Chapter 11: Group Communication
Jordan Smith
Chapter Learning Objectives
- Plan and deliver short, organized spoken messages and oral reports tailored to specific audiences and purposes.
- Define teamwork in professional settings.
- Compare and contrast positive and negative team roles and behaviours in the workplace.
- Discuss group strategies for solving problems.
- Demonstrate best practices in delivering constructive criticism and bad news in person.
- Rank several types of response to conflict in the workplace in order of most appropriate to least.
- Explain a collaborative approach to resolving workplace conflict.
- Explain the purpose and contents of the meeting agenda and minutes.
- Demonstrate best practices in web conferencing for professional situations.
Almost every posting for a job opening in a workplace location lists teamwork among the required skills. Why? Is it because every employer writing a job posting copies other job postings? No, it’s because every employer’s business success absolutely depends on people working well in teams to get the job done. A high-functioning, cohesive, and efficient team is essential to workplace productivity anywhere you have three or more people working together. Effective teamwork means working together toward a common goal guided by a common vision, and it’s a mighty force when firing on all cylinders. “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has” (Sommers & Dineen, 1984, p. 158).
