Working in groups

How the following statements would be described...
 

Plan Ahead

• Think about access for people with mobility issues
• Think about parking
• Is it on a bus route?

Access is about giving people the equal opportunity to participate fully in whatever is being offered in the way that best suits them.

Is there a better way of doing it?
I.e. if you are interested in the views of young mums do you need to organise a meeting and invite them or could you go along to a soft play centre and chat informally?

Consider things like:

• Access to public transport
• Flat level access
• Parking and drop off points
• Hearing impairments
• Familiarity for target audience

For more information visit: www.scie.org.uk/publications/accessibleevents

How will the meeting be facilitated?

Inject life into your meetings.  As part of the planning process:

• Consider rotating the role of Chair
   
• Seek agreement in advance so people are prepared
   
• Rather than have a Chair, have a meeting facilitator
   
• A meeting facilitator can lead the meeting and navigate through the agenda and if necessary manage certain behaviours. Bring the quieter voices in and perhaps quieten the over enthusiastic voices down, they need the confidence to say ‘…an interesting view, we’ve heard what you think, – what do other people think?
   
• You could collectively agree to introduce the ringing of a small bell – to be rung when a participant is labouring a point or being repetitive. This sends the message about the value of being brief and concise.
   
• A squeaky toy to use if someone does not understand what is being said!
   
• A meeting facilitator needs to set the pace by telling the group how long they have to consider a particular points and ensure the right balance between listening and debating.

1. Welcome everyone
    
2. Have effective chairing/facilitation of meeting/event
    
3. Be clear about housekeeping, introductions and ground rules, create a positive atmosphere
    
4. Ask each person to introduce themselves. How should this be done?  Consider how this may be inclusive and supportive, e.g. do participants need to know each other’s job title?  May this be undermining; could it make a member of the public or volunteer feel less important?​​​​​​​
    
5. Do you need name badges; tent cards for people to write their name on?​​​​​​​
    
6. Think about – What does the job title tell us? You could ask people to say their name and briefly, one or more of the following:  why they are present?; their role; their organisation if applicable etc​​​​​​​
    
7. Keep to the agenda or programme so people can follow where they are​​​​​​​
    
8. Timings – start and finish on time, keep to the break times​​​​​​​
    
9. Build in some flexibility on timings to your event​​​​​​​
    
10. Encourage everyone not to talk too fast or dominate the discussion​​​​​​​
     
11. Encourage everyone to use plain and simple language with words in full, no jargon​​​​​​​​
    ​​​​​​​
12. Welcome questions and clarification

The purpose of note taking is to provide an accurate, impartial and balanced record of the event. It’s not easy to take notes whilst participating fully in a meeting.

• Agree in advance who will take the notes or action points.
   
• The purpose of notes is to record what was done, not what was said.
   
• They should summarise the key points of discussion, key challenges that have been raised and the decision or recommendation made, not be verbatim notes.
   
• Notes should include allocated actions and make clear who has the responsibility for an action and the date by which it should be completed. Or keep a separate action log.
   
• Remember actions should be shared by all – if you notice one person is being asked or expected to do everything then the process should be reviewed.

• Summarise at the end of the meeting that everyone understands what has happened and what is going to happen
   
• Always ask yourself – ‘What did I learn from that situation’? whether it was a meeting, conversation, presentation, focus group etc.​​​​​​​
   
• Follow up actions as required, and be clear who is responsible for each action and monitoring progress

Be aware of the concept of GROUPTHINK

Groupthink can occur when a group of people become so similar in their outlook that they lose the ability to be creative in their thinking and decision making. 

The result can be:

• An environment where perspectives are not challenged
• External voices are not listened to
• Not listening to those who may be critical
• The groups behaviours result in similar positions being taken on issues

 
The dangers of Groupthink are that we are unlikely to look at any limitations of the agreed approach. 
 
Or be aware of any potential failings or be alert to threats and possibly blind to new opportunities.

Activity:

• Can you think of a situation where this might happen?

• How could you challenge it?

Source: How to crack down on Groupthink – Dr G Brewer People Management November 2017

• Ensure meetings are open, with people encouraged to identify any weaknesses with proposed approaches to overcome and address.

• Encourage people regardless of their status to have an input rather than keeping decision making at a senior organisational level.

• Acknowledge that it is not always easy for people to be critical or even put forward their opinion, so when they do, take it on board and even if it is an idea that is unlikely to work, tell them why, so they at least know that it has been considered.

• Decision makers should take a step back and look at the bigger picture.  It’s tempting to follow a pre-agreed plan of action without thinking about whether it is the right thing to do
  Encourage wide ranging and diverse opinions.

Do you want to know more about Groupthink?

‘Effects of Groupthink and How to avoid them’ by Forbes Coaches Council 

Drowned out voices

One common area impacted negatively by the nuances of “groupthink” arise when brainstorming potential solutions for an initiative. The overly exuberant drown out those who are more thoughtful and deliberate in their contributions. A more innovative approach involves a technique called “brainwriting” that allows all ideas to be heard and considered. – Jackie Nagel, Synnovatia 

Limits and inclusion

Think you can be open-minded? We all have mental capacity limited by what we know and the language of our specialty. This paves the way to groupthink. It feels safe and natural to spend time with others who think the way we do, so we need to consciously choose devil’s advocates or people with their own different language, mindset and point of view for our meetings. – Linda Watkins, Leadership for Today 

Focusing on only what is known

Too often, groups tend to focus on what is generally known rather than focus on critical information that has not been yet explored. Learn to appreciate the power of the question rather than the need to rush to answers. The next time you’re in a group meeting, start with, “What problem are we trying to solve?” and keep testing with, “Are we answering the right question?” – Sheri Nasim, Center for Executive Excellence