles. The individual roles include: aggressing, blocking, recognition-seeking, self-confessing, acting jokester, dominating, help-seeking, and special interest pleading, (Tubbs).
As we all know, groups don’t just happen and – that’s it. They have phases that they go through. Our textbook explains them (Tubbs). The first phase of group development is when the members break the ice and begin to establish a common ground for functioning. The second phase is the assertion of individuality. At this point, the group also begins to get confused over the goals of the group and minimal work is accomplished. In the third phase, the group starts functioning more smoothly as a unit. The final phase, phase four, is when the group reaches maximum productivity and then begins to diminish (Tubbs).
One component of the small group communication that it didn’t think about was the emotional part of it. The text explains five components of emotional intelligence – self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy and social skill. Problem solving is also key in group functions. In this case, John Dewey came up with a “standard agenda”. According to our text, the “standard agenda” is a problem solving sequence of questions broad enough to be applied to just about any problem. Just as we need strategies for problem solving, we also need ways to come up with ideas. Therefore we have the Nominal Group Technique (NGT). The NGT, according to the textbook, involves six steps. The first step is to silently write down ideas individually, then make a list of all of the ideas. After there is a list then there should be a discussion and clarification of points without critique. Fourth, have everyone individually rate the ideas, then have a clarification of the vote and then, finally, have a final ranking of ideas. To know if the NGT was effective, you will either have a high consensus or a low consensus. If your group was not effective there are six things that you can do to make your group more effective. You can: clarify the roles of the participants, put the right people in leadership positions, require planning, get feedback, invest in groups, and compensate the leaders appropriately.
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My senior year of high school I was Drum Major for the Lincoln High School Marching Band – and no, I did not drum. Drum Major means that I, along with three other students, conduct the band. So, we direct. Anyway, the four of us (small group) had to be with each other all the time because during marching band season, marching band is life. I know it sounds crazy but it’s really true. So an important part of our group was to maintain the peace between us while leading a larger group of students and peers. This is where small group communication takes place because we had to use all of the roles stated in the group-building and maintenance roles in our book. There are seven roles. They are: encouraging (praising, showing interest in, agreeing with, and accepting the contributions of others, conveying the feeling that one feels the contributions of others are important), harmonizing (mediating differences between and among the other members, relieving tensions through the use of humor), compromising (operating from within a conflict situation for the sake of group harmony), gate keeping and expediting (attempting to keep communications channels open by encouraging participation of some or by curbing the participation of others), setting standards or ideals (expressing standards for the group and/or evaluating the quality of group processes), observing 9keeping a record of various aspects of group processes and feeding this information, along with interpretations, into the group’s evaluation of its procedures) and finally, following (going along with the group, passively accepting the ideas of others, serving as an audience in group discussions) (Tubbs). Out of all of these roles I think that the one that we used the most was the compromising. I think this was what kept us from cutting each other’s throats by the end of the season.
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There’s a new episode of The Office on this Thursday – don’t forget to watch! The Office applies to this week’s topic because work groups are a part of small groups, as well as management. One thing that the textbook (Tubbs) mention is the self-directed work team (SDWT). Basically, the SDWT is a group of employees who have day-to-day responsibility for managing themselves and the work they do with a minimum of direct supervision. This is exactly the way The Office is set up. Michael hardly supervises his employees and never does a day-to-day check up on his employees. Therefore, each worker is responsible for getting the work done that needs to be done on their own. However, the majority of them choose to do other things. So, actually, I’m not sure they ever get anything done. But it’s a TV show so, who care right? Our textbook (Tubbs) also tells us three reasons why SDWT works so well. The first reason is that the person closest to the work knows best how to perform and improve their jobs. Second, most employees want to feel that they “own” their own jobs and are making meaningful contributions to the effectiveness of their organization. Finally, that team provides possibilities for empowerment and is not available to individual employees.
Brainstorming is also a big part of a group function. Jim, I know, spends much of his time brainstorming ways to annoy Dwight because Dwight is always brainstorming how to take over Jim’s spot as co-manager. Fun times.

Tubbs, S. L., & Moss, S. (2006). Human communication: Principles and contexts (11th Ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill