Formal Groups

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Formal

Groups

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02 “ “ Oh no! Not another committee Oh no! Not another committee meeting,” the executive groaned meeting,” the executive groaned as she looked at her calendar for as she looked at her calendar for

the morning. “It’s only the morning. “It’s only Wednesday, and I’ve been to 11 Wednesday, and I’ve been to 11

meeting already this week. meeting already this week. When am I going to get my real When am I going to get my real

work done?”work done?”

03Factors that contribute Factors that contribute to negative attitudes towards to negative attitudes towards

meetings meetings Lack of trust causes participants to Lack of trust causes participants to

withhold their true feelingswithhold their true feelings A negative mind-set exists that A negative mind-set exists that

meetings aren’t “real work”, hence, meetings aren’t “real work”, hence, people don’t take them seriously. people don’t take them seriously. (e.g. they come late or leave early, (e.g. they come late or leave early, they miss them completely or they they miss them completely or they are distracted while there.)are distracted while there.)

Meetings are poorly run.Meetings are poorly run.

04MEETINGS MEETINGS

are important part of daily are important part of daily organizational behavior.organizational behavior.

Necessary, but they do introduce Necessary, but they do introduce more complexity and more chances more complexity and more chances for problems when improperly used. for problems when improperly used.

05COMMITTEESCOMMITTEESSpecific type of group meeting in Specific type of group meeting in

which members in their group role which members in their group role have been delegated the authority have been delegated the authority to handle the problem at hand.to handle the problem at hand.

The group’s authority usually is The group’s authority usually is expressed in terms of one vote for expressed in terms of one vote for each member. (If a supervisor and each member. (If a supervisor and a worker serve as members of the a worker serve as members of the same committee, both usually have same committee, both usually have equal committee roles)equal committee roles)

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06SYSTEMS FACTORS TO SYSTEMS FACTORS TO CONSIDERCONSIDER1.1. Size Size • The size of a group tends to affect The size of a group tends to affect

the way it works.the way it works.• If the membership rises above If the membership rises above

seven, communication tends to be seven, communication tends to be focused within a few members, focused within a few members, with others feeling like they do not with others feeling like they do not have adequate opportunity to have adequate opportunity to communicate directly with one communicate directly with one another.another.

07A group of 5 people seems to A group of 5 people seems to

be preferred for typical be preferred for typical situations.situations.

A smaller group (e.g. three A smaller group (e.g. three persons) sometimes has persons) sometimes has difficulty functioning because difficulty functioning because conflicts of power develop.conflicts of power develop.

082. Composition2. Composition Leaders need to consider Leaders need to consider

various factors such as the various factors such as the committee’s objective, the committee’s objective, the member’s expertise, interest member’s expertise, interest level, time available to serve level, time available to serve and the past history of working and the past history of working relationships among potential relationships among potential members.members.

093. Agendas3. AgendasTwo levels:Two levels:Surface agenda Surface agenda – official task of the – official task of the

group.group.Hidden agenda Hidden agenda – involves member’s – involves member’s

private emotions and motives, private emotions and motives, which they have brought with them which they have brought with them but kept hidden. When a group but kept hidden. When a group reaches a crisis in its surface reaches a crisis in its surface agenda, these hidden agenda come agenda, these hidden agenda come to life to complicate the situation.to life to complicate the situation.

10Effective surface Effective surface agendas should:agendas should:

Clearly specify the date, time, Clearly specify the date, time, and place of the meetingand place of the meeting

Indicate a primary purpose for Indicate a primary purpose for the meetingthe meeting

List presenters, the time List presenters, the time allotted to them , and the time allotted to them , and the time available for discussionavailable for discussion

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11Help the group to focus on Help the group to focus on

decisions, not just discussionsdecisions, not just discussionsHave room for new items to be Have room for new items to be

addedaddedAddress items in priority order Address items in priority order

(highest to lowest)(highest to lowest)Identify the date, time and place Identify the date, time and place

for the next meetingfor the next meeting

124. Leadership roles4. Leadership rolesTwo types of leadership roles:Two types of leadership roles:Task leader – help the group Task leader – help the group

accomplish its objectives and stay accomplish its objectives and stay on target.on target.

Social leader – to restore and Social leader – to restore and maintain group relationships by maintain group relationships by recognizing contributions, recognizing contributions, reconciling disagreements, and reconciling disagreements, and playing a supportive role to help playing a supportive role to help the group develop.the group develop.

13Difficulties sometimes arise because the Difficulties sometimes arise because the

task leader may irritate people and injure task leader may irritate people and injure the unity of the group.the unity of the group.

Although one person can fill both the task Although one person can fill both the task and social roles, often they are separate.and social roles, often they are separate.

When they are separate, it is important When they are separate, it is important for the task leader to recognize the social for the task leader to recognize the social leader and try to form a coalition so that leader and try to form a coalition so that the two leaders are working together for the two leaders are working together for improved effectiveness of the group.improved effectiveness of the group.

14Task leaderTask leader Social leaderSocial leader

Define a problem or goal for Define a problem or goal for the groupthe group

Request facts, ideas or Request facts, ideas or opinions from membersopinions from members

Provide facts, ideas and Provide facts, ideas and opinionsopinions

Clarify a confused situation; Clarify a confused situation; give examples; provide give examples; provide structurestructure

Summarize the discussionSummarize the discussion Determine whether Determine whether

agreement has been reachedagreement has been reached Check for consensusCheck for consensus Test for ethicalityTest for ethicality

Support the contributions of Support the contributions of others; encourage them by others; encourage them by recognitionrecognition

Sense the mood of the group Sense the mood of the group and help members become and help members become aware of itaware of it

Reduce the tension and Reduce the tension and reconcile disagreementsreconcile disagreements

Modify your position; admit Modify your position; admit an erroran error

Facilitate participation of all Facilitate participation of all membersmembers

Evaluate the group’s Evaluate the group’s effectivenesseffectiveness

Deal with team stressDeal with team stress

15Effective meetings are also facilitated Effective meetings are also facilitated by the application of a number of by the application of a number of commonsense practices. These include:commonsense practices. These include:

• Carefully considering who should be Carefully considering who should be present, and for what parts of the present, and for what parts of the meeting, and who does not need to meeting, and who does not need to be there.be there.

• Selecting a good site for the meeting.Selecting a good site for the meeting.• Using technology to help capture the Using technology to help capture the

ideas, allow for anonymous inputs, ideas, allow for anonymous inputs, organize and expand upon them, organize and expand upon them, record insights and criticisms, and record insights and criticisms, and create and edit documents before the create and edit documents before the participants leave.participants leave.

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16• Giving appropriate credit to those Giving appropriate credit to those

who participated and drawing out who participated and drawing out those who didn’t.those who didn’t.

• Using open questions to stimulate Using open questions to stimulate thought and directed questions to thought and directed questions to encourage focus on a particular topic.encourage focus on a particular topic.

• Balancing serious discussions with Balancing serious discussions with time for a bit of lighthearted fun.time for a bit of lighthearted fun.

• Summarizing progress, identifying Summarizing progress, identifying issues yet unresolved, and making issues yet unresolved, and making necessary assignments for the future. necessary assignments for the future.

17STRUCTURED STRUCTURED APPROACHESAPPROACHESBrainstormingBrainstorming

Nominal groupsNominal groups

Delphi decision making Delphi decision making

Dialectic inquiryDialectic inquiry

18BrainstormingBrainstorming• A popular method for encouraging A popular method for encouraging

creative thinking in groups of creative thinking in groups of about eight people.about eight people.

• It is built around four basic It is built around four basic guidelines for participants;guidelines for participants;

• Generate as many ideas as Generate as many ideas as possible.possible.

• Be creative, freewheeling, and Be creative, freewheeling, and imaginative.imaginative.

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Formal & Informal

Organizations

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25Use of templatesYou are free to use these templates for your personal and business presentations.

Do Use these templates for your

presentations Display your presentation on a web

site provided that it is not for the purpose of downloading the template.

If you like these templates, we would always appreciate a link back to our website. Many thanks.

Don’t Resell or distribute these templates Put these templates on a website for

download. This includes uploading them onto file sharing networks like Slideshare, Myspace, Facebook, bit torrent etc

Pass off any of our created content as your own work

You can find many more free templates on the Presentation Magazine website www.presentationmagazine.com

We have put a lot of work into developing all these templates and retain the copyright in them. They are not Open Source templates. You can use them freely providing that you do not redistribute or sell them.