Stage 10: Termination

At stage 10, the bonds that used to hold the relationship together are severed; the relationship ends. Depending on how the participants feel i whether or not they agree on termination), this stage can be short or drawn out over time, can end cordially (in person, over the telephone, with a letter or legal document) or bitterly. All relationships eventually terminate (by the death of one partici­pant if not before), but this doesn't mean that "saying good-bye" is easy or pleasant.

It is important to recognize that how we communicate plays a key part in determining whether our relationships are as effective and rewarding for us as they could be. Relationships are also affected by lies or deception, and by vul­nerability and trust.

Lecture 5. Communicating in small groups.

Outline.

1. The characteristics of an effective and well-functioning group.

2. The advantages and disadvantages to group problem solving.

3. Methods of group decision making.

1. In communication theory, a group is denned as a collection of people who interact verbally and nonverbally, occupy certain roles with respect to one mother, and cooperate with each other to accomplish a definite goal. Some of our most important communication experiences take place in small groups. Small groups are used to solve common problems and make decisions by shar­ing information.Douglas McGregor, an expert in organizational communication, summarizes the characteristics of an effective and well-functioning group as follows:

1. The atmosphere tends to be informal, comfortable, and relaxed.

2. There is a lot of discussion in which virtually everyone participates, but it remains pertinent to the task.

3. The task or objective is well understood and accepted by the members. There will have been free discussion of the objective at some point, until it was formulated in such a way that the group members could commit themselves to it.

4. The members listen to each other. Every idea is given a hearing. People do not appear to be afraid of being foolish; they will offer a creative thought even if it seems fairly extreme.

5. There is disagreement. Disagreements are not suppressed or overriden by premature action. The reasons are carefully examined, and the group seeks to resolve disagreements rather than dominate dissenters.

6. Most decisions are reached by a kind of consensus in which it is clear that everyone is in general agreement and willing to go along. Formal voting is at a minimum; the group does not accept a simple majority as a proper basis for action.

7. Criticism is frequent, frank, and relatively comfortable. There is little evi­dence of personal attack, either overt or hidden.

8. People are free to express their feelings and their ideas about the problem and the group's operation.

9. When action is taken, clear assignments are made and accepted.

10. The chairperson of the group does not dominate it, nor does the group defer unduly to him or her. In fact, the leadership shifts from time to time, depending on the circumstances. There is little evidence of a struggle for power as the group operates. The issue is not who controls but how to get the job done.

11. The group is self-conscious of its own operation.

2. The advantages of using a group instead of an individual are that resources can be pooled, motivation is increased, errors are more likely to be detected, decisions are more readily accepted by those outside the group, and the group members can enjoy the companionship and rewards of working with others. There are, however, potential disadvantages to group problem solving: it may encourage laziness among some members; conflict may arise between personal and group goals; the group may be dominated by a few; one or two stubborn members may create a deadlock; the group may make an excessively risky deci­sion; and the decision itself usually takes longer to reach.

To operate effectively, group members need to be supportive; exercise par­ticipative decision making; show trust, openness, and candor; and set high per­formance goals. The healthier the group climate, the more cohesive the group. Keep in mind that in group meetings, men tend to speak more often, and longer, than women. Thus women should make an effort to take the initiative, and men should give women the opportunity to air their views.

3. There are a number of different methods groups use to make decisions— decision by an expert, by chance, by majority, by the leader, by the minority, by averaging individual decisions, and by consensus—or the group can defer a decision entirely. Each method has certain advantages and is more appropriate and workable than others under certain conditions. An effec­tive group bases its decision-making strategy on a number of variables, includ­ing (1) the nature of the problem, (2) the time available to solve the problem, arid (3) the kind of climate in which the group is operating or would prefer to operate.

Experience has shown that the various methods of group decision making vary considerably in their effectiveness. Majority vote is the method used most frequently. Most elections are decided and many laws are passed using this approach, and a large number of other decisions are made on the basis of the vote of at least 51 percent of a group's members.

Another popular decision-making strategy is averaging, by which the most popular decision becomes the group's decision.

Letting the expert member decide what the group should do is also fairly common. In this case, the group simply defers its decision-making power to its most knowledgeable member.