SP 215 Small Group Communication Structured and Creative Problem Solving in Groups

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SP 215 Small Group CommunicationStructured and
Creative Problem Solving in Groups
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Decision Making and Problem Solving

• Problem Solving
• -A process in which groups analyze a problem and
  develop a plan of action for solving the problem
  or reducing its harmful effects

• Decision Making
• -Passing judgment on an issue under
  consideration
• -The act of reaching a conclusion

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Costs and Benefits of Group Decision Making

• Costs Group decisions take longer and run the
  risk of causing conflict and hard feelings.
• Benefits Groups generate more ideas than
  individuals and are better equipped to find
  rational and workable solutions to complex
  problems.

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Decision-Making Methods

• Voting
• Consensus
• When all group members agree to support a
  group decision
• Authority Rule
• When a single person or someone outside the
  group makes the final decision, with or without
  recommendations from the group

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Voting

• Voting works best when
• The group is pressed for time.
• The issue is not highly controversial.
• ________________________________.
• ________________________________.
• ________________________________.

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Consensus Guidelines

• Listen carefully to others.
• Dont change your mind to avoid conflict or to
  reach a quick decision.
• Welcome differences of opinion.
• Avoid agreeing to a false consensus.
• ________________________________.
• ________________________________.
• ________________________________.

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Match the Decision-Making Questions

• A. Question of Fact Is it true, did
  it happen, what was the cause?
• B. Question of Conjecture Will it happen?
• C. Question of Value Is it right,
  moral, good?
• D. Question of Policy What should be done?

• ___ Should the U.S. provide healthcare for all
  citizens?
• ___ How many Americans lack health insurance?
• ___ Will stem cell research help cure diseases?
• ___ Is the Canadian health care system better
  than the U.S. system?

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PowerPoint Quiz

• Should the company assist employees with
  their child care needs? This group discussion
  question asks a question of
• policy.
• procedure.
• fact.
• conjecture.
• value.

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The Need for Structured Procedures

• Benefits of Structured Procedures
• Balanced Participation
• Effective Conflict Resolution
• Clear Organization
• Group Empowerment

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The Two-Step Creative Process

• The Creative Thinking Process
• Searches, separates, and connects thoughts
  from many sources, while limiting judgment
• The Creative Output Process
• Combines previously unrelated elements into
  something new

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Identify the Creative Process Stages

• A. Investigation
• B. Imagination
• C. Incubation
• D. Insight

• ___ Unusual ideas are generated and discussed.
• ___ Imaginative ideas percolate and recombine in
  new ways.
• ___ The Aha! moment occurs and a new solution
  emerges.
• ___ Members gather information and analyze the
  problem.

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Match the Types of Group Action

• A. Inertia
• B. Instruction
• C. Imitation
• D. Innovation

• __ Someone showed us how to do it.
• __ We have developed a new way to do it
• __ Weve seen how its done.
• __ Weve done it before.

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Problem Solving Models
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The Standard Agenda

• The Standard Agenda
• Task Clarification
• Problem Identification
• Fact Finding
• Solution Criteria and Limitations
• Solution Suggestions
• Solution Evaluation and Selection
• Solution Implementation

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Functional Theory

• Effective preparation requires that members
• are interested and energetic
• research and use quality information
• select an appropriate procedure
• Effective procedures require that members
• understand the issues
• agree upon solution criteria
• identify possible solutions
• review pros and cons
• select the solution

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Single-Question Format

• Focuses on a single question that, if carefully
  analyzed and responsibly answered, should provide
  a solution
• Identify the problem.
• Create a collaborative setting.
• Analyze the issues.
• Identify possible solutions.
• Resolve the question.

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Creative Methods
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Brainstorming

• Brainstorming . . .
• can generate many ideas in a short period of
  time.
• works best when members are comfortable with a
  freewheeling process.
• can fail if members are self-conscious and
  sensitive to implied criticism.
• can enhance creativity and produce numerous
  worthwhile ideas.

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Brainstorming Guidelines

• Brainstorming Guidelines
• Sharpen the Focus
• For All to See
• Number the Ideas
• Encourage Creativity
• All Input, No Put Down
• Build and Jump

• Explanation
• __________________
• __________________
• __________________
• __________________
• __________________
• __________________

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PowerPoint Quiz

• All of the following are guidelines for
  effective brainstorming EXCEPT
• Evaluate ideas only at the end.
• Post the ideas for all to see.
• Wait awhile for group members to think before
  starting to brainstorm.
• Avoid combining ideas.

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Nominal Group Technique (NGT)

• Developed to maximize participation while
  minimizing interpersonal problems associated with
  group interaction
• A collection of people who, at first, work
  individually rather than collectively.
• Two NGT phases
• fact-finding
• evaluation

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NGT Fact-Finding Phase

• Each member writes ideas on paper.
• Structured sharing of ideas takes place.
• Recorder writes all ideas on flip chart.
• Round-robin listing continues until all members
  indicate they have no further ideas to share.

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NGT Evaluation Phase

• Discussion is structured so that each idea
  receives attention before voting.
• Members are asked to clarify or state
  support/nonsupport of each idea.
• Independent voting by ranking ideas.
• Group decision is a mathematically pooled outcome
  of individual votes.

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Decreasing Options Technique (DOT)

• Helps groups reduce and refine a large number of
  suggestions into a manageable number of ideas
• Five Basic Steps
• Generate Ideas
• Post Ideas
• Sort Ideas
• Dot the Ideas
• Prioritize Ideas

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When to Use DOT

• Use DOT when the group . . .
• is so large that a discussion of many ideas is
  unworkable.
• has generated many competing ideas.
• wants everyone to contribute.
• wants to restrain dominant members from exerting
  too much influence.
• lacks time to discuss multiple or controversial
  ideas.

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Ways to Enhance Group Creativity

• A. Control judgment
• B. Encourage innovation
• C. Ask What If?
• D. Use metaphors

• __ Minimizes negative responses to new ideas
• __ Encourages members to think outside the box
• __ Discourages preconceived notions about what
  can and cant be done
• __ Forces group members to look at a problem in
  new and creative ways

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Problem-Solving Realities

• Factors that affect the outcome of group
  decisions
• Politics
• Preexisting preferences
• Power
• Use an established decision-making procedure to
  minimize these factors.

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Group Decision Making and Problem Solving

• We discussed decision making and problem solving
  before however, there are some factors to
  consider.

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Information Overload

• Information is the raw material of the group
  decision making and problem solving.
• Information overload occurs when the rate of
  information flow into a system and/or the
  complexity of that information exceeds the
  systems capacity.

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Four main consequences of information overload

• 1) Impairs critical thinking Separating the
  wheat from the chaff.
• Vast amounts of information makes it difficult to
  distinguish useless from useful information.
• 2) Indecisiveness Conclusion Irresolution.
• Too much information can promote indecisiveness.

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Four main consequences of information overload

• 3) Information Bulimia Binging and Purging.
• Information Bulimia is a binge and purge cycle of
  information processing.
• Ex Students who cram facts for an exam.

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Four main consequences of information overload

• 4) Group Attention Deficit Disorder
  Difficulty Concentrating.
• Information overload can produce a kind of group
  attention deficit disorder (ADD).
• The megamountains of information competing for
  group members attention makes focusing on any
  one idea, concept, or problem extremely difficult.

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Coping with information overload

• 1) Screen information limit exposure to
  information.
• 2) Shutting off technology turn off cell
  phones, pagers, and so on.
• 3) Specializing knowing more about a little
  than knowing little about a lot.
• Ex Dont try to feed us the entire pie, give us
  as slice.
• Know a lot about a little.

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Coping with information overload

• 4) Becoming Selective attend to information
  that relates directly to group goals and
  priorities.
• 5) Limiting the Search set time for searching
  and time for deciding.
• 6) Narrowing the Search use credible
  databases find patterns.

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Information Underload

• Information overload is more prevalent and a
  significant problem than information underload.
• Information underload refers to an insufficient
  amount of information available to a group for
  decision making purposes.

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Information Underload

• Information underload is usually a problem of too
  much closedness in a system.
• Develop perceptual mindsets the group members
  all seeing the world in the same way.

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Collective Inferential Error

• Conclusions made about the unknown based upon
  what is known group members draw inferences
  from previous experiences, factual data, and
  predispositions.
• In other words, members rely on their own
  knowledge base.

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Sources of Inferential Error

• 1) General sources of inferential errors
• Seriously limited information base (insufficient
  quantity of information).
• Faulty information base (poor-quality information)

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Sources of Inferential Error

• 2) Specific sources of inferential errors
• Vividness the graphic, outrageous, shocking,
  controversial, dramatic event draws our attention
  and sticks in our minds (i.e., NEWS Stories).
• Unrepresentativeness distorting the facts (ex
  pit bull dogs being mean).
• Correlation X causes Y (Pos/Neg, as you get
  older, your skin wrinkles).

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Groupthink - Janis

• Definition A mode of thinking that people engage
  in when they are deeply involved in a cohesive
  in-group, when the members striving for
  uniformity override their motivation to
  realistically appraise alternative courses of
  action.
• In other words, loss of objectivity within the
  groups decision making process.

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Groupthink -Main symptoms

• 1) Overestimation of the groups power and
  morality arrogance.
• Illusion of invulnerability.
• Unquestioned belief in the inherent morality of
  the group.
• 2) Closed-Mindedness
• Rationalizations.
• Negative stereotyped views of the enemy.

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Groupthink -Main symptoms

• 3) Pressures toward Uniformity presenting a
  united front.
• Self-censorship of contradictory opinion.
• Illusions of unanimity.
• Direct pressure applied to deviants.
• Self-appointed mindguards.

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GroupthinkMain prevention

• Preventing Groupthink
• Recognize groupthink when it first begins.
• Minimize statues differences
• Seek information that challenges emerging
  concurrences.
• Develop norms that legitimizes disagreement.

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Group Project
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Group Project

• John Deweys Problem Solving Sequence.
• Eight (8) Steps

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Group Project

• Step 1 Define the Problem.
• This step includes defining exactly what the
  problem is.
• What are the symptoms which lead group to become
  aware of the problem.
• Major
• Minor

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Group Project

• Defining the problem is very important in
  arriving at solutions that will help solve the
  problem.
• If you dont know or understand the problem, it
  will difficult to solve the problem.

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Group Project

• An improperly defined problem may result in a
  solution which may bring some change but not in
  the area the group hoped would change.
• Word the problem correctly.

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Group Project

• Step 2 List the causes of the problem.
• This step is very complex at times but is
  critical to help solve for the problem.
• The group must attempt to discover ALL apparent
  causes for the problem.

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Group Project

• Understand that it is impossible to do away with
  all the causes to solve for the problem but it is
  still important to know to what extent each cause
  contributes to the problem and which causes can
  be solved.
• Sometime large problems need to be broken down
  into smaller parts with each part analyzed and
  solved separately.

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Group Project

• Step 3 Criteria for picking a solution.
• The groups main goal in problem solving is to
  think of a solution to help solve for your
  problem.
• In order to pick the best possible solution to
  solve the problem, the group needs to develop a
  criteria for choosing the best solution.

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Group Project

• The criteria will be the yardstick by which the
  group can measure the various possible solutions
  to see which solution BEST fits the current
  situation.
• The criteria for selecting the best solution for
  the problem is vital and MUST be done before
  solutions can be considered.

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Group Project

• Some general considered criteria are
• The solution must be financially feasible
• The solution must be legal.
• The solution must do away with certain causes.
• The solution must be moral.
• These criterions are general, the group may have
  more specific ones for solving the problem.

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Group Project

• Step 4 List all possible solutions.
• List every possible solution the group develops
  or thinks of.
• Dont exclude possible solutions simply because
  they may not sound good at the time.
• This step is simply the listing of possible
  solutions with no consideration whether they will
  or will not work.
• The more solutions the group has the better.

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Group Project

• Step 5 Picking of the best solution.
• Picking the best solutions is done by comparing
  various possible solutions against one another.
• List out the criteria the group has developed and
  check to see which solution best fits the
  criteria.

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Criteria Picking the best
solution.
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Criteria Picking the best
solution.

• Some times there may be more than one solution to
  help solve for the problem.
• Incorporate the solutions to work in concert with
  one another.

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Group Project

• Step 6 Implementing the solution.
• How is the group going to implement the
  solution(s)?
• Why hasnt this been implemented before?
• When would the implementation occur?
• Threshold at what point in time?

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Group Project

• Step 7 The benefits
• List the benefits that come as a result of
  helping to solve the problem.
• What do we get out of solving the problem?
• Federal
• State
• Local

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Group Project

• Step 8 Evaluating the success/failure of the
• project.
• The evaluation takes place through the process
  of the project. The objectives of the project
  are feasible, dated, measurable, and indicate an
  acceptable level of achievement.
• Nothing could be easier to evaluate.

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Group Project

• Bottom Line Either you did it or you didnt.

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Group Project

• Group work time ?

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