Using the short paper that was due today we did an exercise in which everyone present read their paper out loud to (typically) two other students. While reading their paper, the students who were reading were supposed to circule anything that didn't sound right. Students who were listening took notes on what seemed good, what seemed odd, strange, or not quite right, and of any questions that they had. After a discussion of this feedback, the paper deadline was reset to Tuesday, Apr. 18.
Decision Making and Problem Solving
Groups usually make better decisions than individuals
more knowledge
more perspectives
group testing of ideas
Characteristics of group decision making
Evolutionary process
Circular rather than linear process
There are many things that influence decisions
External and internal constraints matter
Good group decision making is built on group structuring of the process
Group Functional theory
How group communication
contributes to and inhibits
group decision-making problem-solving effectiveness
Assumptions
group members are motivated to make good decisions
when group choices are non-obvious (the issue is consequential and its not clear what the best alternative is), a systematic and reflective approach is needed
many decisions have obvious solutions set in precedent
restated as "understand task and its requirements"
group members of access to information and resources sufficient to completion
group members have the cognitive and communicative skills needed to succeed.
Effective group decision making occurs when
the group understands the task requirements::
correctly understand the issue
questions of fact, conjecture, value, or policy
establish minimal requirements for a solution
identify relevant and realistic alternatives
examine the alternatives using the requirements
select the best alternative based on that examination
the group overcomes cognitive, affiliative, and egocentric challenges in appropriate ways
the group reviews the decision process and, if necessary, reconsiders the decision
Commonly used procedures
The standard agenda
identify the problem
analyze the problem
identify criteria for acceptable solutions
generate solutions
evaluation solutions and selecting the best
implementing the solution
Brainstorming
Generate ideas
All suggestions are valid
No criticism
Be creative (wild and crazy even)
Combine ideas
Evaluate after generation
Nominal group
members silently generate ideas
flip chart facilitation
group clarification of alternative
vote
discuss vote
iterate vote and discussion to final decision
Consensus
Voting
Ranking
Multiple sequences in group development
Three tracks
Task process activities
problem analysis (problem activity)
orientation (executive activity)
process reflection
solution guidelines (solution activity)
solution design
solution evaluation
confirmation and selection
Relational process activities
focused work (work-focused relationships)
critical work
opposition (conflict)
resolution-accommodation
resolution-avoidance
resolution-integration
Integration (integration)
Expressing of ambiguity
Topical focus activities
Effective Decision Making
On average, groups make better decisions than individuals do
But groups can make awful decisions
"A camel is a horse designed by a committee" has a basis in reality
So what makes some groups more successful decision makers than others
Factors affecting decision quality include:
Information
Groups with better informed group members make better decisions
Effort
Groups that are vigilant in doing a painstaking evaluation of their information and alteratives make better decisions.
Thinking
Groups make better decisions when they are able to draw appropriate conclusions from the evidence
Reasoning
Groups that use a "rational" decisions make better decisions than those that make "political" decisions
Communication
Because it enables information, reasoning, and thinking
Discussion allows group members to distribute and pool available information
Discussion allows group members to catch and remedy errors in individual judgment
Discussion enables intra-group persuasion
Because it actively shapes the possibilities for effort
The medium is the message
A social instrument group members use to create group decisions
Functional Theory assumes this active approach
Key questions for when functional theory matters
Is a choice required?
What goals will be supported by that choice?
What choices are available?
What are the pluses and minuses for each choice?
A groups answers to these questions form its "decision logic system"
Four ways in which group communication affects decision quality
the sub-decisions the group makes regarding the choice-making situation
the criteria the group uses in making decisions
the range of choices it has to work with
the groups assessment of the desirable and undesirable features of alternative choices
a groups success in doing each of these things is dependent on the effort they put into each activity
communication enables, but by no means ensures, that group effort
no amount of individual effort will matter if the group doesn't communicate what it finds
Good decision making is not an accident.
High quality decisions occur when the group
understands the problem correctly.
generates decision criteria
generates good decision choices.
accurately evaluates the positive and negative qualities of choices.
Each represents a distinct activity
Groups make the best decisions when they do all four
Bad decisions are most likely to occur when:
We don't have enough information (cognitive constraints)
Get information
We allow politics to trump reasoning (affiliative constraints)
Clarify goals
We allow individuals to dominate decision making (egocentric constraints)
Equalize participation
Requisites of good decision making
Time
Effort
Information
Questions to ask in assessing a groups success
Can it access; does it have the information it needs?
Is the group actively engaging and examining that information using criteria to evaluate alternatives?
Is the group thinking and reasoning or reaching superficial conclusions?
Factors in Faulty Decision Making
Wrongly assuming that it has the information it needs
Address by questioning and clarifying things even when you believe you know the facts
Reasoning incorrectly
Drawing unwarranted inferences
Address by relying on facts rather than opinions
Address by avoiding fallacious reasoning
Succumbing to pressure to make a quick decision (or worse, a particular decision)
One of the primary motivators of Groupthink
Resolve by resisting such pressures
Incomplete decision criteria
Address by discussing and establishing explicit decision criteria
What are your goals? Write them down.
Failure to persuade about quality alternatives
Address by keeping an open mind
Address by carefully advocating for all alternatives
Ambiguous or vague language
Be specific
Rigid adherence to roles
Resist pigeonholing
Failure to ask relevant questions
There are no stupid questions. Only stupid decisions that didn't have to be.
Address by encouraging questioning and dissent
Appoint a devil's advocate (critical advisor) and take the role seriously.
Unless otherwise noted, the contents of this page
were written by participants on the Media Space Wiki, operated by Davis Foulger,
and should be cited accordingly. For example (APA): Foulger, D. and other
participants. (August 27, 2008). Small Group Spring2006 Session20. MediaSpaceWiki. Retrieved on from
http://evolutionarymedia.com/wiki.htm?SmallGroupSpring2006Session20.
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