Chapter 10 Leadership and Decision Making in Groups 299If the task does require contributions from all members, how well is
the group doing on this front? For example, are members conducting needed
research and inviting one another to share information during group gatherings?
Does the group know when it needs to get more data before making a decision?
Does the group analyze problems well? Come up with creative solutions? Offer
opinions respectfully? Elaborate on problems, concerns, and solutions?
By regularly assessing these aspects of information management in your
group, you can identify where the group is falling short and address the problem
promptly. For instance, if you notice that the group rushes to make decisions
without getting all the facts first, you could say something like “I think we need
to find out more about the problem before we take action.”
Procedural Effectiveness
How well does your group coordinate its activities and communication? Key
things to evaluate on this front are how the group elicits contributions, del-
egates and directs action, summarizes decisions, handles conflict, and manages
processes. For example, do some members talk too much while others give too
little input? If so, the group needs someone to improve the balance of contribu-
tions. Simply saying something like “Allie, I think we should hear from some
other people on this subject” can be very effective. Or does your group tend to
revisit issues it has already decided on? If so, you can expect many members to
express frustration with this time-wasting habit. A leader or another member can
steer the group back toward its current task by saying something like “OK, what
we’ve been talking about is.. .” or “I’m not sure revisiting this previous decision
is helping us deal with our current problem.”
Interpersonal Performance
How would you describe the relationships among the members of your group
while everyone is working together to accomplish a task? If these relationships
are strained, awkward, or prickly, the group probably won’t function effectively.
Observe how group members behave on the following four fronts:
c Do they provide positive reinforcement for one another—for instance, by
showing appreciation for each other’s contributions and hard work?c Do members seem to feel a sense of solidarity with one another—for example,
by sharing responsibility for both successes and failures?
c Do members cooperate freely with one another, fulfilling the responsibilities
they’ve agreed to shoulder and pitching in when needed?
c Do members demonstrate respect for one another—for example, by keep-
ing disagreements focused on the issues at hand rather than on personal
character?If you can answer yes to these four questions, your group scores high on interper-
sonal performance.
CONNECT
As you evaluate interper-
sonal performance, you
are essentially determining
what type of climate your
group has developed. As
we discuss in Chapter 8,
supportive climates—in
which individuals are open
to and supportive of one
another’s ideas—often
have an advantage in
being effective and
achieving goals.