COM-423 Group Dynamics
Week 6 - Negotiating Conflict
Two Parts to this assignment:
Part I:
Answer the DQ in 50 words or more (be specific):
Often, less outspoken members of a group avoid voicing viewpoints that are out of line with the
majority. What are some ways to elicit these minority viewpoints?
Part II:
Assignment Detail:
Write a paper of approximately 750 words that answers the following questions:
• Consider the group that is the focus of your final paper or another group that has faced a conflict.
Think about a time when members of the group had conflicting viewpoints. Discuss the nature of the
conflict.
• What were the interests of the opposing parties?
• Was the conflict an example of constructive controversy, consensus-seeking, debate, or something
else? Explain.
• How did each group member behave during the conflict? For example, were group members
searching for compromise, withdrawing, or trying to smooth over the conflict?
• Did those involved in the conflict attempt to understand opposing viewpoints?
• How was the conflict eventually resolved?
• What could have been done to improve the process for resolving the conflict?
Include a minimum of two scholarly sources.
Running head: W1 GROUP PROCEDURES
W1 Group Procedures
Group Dynamics
COM 423
1
W1 GROUP PROCEDURES
2
Group Procedures
People attend meetings for a wide variety of reasons including work or personal interests.
While meetings differ in content and approach, effective meetings have common elements: a
purpose, use of effective communication, and a controlled situation. A group has been formed
with the goal to evaluate and restructure the interactive voice response system and is comprised
of five members. The IVR system is an automated telephone system that interacts with callers,
gathers information, and routes calls to the appropriate department.
Group Norms and Rules
Norms are informal rules that govern individual behaviors of a group; these rules tend to
evolve as projects advance (Johnson & Johnson, 2013). Not all group interactions can be
regulated, however, important interactions should be addressed such as conflict resolution,
communication, and participation. Periodically reviewing norms in team meetings allows
members to raise concerns more easily. A few standards each group member will be expected to
abide by is to be respectful of each other, listen openly to opinions and contributions, be
committed to the project; have confidence, trust, and transparency in sharing information, and be
mindful of time management and meeting deadlines.
Roles define the formal structure of the group and differentiate one position from another
(Johnson & Johnson, 2013). To be successful, groups need diverse individuals, with a mixture
of behaviors, performing the right roles. As roles are assigned, the responsibility of each role
should be clearly defined and explained to members. There are five members of the group; one
coordinator and four group members.
The coordinator/leader will be responsible for setting meetings, agendas, and goals. This
person will also act as a recorder, responsible for documenting the minutes and details of the
W1 GROUP PROCEDURES
3
meeting. The information will be gathered, organized, and easily formatted for reference. Group
member #2 will act as an analyst, responsible for analyzing data to establish decision points,
presenting the information to the group for consideration in making impactful changes to the
IVR. Group members #3 and #4 will act as subject matter experts and advisors on the IVR
system. These individuals have specialized knowledge about the technical aspects and key
processes of the IVR system. Group member #5 will act as the implementer/finisher, responsible
for turning group decisions/ideas into actual plans and looks for flaws in the newly designed
process.
Group Goal and Meeting Agenda
Executive management is requesting the newly formed group make recommendation
improvements to the current IVR system. Since original implementation, the office has
experienced low customer satisfaction rates and a high number of misrouted calls resulting from
the system. The goal of the newly formed group will play an important role in revamping the
IVR system to include: a new design diagram, list of realized benefits, and an
implementation/roll-out process. The results should be ease is using the system, increasing
customer satisfaction, and eliminating misrouted calls.
The initial group meeting is important as it allows the coordinator/leader to establish
guidelines, assign roles, state goal expectations, and convey the importance of the project. The
initial meeting will be to welcome, make introductions, and state the purpose of the group.
Propose the norms, allow for participant comments and revise as necessary. Identify, define, and
assign roles to each member. Clearly define the expectations of each member and how their
roles relate to the goals and accomplishment of the project. This meeting can set the tone of
W1 GROUP PROCEDURES
4
success or failure for the project; as the coordinator/leader, I would foster an element of inclusion
of all members, encouraging participation and sharing of any ideas.
Decision-making Method and Goal Achievement. Group decisions have the potential
to be more effective and creative because it is drawing on the experiences of more than one
individual. The group will use the consensus method for decision making. This process works
by discussing an issue, generating a proposal, ask for a consensus, and discuss concerns. The
proposal is modified and discussed until a consensus is reached. This method is inclusive and
participatory. Decisions made by the group can make the implementation process easier as each
member is invested in the decisions (Caramela, 2017).
At the end of each meeting, members will be given a topic to research and present in
subsequent meetings. Research will surround the IVR system such as call statistics, ideas in
adding/removing options, and revamping the system for ease and convenience. Information,
decisions, and steps relating to the project will be thoroughly documented and disseminated to
group members. The contribution of each individual member is vital towards the successful
completion of the IVR project.
Running head: W3 GOALS AND COMMUNICATION ANALYSIS
W3 Goals and Communication Analysis
Group Dynamics
COM 423
1
W3 GOALS AND COMMUNICATION ANALYSIS
2
Goals and Communication Analysis
Groups working toward goals should have a system in place that ensures success,
compatibility, and a positive working environment. Establishing a level of accountability and
transparency within a group will help ensure success in achieving goals; and goals should be
specific and attainable. Group members will typically internalize goals, align their actions
accordingly, and share information with one another. An important aspect of productive groups
is setting mini-checkpoints. Checkpoints will provide opportunities for groups to objectively
evaluate project status and address issues. Communication should be open and inclusive,
allowing each member to freely express their thoughts and ideas. Meetings should be held
regularly to stay open and uncompromised.
Redefining Group Goals
One way to improve group performance is to set specific goals. Group members will be
more engaged working towards specific goals rather than abstract goals. Members internalize
group goals and align their actions accordingly; also, they are more likely to share information
with one another. When groups identify and celebrate milestones, motivation increases giving
members the desire to achieve success. One effective tool to use when setting goals is
S.M.A.R.T., which is setting goals that are specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and
timely (Worden, 2014). This tool is effective and provides the clarity, focus, and motivation
needed to achieve success.
The original group goal was to revamp the IVR system to include: a new design diagram,
list of realized benefits, and an implementation/roll-out process. Resulting in the ease of using
the system, increasing customer satisfaction, and eliminating misrouted calls. This goal will be
redefined to be more specific. The IVR was initially installed to route calls efficiently and
W3 GOALS AND COMMUNICATION ANALYSIS
3
accurately but proved to frustrate customers and drastically lower customer satisfaction. The
group’s new goal will be to redesign the IVR system within six-months, improving operational
efficiency in properly routing calls thus enhancing customer experiences and improving
satisfaction rates.
The redesign of the IVR system will be completed in 180-days and divided into three
phases: navigation/menu review, script language/service needs, and implementation/evaluation.
IVR systems are the first point of contact for customers; a well-designed menu and script flow
ensures callers are quickly routed to defined business units for service. The three phases will be
further defined into 60-day increments to make goals more achievable, realistic, and
timely (Worden, 2014). Using the S.M.A.R.T. technique will ensure goals are clearly defined
and help guide the group to successfully reach its objective of redesigning the IVR system. The
group will meet every two weeks to discuss the project and address concerns. Meeting twice a
month will allow members to become cohesive, keep the project on task, and not be intrusive on
other work assignments.
Group Communication
Effective communication plays a critical role in groups achieving their goals; similarly,
the lack of communication is detrimental and leads to failure in groups reaching goals. While in
groups, it is important to ensure that members maintain open and honest communication through
engagement for substantial results to be achieved. Opportunities should be given to each group
member to present ideas or concerns during meetings; this levels the field and makes individuals
feel invested in projects (Lear, Hodge, & Schultz, 2015). Fostering a culture of openness and
honesty cultivates trust resulting in successful group engagement and active participation of
W3 GOALS AND COMMUNICATION ANALYSIS
4
members. Group members must feel they are free to contribute without fear of rejection or
negative repercussions.
The IVR group communicates effectively as seen by a range of different communication
behaviors with actions done through words and gestures. The group actively listens to one
another using non-verbal behaviors such as looking at each other when they speak, nodding in
agreement, and sitting forward to show involvement. The group also demonstrates effective
communication through asking questions or offering an explanation to clarify concepts. No one
agenda is pushed, concepts are deliberated and discussed. Discussions are kept on point, and
opinions are solicited from those members that have stayed quiet. During group discussions
members respectfully disagree and offer explanations; the group will talk through specific issues
until a consensus is reached (Lear, Hodge, & Schultz, 2015).
Messages that are exchanged between members, whether verbal or non-verbal, are
important because through this exchange group members participate, maintain group identity,
determine goals, motivate participation , and keep the group intact (Walker, 2012). People with
good interpersonal skills tend to work and interact well in group settings and within
organizations. Regular open communication between members leads to successful groups.
Unspoken assumptions or disagreements can be destructive and counterproductive to group
efforts. Overall the members communicates effectively with one another, each having strong
interpersonal skills, and actively contributing to the success of the group.
Running Head: DECISION MAKING AND PROBLEM SOLVING
Decision Making and Problem Solving
Institution
Date
1
DECISION MAKING AND PROBLEM SOLVING
2
Several factors impact the effectiveness of decision making and problem-solving among
groups. These factors include Communication, teamwork, leadership and the level coordination
between the group members. Having been a member of both a successful and an unsuccessful
group, I can assert that leadership plays a crucial role in influencing the success of the group. In
the successful groups, there was coordination, and teamwork among the members, where the
leaders set clear goals, and motivate the group members to work towards the accomplishment of
the goals. On the other hand, the unsuccessful group was characterized by lack of coordination
and poor communication from the leadership. For instance, the leader made all decisions,
without taking the views of the group members. The problem-solving processes utilised by the
IVR group is effective in addressing any problem that might arise.
Each member of the IVR group plays a vital role in the problem solving, and decision
making processes. In case of any problem, the group members avoid blaming a single entity, but
rather takes the blame collectively as a group. The group discusses an issue objectively, to ensure
that the problem is not unfairly blamed on a single member of the group. Group problem solving
is a complex process, due to the diverse views of the various group members. During group
meetings, several challenges might arise, and adversely affect the entire problem-solving
process. Such problems include different perspectives, internal wrangles, and budgetary issues
among others (Cummings, & Worley, 2014). If a group fails to take into consideration the views
of each member, the entire problem-solving problem process might be flawed.
The group’s leadership takes a leading role in identifying and solving any problem that
might arise. After a problem is identified, the leader communicates to all group members, and
hold a meeting to discuss the problem. During this meeting, the group members discuss the
problem, and each member airs their views on how to solve the problem. Afterwards, the
DECISION MAKING AND PROBLEM SOLVING
3
members propose solutions to the problem, where each solution is analyzed, and its
appropriateness discussed. During these discussions, the leader ensures that no member
interrupts others when making their points, and each person is given a chance to air their view on
the problem. After the discussion, group members decide on the best solution, which is later
implemented by the top leadership.
This procedure works well for the group since it allows each member to propose a
solution to any problem facing the group. This approach makes it easy for the group to get an
optimal solution to a problem while ensuring that the views of each member are taken into
consideration. Holding meetings also provide the group with an opportunity to foresee and solve
other problems that might affect the group in the future. According to Forsyth (2018), providing
each member with a chance to air their views, not only ensures an optimal solution to a problem
is identified but also contributes towards the cohesiveness of the group. Group problem solving
have been effective for this group.
The problem-solving procedure mentioned above differs from the one examined in class,
on several aspects. A typical problem-solving process entails five steps namely: Problem
identification, Information gathering, formulation of solutions, selection of the optimal solution,
and evaluation of the solution to determine its overall effectiveness (Van Aken, & Berends,
2018). The procedure mentioned above does not include two steps that are key to the success of
any problem-solving. Once the problem is identified, the group members do not gather additional
information to identify key factors that led to the problem. Additionally, the procedure does not
include evaluation of the effectiveness of the solution, to determine whether the team made the
right decision.
DECISION MAKING AND PROBLEM SOLVING
4
To improve the effectiveness of problem-solving in this group, the group should utilize
the five-step problem-solving process. In this approach, the group members spend a considerable
amount of time, analyzing a problem to identify its causes, and possible solution. Examining the
problem provides the group with a clear understanding of the problem including its causes,
impact, and ways to prevent it from occurring in the future. Additionally, the group should create
a mechanism to evaluate the effectiveness of a solution to ensure that problems are solved
adequately. They should assess the effectiveness of a solution, against metrics that are SMART.
Each problem-solving process should yield results that are realistic, measurable, specific, timebased and achievable. On their part, the leader should ensure that each problem is documented,
so that the group can learn from it. Such an approach will enable the group to evaluate their
problem-solving processes and make appropriate changes.
DECISION MAKING AND PROBLEM SOLVING
5
References
Cummings, T. G., & Worley, C. G. (2014). Organization development and change. Cengage
learning.
Forsyth, D. R. (2018). Group dynamics. Cengage Learning.
Van Aken, J. E., & Berends, H. (2018). Problem solving in organizations. Cambridge University
Press.
Purchase answer to see full
attachment