Small Group Communication in Health Care

Small Group Communication A group of people who are dependent

on each other to share information through a set of rules Example: ___________________

Group Communication Think about a group you have participated in:

What are the goals of the group? Are the goals clearly defined and realistic? Why did you join the group? Does your group focus on achieving a common goal? Does your group

focus on developing good relationships among group members? How big is the group? Is the group cohesive? What are some of the explicit or implicit rules of the groups? Is there a leader in the group? If so, is the leader effective? Why? Describe your role in the group. For example: Did you contribute a lot? Did

you ask a lot of questions? Did you provide a lot of encouragement for others? Did you often attack others’ opinions? Did you follow the rules of the group?

Describe other members in the group. What are they like?

Content and Process Groups Content Process

Task group: content focus

Process group: focus on relationship among group members.

Midrange group: focus on both content and relationship

Content or Process? Content Process

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Sunday school Anti-war group Alcoholics anonymous Dental hygienist’s conference Community meeting at a retirement home Self-help group for veterans with PTSD Cat lovers club Income-tax training class English conversation circle

Components of Small Groups Goals Norms Cohesiveness Leader Behavior Member Behavior

Goals Provide rationale and motivation Individual and Group goals Incompatible goals lack of

cooperation Examples: ____________________

Clear and realistic

Norms Rules of behavior shared by a group

Overt versus covert: ___________________

_____________________________________________

Enabling versus restrictive: ___________________

____________________________________________________

Cohesiveness (or We-ness) Benefits of High cohesiveness:

________________________________________________________________________________

Factors affecting cohesiveness: Clear goals Members share similar attitudes and behavior Cooperative rather than competitive Democratic leader Group activities that are within members’ capabilities Group atmosphere: respectful and enjoy one another Smaller group size

Groupthink: Too much cohesiveness in decision-making The tendency of members of highly cohesive

groups to seek consensus so strongly that they ignore information inconsistent with their views and often make disastrous decisions

Two factors High level of cohesiveness

______________________ Perceived infallibility

___________________________

Leader Behavior Leadership: the process in which

one person attempts to influence others in order to attain some mutual goal.

Linear versus transactional

Leader Behavior Great Person Theory

_____________________________________________

Kirkpatrik & Locke 1991 Self confidence, creativity, and leadership motivation (the desire to

take charge and control over others) Zaccaro, 1991

Flexibility - the ability to recognize what actions or approaches are required in a given situation to act accordingly.

Leadership style Autocratic style

controlling, making all decisions

VS

Democratic style allowing participation and decision-making

by members

Leadership styles Peterson, 1997

Two types of directive leaders Process directiveness:

_____________________________ Outcome directiveness:

____________________________ Procedures

Participants were asked to play the role of an elite decision-making group facing an international crisis. The leaders of the groups were instructed to behave with either high or low process directiveness; and high or low directiveness.

Leadership styles Procedures

Condition 1: Low process + low outcome Condition 2: High process + low outcome Condition 3: Low process + High outcome Condition 4: High process + High outcome

Results Participants in condition 2 and 4 rated their leaders to

be more effective. Explanation

Process directiveness is beneficial.

Leader Behavior In group therapy

Emotional stimulation Caring Meaning-attribution Executive functioning (set limits, monitors

rules, attends to various procedures to groups)

Member Behavior Group task roles Group building and maintenance roles Individual roles

See handout

Therapeutic factors Instillation of hope Universality Imparting information Altruism Development of socializing techniques Imitative behavior Cohesiveness (belonging, acceptance) Catharsis Existential factors (recognition that life is not fair, pain

cannot be escaped: terminally ill patient)

Phases of Small Group Communication Describe what goes on in the following

phases (the relationships among members, the depth and nature of the communication, the leader’s role) Orientation Conflict Cohesive and Cohesive Termination