Working and
Writing
in Teams
Module Eighteen
McGraw-Hill/Irwin
Copyright © 2014 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
Learning Objectives
LO 18-1 Identify message types for the group’s
attention.
LO 18-2 Classify roles for group members.
LO 18-3 Apply strategies for leadership without
arrogance.
LO 18-4 Apply strategies for conflict resolution.
LO 18-5 Apply strategies for co-authorship of
documents.
18-2
Possible Group Ground Rules
18-3
What kinds of messages should
groups attend to?
 Informational
 Focus on the problem or challenge, data, and
possible solutions.
 Procedural
 Focus on methods and process.
 Interpersonal
 Focus on people, promoting friendliness,
cooperation, and group loyalty.
18-4
Stages of Group Development
 Orientation
 Members meet and begin to define their task
 develop social cohesiveness.
 Formation
 Members choose a leader and define the
problem.
18-5
Stages of Group Development
 Coordination
 Members do most of the work; the longest
phase.
 Formalization
 Members seek consensus.
18-6
What roles do people play in groups?
Seeking Information and Opinions
Giving Information and Opinions
Summarizing
Evaluating
Coordinating
18-7
What roles do people play in groups?
 Encouraging
Participation
 Relieving Tensions
 Checking Feelings
 Solving Interpersonal
Problems
 Listening Actively
18-8
What roles do people play in groups?
Blocking
Dominating
Clowning
Withdrawing
18-9
Leadership in Groups
 Informational leaders
 generate and evaluate ideas and text.
 Interpersonal leaders
 monitor the group’s process, check people’s
feelings, and resolve conflicts.
18-10
Leadership in Groups
 Procedural leaders
 set the agenda, make sure that everyone knows
what’s due for the next meeting, communicate
with absent group members, and check to be
sure that assignments are carried out.
18-11
Characteristics of Successful
Student Groups
1. The leader sets clear deadlines, scheduled
frequent meetings, and dealt directly with
conflict that emerged in the group
2. Listens to criticism and makes important
decisions together
3. Has a higher proportion of members who
work actively on projects
18-12
Leading Without Being Arrogant
Smile
Ask
Share
Volunteer
Suggest
Think
18-13
Peer Pressure and Groupthink
 Groupthink
 The tendency for
groups to put such a
high premium on
agreement that they
directly or indirectly
punish dissent.
18-14
Peer Pressure and Groupthink
The best correctives to groupthink are to
Consciously search for additional alternatives
Test assumptions against those of a range of other
people
Encourage disagreement
Protect the right of people in a group to disagree
18-15
How should we handle conflict?
 Make responsibilities and ground rules clear
at the beginning.
 Discuss problems as they arise.
 Realize that group members are not
responsible for each others’ happiness.
18-16
Troubleshooting Group Problems
18-17
How should we handle conflict?
 Make sure that the people involved really
disagree
 Check to see that everyone’s information is
correct
 Discover the needs each person is trying to
meet
 Search for alternatives
 Repair bad feelings
18-18
To Respond to Criticism
 Paraphrase
 Check for feelings
 Check for inferences
 Buy time with
limited agreement
18-19
How can we create the best coauthored documents?
 Make your analysis of the problem, the audience,
and your purposes explicit
 Plan the organization, format, and style of the
document before anyone begins to write
 Consider your work styles and other commitments
 Build some leeway into your deadlines.
18-20
How can we create the best coauthored documents?




Allow time to discuss problems and find solutions.
Get to know group members.
Be a responsible group member.
Be aware of differences in seeing things and
expressing ideas.
 Don’t assume that because the discussion went
smoothly, a draft written by one person will
necessarily be acceptable.
18-21