Chapter 11: Effective Communication
in Task Groups and Teams
pp. 258-283
Task Groups
 Project Teams: special expertise in relation to a project
 Focus Groups: used to find out what people think
 Brainstorming Groups: harness group discussion’s
creative potential, generate ideas, stimulate thinking
Task Groups
 Advisory Groups: provide advice to others, most common
task group, inform & recommend
 Quality Improvement Teams: working together to
improve quality in the organization
 Decision-making Groups: exists to solve problems or
make decisions
Leadership Communication
 Leadership is a set of functions that assist groups in
accomplishing tasks efficiently while maintaining a positive
climate
Styles of Leadership
 Laissez-faire Leadership: laid back, nondirective—works
best for mature, experienced, and self-directed groups
 Authoritarian Leadership: directive and dictatorial.
Often efficient, but not positive environment
 Democratic Leadership: provides direction and guidance
but does not impose rigid authority
PROPERTIES
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Decision-making Methods
 Consensus: all members of a group express their ideas and
agree on a decision—involves all members, requires a lot of
time
 Voting: decision is made based on support of certain
number of group members—not all support is required
Decision-making Methods
 Compromise: members work out a solution that satisfies
each person’s minimum criteria—could combine all the
strong points of group think, but also are less coherent and
less support
 Authority Rule: an individual or group with power tells
the group what to do—can generate resentment
PROPERTIES
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Organizing Group Discussion
 Define the Problem
 Analyze the Issues
 Establish Criteria
 Generate Solutions
 Evaluate Solutions
 Choose and Implement the Best Decision
 Develop an Action Plan to Monitor the Solution
Understanding and Managing Conflict
 Conflict exists when people who are interdependent have
different views, interests, or goals that seem incompatible
 Types of Conflict
 Disruptive: interferes with the effective work and healthy
communication climate of a group. Marked by communication
that is domineering which produces defensiveness
 Constructive: occurs when members understand that
disagreements are natural, collaborative communication, allows
for broadening understanding