Page 172 - Effective group discussion theory and practice by Adams, Katherine H. Brilhart, John K. Galanes, Gloria J

Communication and Group Culture 155

behavior to watch for especially, behaviors that are repeated regularly and behaviors
that are “punished.” Repeated behaviors indicate that a norm is operating. For
example, do members sit in the same seats? Who sits next to or talks to whom?
How is the group brought to order? Perhaps the strongest evidence of a norm is
punishment directed at a member who violates the norm. Violations take several
forms: nonconformity to a general norm (e.g., consistently coming late to meet-
ings), deviating from the status hierarchy (e.g., a nurse questioning an MD’s opin-
ion), or breaking past patterns (e.g., a quiet member suddenly talking a lot). The
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punishment can take the form of head shaking, surreptitious and disapproving
glances passing between members, tongue-clucking, direct negative comments, or
even threats.
Listen especially for negative comments, particularly if those comments come
from more than one member: “It’s about time you got here,” and “Maybe you’ll have
your report ready for our next meeting.” Be careful about violating norms! As we
noted earlier, norm violators generally lose status and influence in a group and may
not be able to recover.

Changing a Norm
Since norms have such a tremendous effect on the processes and outcomes of the
group, members should act to change them if they appear to be detrimental. Just
because members conform to a norm does not mean the norm is good for the group
overall. Small persistent changes can be effective because they are not as noticeable to
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those who may resist the change. A social worker in our medical group temporarily
made the group more democratic when she decided to refuse Julian’s attempts to
rephrase her comments, which in turn helped him be more aware of his pattern of
changing other’s ideas to reflect his own. The group managed this new pattern for a
while, but when a crisis arose, members, including Julian, fell back into old ways. Had
the social worker persisted in her attempts, she might have been successful in chang-
ing the autocratic norm.
To change a norm, don’t use a full frontal assault that may be perceived as a per-
sonal attack and won’t work anyway. Follow a few simple, effective guidelines. First,
establish yourself as a loyal member of the group, so the others know you are looking
out for the good of the group when you recommend a change. Second, focus on the
effect of the dysfunctional norm on the group. Be prepared to describe what it is,
when and how often it occurs, and how serious you think it is. Third, share your
observations calmly, clearly, and without blame, and ask if the others share your con-
cerns. Don’t say, “We never get started on time, and I’m sick of it!” Instead, say, “For
the past four meetings, we have started our work 30 to 45 minutes late. Two of us have
class right after this meeting, so we have had to miss the conclusion of our business,
which means the rest of you have to catch us up at the next meeting. Does anyone else
see this as a problem?” Now the dysfunctional norm is out in the open. If you are
wrong, the group will correct you; if you are right, members will be motivated to
change it. Finally, enlist the other members’ help to change the norm so that everyone,
not just you, will work for the change.

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