Resource 15: How to Improve Group Participation  (using Jacques, Robbins and Finley)

David Jacques identifies two roles, above all others, necessary to complete a group activity successfully. These are:

· Group building and maintenance roles - maintain group cohesiveness
· Group task roles - ensure completion of the project

Group building and maintenance and ensuring the completion of the project is so necessary to the success of any collaborative project that Jacques singles out these roles. Whether you feel that your strength is as a researcher, an ideas person a risk assessor or whatever, Jacques suggests these two tasks should be shared by all group members, no matter what their individual strengths may be.

Group Activity (or individual reflection)

When you next participate in any group activity, think about whether you focus more on the task to be completed or whether you concern yourself more with the well-being of the group and its members. Perhaps you shift between these two roles. If so, note how, why and when you do so.

Discuss in your group who demonstrated an awareness of and ability to influence one or both of these key roles. Were there any significant changes in the mood of the group? If so, how did this come about?

Enabling good communication

Robbins and Finley suggest that when communication is really good, these four elements should be at work:

Talking Listening to ourselves listening
Listening to ourselves talking Listening

We probably focus too much on ourselves doing the talking. Our listening is more important than our talking, because it is our listening (whether it is good or awful) that determines the quality of communication.

Instead of beginning in the familiar upper-left corner, with us talking, begin in the opposite corner, with us simply listening to others. If you experience difficulty listening, the other squares, may hold the key.

Individual Activity to enhance listening capacity
When you are next socialising in a group, take a few minutes to just listen. Do not attempt to offer any spoken contribution. Note how you feel.
· Is this a familiar position for you?
· Does it feel very unnatural?
· Do you find your thoughts wandering to other matters?
· Do you want to join in the conversation?
· Do you feel as though you are a 'passenger' in the social group?

If you find this an uncomfortable exercise, repeat it a few times in different group situations. Practice just listening for a few minutes when you are next engaged in a group discussion or exercise. You might choose to share your discoveries with the group or alternately you may wish to keep them to yourself. Either way, it is likely that you will have become a more sensitive listener and that this will affect your communication with others in the future.

References
Jacques, D. (1992) Learning in groups, London, Kogan Page in O'Sullivan, T, Rice, J., Rogerson, S. and Saunders, C. (1996) Successful Group Work, Kogan Page.

Robbins, H. & Finley M. (1996) Why teams Don't Work: what went wrong and how to make it right , Orion Business Books