Group Problem Solving

1
Group Problem Solving Decision Making
2
Group Decision Making

• Two effectiveness dimensions
• Attaining organizational and/or group goals
• Satisfying needs of group members
• Decision-making groups are only one of many types
  of groups
• Spectrum of roles for decision-making groups

3
Group Decision Approaches

• Leader-Centered Democratic
  Consensus
• Fastest decisions-------------------------Slowest
  decisions
• Lowest decision quality--------------------Highest
  quality
• Lowest member commitment------Highest commitment

4
Group Decision Making

• Advantages
• Greater pool of knowledge
• Different perspectives
• Greater comprehension
• Increased acceptance
• Training ground

• Disadvantages
• Social pressure
• Domination by a vocal few
• Logrolling
• Goal displacement
• Groupthink

5
Groupthink

• Illusion of invulnerability
• Dismiss opposing ideas
• Moralize
• Stereotype the opposition
• Pressure members to conform
• Self-censor deviations
• Share illusion of unanimity, without testing
• Self-appointed mind-guards

6
Group Effectiveness

• Commitment via involvement
• Conflict how its handled
• Creativity
• Consensusproducing willingness to support the
  group decision

7
Effective Groups

• Participative leadership, sharing of
  responsibility
• Flexible, effective patterns of communication
• Surface and deal with important issues
• Collaborative rather than competitive
• No hidden agendas
• Trust

8
Group Problem
9
Supplies
10
Assignment

• Identify as many ways as you can think of in 5
  minutes to get the ball out of the pipe without
  damaging the ball, the tube, or the floor.

11
Some Consensus Guidelines

• Goal is for group to make a high quality decision
• Prepare
• Balance advocacy and inquiry
• Avoid majority voting, horse-trading,
  compromising, etc.
• Manage differences productively

12
Varying Degrees of Consensus

• Can you live with this?
• Is this OK with you?
• Can you support this?
• Does this please you (even excite you)?

13
Earthquake Exercise

• Follow handout
• Things most important to do during immediately
  after a major earthquake
• First, individually
• Then, consensus in groups
• Process the way your group worked
• What was helpful
• What could be improved next time