What Should Happen During a Group Discussion
In most cases, the goal of a group discussion is to come up with ideas which will allow the group to solve specific problems or learn a skill. The members must be able to summarize the primary points of the information they read, and they should also be able to determine their own understanding of the material.
If the group discussion has been held before, members will want to reexamine concepts that were presented at the previous meetings. It is also important for the members of a group discussion to brainstorm ideas or concepts that can be applied in the real world.
To be successful, it is important for the members of a group to have interdependence. However, this should be positive rather than negative. Remember, the group will succeed of fail together. The best way to create interdependence within a group is to have the members share a task. They may also share resources as well. All the members of the group should have the same goal when it comes to the topic that is being discussed. It is important for members to interact with each other. When they do, they can help each other learn or work towards achieving the goal of the group. In order for group discussion to work effectively, it is important to make sure everyone is seated in the correct pattern.
In most cases, the best way to seat a group is in a circle where they are able to face each other. Seating the members in a circular formation will allow them to work together jointly to solve problems through discussion, statements, or explanations. Many people do not like group discussions. Perhaps this describes you. People who do not like group discussion are typically those who are shy or individualistic. While some leaders have attempted to solve this problem by having the group work on problem individually, it is best for the members to cooperate together. This will teach them the value of teamwork. As the saying goes, "two heads are better than one," and a group working together is likely to solve problems faster than allowing members to work on their own.
Once concept that is important for group discussions is accountability. Each member should contribute to the discussion at hand. No one should be allowed to "free load," or benefit from the hard work of others without making any contributions. When members don’t contribute to the discussion, they will hurt themselves and the group as a whole. The reason for this is because they won’t learn how to work with a team, and the group will have one less person that is assisting them in achieving a certain goal. One thing that you can do to enhance the things that are learned from a group discussion is to designate roles for the members of a group.
For example, you could have team captains, clerks, reflectors, or encouragers. It would be the responsibility of the team captain to make sure the group stays focused. They would also be responsible for providing the group with tasks, and they would eliminate conflict among the members and make sure everything is moving on schedule. The clerk is the person that is responsible for writing down important points. They will report their information to the rest of the group. The reflector will analyze the function of the group process and will make statements that are given to the clerk. The reflector will place an emphasis on the organization and participation of group members. The encourager is responsible for providing feedback to the members.
It is important for all the members within a group discussion to learn these skills. They should know how to make decisions, establish trust, and deal with conflict in a decent way. Not only are these skills important in group discussion, they are helpful for employees.
Many group discussions are held by the departments within companies, and many of them already expect their employees to have these skills. Another thing that should happen during group discussions is called group processing. This will occur when the group ends the discussion by having members share what they have gained or learned with the other members.
