Page 226 - Effective group discussion theory and practice by Adams, Katherine H. Brilhart, John K. Galanes, Gloria J

Leading Small Groups: Practical Tips 209

2. Review the group charter at a group’s first meeting and go over the specific
purpose of the present meeting, including what outcomes should be
accomplished.
Basically, you are like a band director getting everyone to start on the same
page. You may need to allow for discussion of the charter and the meeting
agenda, and it’s better to do that early rather than late, to prevent
misunderstandings.
3. See that any special roles are established.
Will the group need a recorder in addition to the designated leader? Will the
group have a member acting as a special observer? The group may choose to
rotate such jobs so that various members receive practice performing them.
4. Distribute any handouts.
Handouts may include written materials from the parent organization or
administrator, copies of findings, case problems, outlines to structure the
problem-solving procedure of the group, or explanations of special discussion
techniques.
5. Establish initial ground rules.
Make sure that everyone knows the rules for the group! For instance, you may
want to affirm that confidentiality regarding the group’s discussions must be
maintained. Or, if your meeting involves discussion about a controversial issue,
you may want to remind members of the ethical principles for group behavior.
6. Suggest procedures to follow.
If you think the group will benefit from using a particular procedure or
technique, such as one of the techniques mentioned in this text, present it to the
group as a suggestion. Explain the procedure, give members a copy of the
procedure, and make sure the group agrees before you proceed. Also, members
should know in advance whether decisions will be by consensus or majority vote.
7. Focus initial discussion on the first substantive agenda issue with a clear
question.
Your focus question may require a simple answer: “Tyrone, will you give us last
week’s sales figures?” Or it may need considerable discussion: “What do we
think are the reasons for the dropoff in attendance?” In either case, the right
question (see Chapter 9) helps launch the group into the substantive portion of
the agenda.
Regulating and Structuring Discussions Once group members are oriented to each
other and the task, the leader helps the group function efficiently by adding structure to
the group’s deliberations. Group discussion should be orderly so that each person has
an opportunity to speak, but it should not be overregulated so that members feel hand-
cuffed. Generally, the larger the group, the more formal your procedures should be.

Deciding How Formal You Should Be Many large groups and assemblies use
17
Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised as their parliamentary code. When an organi-
zation has adopted Robert’s Rules of Order, the committees of that organization must

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