Page 216 - Effective group discussion theory and practice by Adams, Katherine H. Brilhart, John K. Galanes, Gloria J

Leading Small Groups: Practical Tips 199

Assembling the Group Even before the group has its first meeting, the leader (or
person to whom the group reports) has spent time thinking about who will be in the
group and what the group will do. 1

1. Select group members carefully.
Group leaders, including Maureen, don’t always have the luxury of picking the
group members, but when they do, effective leaders carefully consider who
should be part of the group. Think through what skills, expertise, and personal
characteristics are needed for the group’s particular task and situation, and then
select just the people you need and no more! You want motivated, positive
people who will contribute.
2. Develop a group charter.
A group charter is a document that describes the purpose of the group, its Group Charter
specific charge, its area of freedom, its membership, what output the group must A written document
produce, and other key information such as deadlines. Maureen’s committee describing a group’s
spent the first four meetings developing the committee’s structure, procedures, purpose, charge,
and work plan. Once that was done, the subcommittees were able to meet on limitations,
their own with clarity about their tasks. Formal leaders of groups, composed of membership,
commanders from several agencies (e.g., police, fire, and medical), assembled in deadlines, and other
the wake of an emergency are directed to enter the first meeting with this kind of key information.
document so that valuable time is not lost asking questions about procedures. 2
3. Make sure members commit to the group’s goals.
Recruit people who are willing to commit to the group’s goals. You may have to
explain your group purpose to some who are initially skeptical, but that is better
than recruiting someone who winds up rejecting the goal.

Planning for Meetings Once you’ve selected the group, you will start to hold meetings.
A single weekly meeting of a large company can take up to 300,000 hours of manager
and team time; wasting this time adds to employee’s fatigue and stress, as well their job
dissatisfaction. To use everyone’s time well, make sure that you have your prework
3
finished prior to each meeting. The following checklist can guide your planning:
1. Define the purpose of the meeting.
First, decide whether you need a meeting. Do not call a meeting if you can get
the job done using other communication avenues (telephone, teleconference,
e-mail, memo), when there isn’t time for participants to prepare adequately,
when one or more essential people cannot participate, or when the issues are
personal and better handled privately. 4
Define the purpose of the meeting clearly and formulate specific outcomes
to be achieved. “To talk about our report” is not adequately defined, but “To
review the Transportation Subcommittee’s draft and make recommendations for
change” is specific.
2. Establish starting and ending times for the meeting.
People are busy; respect their time by starting and ending a meeting on time.
5
Running overtime will kill member involvement and attendance. Setting an

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