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Tools for Assessing and Evaluating Groups 325

could overcome. Susanna gave the group members several examples of how their dis-
cussion was disorganized, with members jumping from one topic to another without
concluding a topic. At any given moment, there could be three different topics under
discussion, and it was easy to mishear or misunderstand information. She affirmed that
their problems were solvable and gave them several suggestions for how the group could
monitor its own discussion process. She spoke privately with Sam about his somewhat
lax leadership style and recommended that he keep firmer control of the meetings.
Finally, Susanna designed a training program for the group to take place during a
weekend retreat. The program succeeded in improving the members’ basic communi-
cation skills and featured several teambuilding activities to help the group begin to
recover some of the trust eroded by recent mistakes.
This case study illustrates several points we want to make in this chapter. First, it
is completely appropriate for members to conduct assessments of their own behavior.
Most people like learning about themselves; there are numerous surveys and scales
that assess particular characteristics. Sometimes, such information is used only by
each individual member. Often, that’s enough to encourage members to reflect about
how their own behavior contributes (or not) to the group. Sometimes, group members
all take the same assessment and discuss their findings within the group, as Sam’s
group did regarding their color personalities.
Second, we have promoted the value of being a participant and an observer of
group interaction. Experienced group leaders routinely conduct periodic “how are we
doing” sessions in which the topic of the group discussion is the group itself and how
well it functions. This information is usually shared with the group as a whole, but
members want the safety of anonymity, so they may complete a group assessment
survey that only the leader will see.
Finally, most groups can benefit from outside assessment. Splitting your attention
between participating in the group at the same time you are observing the group pro-
cess is hard. You can’t do both in the same instant; instead, your attention shifts back
and forth between one and the other, which makes it likely that you’ll miss something.
Sometimes, you will know exactly what a group needs, but other times you won’t have
a clue—you just know it needs help! That was why Sam sought the services of an
outside consultant who could be free just to observe without having to participate.
This chapter discusses all three of these processes: self-assessment, member and
group assessment, and outside consultation. We also provide tools and instruments
you can use or modify for such assessments. All of these were designed for face-to-
face groups. Groups, as you know by now, range from entirely face-to-face to entirely
virtual. Most secondary groups are probably face-to-face groups that use one or more
computer tools, such as e-mail, shared file storage space, bulletin boards, etc. You
may be in a group currently for a course that uses the Blackboard platform for your
group’s business. Every one of these tools and instruments can be adapted to your
group’s use of computer technology.
Platforms such as Blackboard and Wiggio (www.wiggio.com/) let you turn tools into
surveys that can be filled out by group members or used by group leaders. SurveyMonkey
(www.surveymonkey.com/) is a free Web-based tool that lets you create a survey without
the hassle of downloading software—all you need is a browser. Even novice surveyors find
it easy to use. Such platforms provide question types, question formats, and survey

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