Group Communication
Small Group Communication
 What Is A Group?
 A collection of people
with a common goal,
or, a common thread
of interest
 Can also be referred
to as “teams”
Small Group Communication
 The Characteristics of An Effective Group
 Clear Purpose
 The vision, mission, goal, or task of the group are defined
by the group.
 Climate
 The group climate is informal, comfortable, and relaxed
 There are no obvious tensions or signs of boredom
 Participation
 There is much discussion, and everyone is encouraged to
participate.
Small Group Communication
 The Characteristics of An Effective Group
 Listening
 Members use effective listening techniques such as
questioning, paraphrasing, and summarizing so that
everyone’s point of view is considered.
 Healthy Conflict
 Conflict between group members is a normal and sometimes
necessary component of group work.
 Group members should not try to avoid, smooth over, or
suppress conflict.
 Rather opposing views should be analyzed and considered
when coming to a group decision.
Small Group Communication
 The Characteristics of An Effective Group
 Open Communication
 Members are free to express their views and ideas about the
group’s tasks and processes
 Members have few hidden agendas
 Clear Roles and Assignments
 There are clear expectations about group member’s roles
 Clear assignments are made, accepted, and carried out.
 Work is fairly distributed among team members.
 External Resources
 The team utilizes key outside relationships with important
individuals and groups within their larger organization
Small Group Communication
 The Characteristics of An
Effective Group
 Functional Diversity
 The group is composed of
members who vary in their
related knowledge, skills, and
abilities.
 Self Assessment
 The group takes time to examine
how well it is functioning and
ways to improve its
effectiveness.
Small Group Communication
ADVANTAGESOF
OFSMALL-GROUP
SMALL-GROUPDECISION-MAKING
DECISION-MAKING
ADVANTAGES
 Different views from
different people
 Increases individual
motivation
 It’s easier to identify
mistakes
 Team Decisions are
better received by
others
 Group Work is more
pleasant and fulfilling
for most members
Small Group Communication
DISADVANTAGES OF SMALL-GROUP DECISION-MAKING
 Members can get slack
 Personal agendas may
conflict with group
goals
 Aggressive members
can dominate
 Members could be
uncompromising
 GroupThink can
override common
sense
 Takes longer to
reach a decision
Small Group Communication
 Member “roles”
 task-oriented
 maintenance
 self-serving
Small Group Communication
 Task roles
 Initiator/Expeditor
“Contributor”
 This person often suggests new
ideas, goals, solutions, or
approaches.
 Often times these individuals are the
most creative or energetic.
 Information Giving/Seeking “Collaborator”
 These people provide a foundation for discussion
by the information they both provide and seek
throughout the process of a group discussion.
Small Group Communication
 Task roles
 Critic/Analyzer “Challenger”
 These individuals look at the good
and bad points that are brought
up and often look at how the whole
picture fits together.
 Can be seen by others as Debbie Downers
or the Devil’s Advocate of the group, but their
roles are still very vital to arriving at a final
solution as long as the groups success is
ultimately the critics goal.
Small Group Communication
 Maintenance roles
 The Encourager
“Communicator”
 Praises and/or comments
on contributions to and
achievements of the group. The
encourager finds it very important to maintain
a positive environment in a group
communication setting.
Small Group Communication
 Maintenance roles
 The Harmonizer/Compromiser
 This person helps resolve
or settle arguments or arrive
at compromises that
get the group closer to their
goal.
 The Regulator
 This individual reminds the participants of
the agenda or the topic at hand and gives
others in the group a chance to speak.
Note: Not every group communication setting has all of these roles.
Small Group Communication
 Self-Serving Roles

Blocking

Aggression

Recognition seeking

Withdrawing

Dominating

Joking

Self-confessing

Help seeking
Small Group Communication
 Leadership Styles

Autocratic
 “My way or the highway”

Laissez-Faire
 “You’re on your own”

Democratic
 “What Does Everyone
Think?”
Human Knot