Small Group Communications

Group Size:

• as size increases, complexity increases

  • scheduling, opinions, etc.

• there is no universal, ideal size

  • depends on the task

Communication → the transactional process in which people simultaneously create, interpret, and negotiate an interaction

• happens in an environment

• bypassing: two or more people think they have the same meaning for a word or phrase, but in actuality do not

1. Verbal Communication → use of language / words

   1. denotative

      • objective

      • dictionary definition of a word

   2. connotative

      • subjective

      • association with words both positive and negative

2. Nonverbal Communication:

   • more powerful

   • ambiguous

GOAL: to achieve shared meaning

Communication Model:

1. sender

   • creates and sends the message

   • encodes

   • keeps target’s message in mind

2. receiver

   • decodes

   • carries the weight

   • receives the meaning of the message and provides feedback

• venn diagram that overlaps is shared meaning

• channel → how they communicate the message

• noise → only in negative context (interrupters)

  1. external

  2. internal

     • more prolific and disruptive

     • can’t turn off or escape

Creative Thinking → members use imagination, intuition, hunches, insight, and fantasy to devise unusual or innovative solutions

• idea generation

• quantity

• time consuming

• happens first

• both positive and negative feedback can make an impact

Critical Thinking → systematic thinking using evidence, reasoning, and logic to promote soundness

• idea evaluation

• quality

• worthwhile

  • saves you time, money, and life

• happens second

• MORE IMPORTANT

Fallacies → mistakes in reasoning and faulty reasoning

• BAD

  • overgeneralizing

  • ad hominen

  • false dilemma

  • red herring

Problem Solving:

• area of freedom: the amount of authority and the limitations given to a group

  • saves you time and energy

• 3 components to a problem

  1. an undesirable situation

  2. a desired situation, outcome, or goal

  3. obstacles to change

• 5 characteristics to a problem

  1. task difficulty → people solving problem

  2. solution multiplicity → nature of the problem

  3. member interest → people solving problem

  4. member familiarity → people solving problem

  5. acceptance level → people impacted by solution

• Procedural Model of Problem Solving (P-MOPS)

  1. describe and analyze the problem

  2. generate possible solutions

     • creative thinking and research

  3. evaluate possible solutions

     • critical thinking

  4. choose best solution

  5. implementation

Conflict → an expressed struggle between at least two independent parties who perceive incompatible goals, scarce resources, and interference from the other party in achieving their goals

• 3 myths to conflict:

  1. conflict is harmful to a group and should be avoided

  2. conflict represents a misunderstanding or breakdown in communication

  3. conflicts can be resolved if parties are willing to discuss the issues

• 5 styles of conflict management:

  1. competition

     • win / lose

     • fight

     • high task, low social

     • shark

  2. avoidance

     • lose / lose

     • flight

     • low task, low social

     • turtle

  3. accommodation

     • lose / win

     • group relationship > finishing task

     • low task / high social

     • teddy bear

  4. collaboration

     • win/ win

     • not all conflicts are worth it

     • high task / high social

     • owl

  5. compromise

     • partial lose and win / partial lose and win

     • second choice

     • fox

Public Speaking:

• Don’ts

  • impromptu → little to no preparation

    • filler words

    • awkward pauses

    • doesn’t fit with group

    • redundant or contradicts

  • memory

    • bad delivery

    • robot

    • monotone

    • rushed

    • bound to forget parts

    • lose your place

  • manuscript → writing out the entire presentation and recite it word for word

    • reading is more comfortable than speaking

    • writing can sound formal

• Dos

  • extemporaneous → well prepared and you come across personable, polished, engaging

    • talking to, not at audience

    • not memorized

• Speech Structure

  1. introduction

     • open with impact

       • ask audience a question

       • share a surprising fact or statistic

       • open with a quotation

         • cite your source to meet the requirement

       • tell a story

         • start and let the conclusion finish

     • reveal the topic

     • connect topic to audience

     • preview statement / table of contents

  2. body

     • main points

       • subpoints / details

     • transitions between main points / speakers

  3. conclusion

     • review statement

       • preview in past tense

     • close with impact