Transcript GROUP SKILLS

GXEX1406
Thinking and Communication Skills
GROUP SKILLS
SKILLS FOR LEADING AND
PARTICIPATING
Some of the skills required to achieve best results from
group discussion:

Group Leadership

Membership Skills
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SKILLS FOR LEADING AND
PARTICIPATING
(CONT…)
Group Leader (GL)
 coordinate activity
 Ability is critical to how well the group will work
together
Membership Skills (MS)
 Ability to be part of a group
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SKILLS FOR LEADING AND
PARTICIPATING
(CONT…)
GL and MS are covered together because:



Most people are play both roles at various
times
Same issues of personal interaction arise for
both
Group will not work well unless both are
handled competently
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WHY skills required?



Working in group is not easy
Difficulties such as keeping focused on task, coping
with interpersonal conflicts, making decisions, etc.
Guidelines are necessary on how to approach or
handle each of these
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SKILLS REQUIRED

Group success depends on 3 types of functions
being performed:

Task functions
Maintenance Functions
Personal Functions


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SKILLS REQUIRED

(CONT…)
Task Functions

Initiating
action taken to get group members started

Information, or opinion seeking
act of asking for facts, suggestions, or ideas

Information, or opinion giving
offering information up to the group
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SKILLS REQUIRED

(CONT…)
Task Functions (cont…)

Clarifying or elaborating
interpreting ideas, clearing up confusions, identifying
alternatives and raising related issues

Summarizing
act of pulling together related ideas, restating suggestions
after they have been fully discussed

Consensus Seeking
act of testing whether the group is nearing conclusion or
decision
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SKILLS REQUIRED

(CONT…)
Task Functions (cont…)

Implementing
involves putting the decisions into action and requires :
assigning responsibility, delegating authority, accepting
personal commitments

Devil’s advocate
act of leadership and is performed when there is a suspicion
that a group has reached agreement on an issue to quickly
and easily

Consultants
allocating consultant role for specialist or researchers to get
benefit of their work
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SKILLS REQUIRED

(CONT…)
Maintenance Functions

Encouraging
being responsive to others, giving them opportunity for
recognition

Expressing group feelings
refers to picking up or sensing the mood of the group

Compromising
allows best ideas to be adopted
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SKILLS REQUIRED

(CONT…)
Maintenance Functions (cont…)

Gate keeping
is a function of keeping communication channels open within the
group at all times

Setting standards
is a function of imposing and insisting on standards for the
actions of the group

Housekeeping
is about making sure that everyone is kept aware of the group’s
decisions, progress, and ‘to do’ list
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SKILLS REQUIRED

(CONT…)
Personal Functions

Self understanding
your capacity to see your own behavior, actions and reactions in
the group in an objective way

Inter-personal understanding
ability to understand the other person’s point of view
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SKILLS REQUIRED

(CONT…)
Personal Functions (cont…)

Managing conflicts
pursue an agenda which is challenging enough to draw out
each person’s differing views, but which prevents
argumentation from blocking progress and decision making

Stopping conflict escalation
see conflict as an essential factor in finding the best solution

Disruptive behaviors
- learn to recognize disruptive behavior
- point out this behavior to others with good will and in time
and place which is appropriate
- be open to others pointing out your disruptive behavior
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SKILLS REQUIRED

(CONT…)
Personal Functions (cont…)

Active listening
- consciously concentrating on what the other person is saying
- wait until the other person has clearly indicated that they have
finished getting their message across
- before putting your views, get conformation of your
understanding of what they have said by reflecting their message
back to them
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SKILLS REQUIRED

(CONT…)
Personal Functions (cont…)

Recognition
people work best when they feel that they belong, that their
participation is worthwhile

Disruptive behaviors
- learn to recognize disruptive behavior
- point out this behavior to others with good will and in time and
place which is appropriate
- be open to others pointing out your disruptive behavior
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