Now, just to be clear: We are not saying that conflict is good per se. Having nine or fewer ground rules helps the group more easily remember and support them. Joining Together: Group theory and group skills. 16 Ground Rules for Group Work 1 "Tackle problems, not people" When people feel that they personal viewpoint is under attack, they often feel hurt, lash out and attack back. Speak from your own experience instead of generalizing (I instead of they, we, and you). Ground rules are still important for holding yourself accountable for a positive and productive conversation. Take responsibility for your own learning. Create space in class for students to discuss in small groups. 18 Ground Rules for Group Discussions 1 "Strong opinions, loosely held" The idea "strong opinions, loosely held" is that anyone is allowed to express their strong opinions, but at the same be open to change their mind if they new data suggests that they might be wrong. Are you a directive or non-directive leader? Attempt to pursue a common goal, rather than individual goals. Ask dominant participants to allow others to speak. Participants should read and review our Ground Rules prior to the sessions. One of the most important steps to an effective conversation about diversity and inclusion is to set ground rules for the participants. Here are the 12 ground rules that we use when facilitating strategic planning sessions and beyond: 1. If the situation is particularly difficult, a directive leader might be needed to keep control of the discussion and make. One is to state your opinion, but make very clear that its an opinion, not a fact, and that other people believe differently. Scheffert, D., Anderson, M., Anderson, S., et al. Silence can be an indication of thought and process. Sometimes individuals or factions that are trying to dominate can disrupt the process of the group. Ground rules are a short list of expectations to guide how a group works together. Weekly Discussion Guides. St. Paul, MN: University of Minnesota Extension. Ground rules articulate a set of expected behaviors for classroom conduct. Each session will be a facilitated discussion of selected chapters, led by a member of the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee. She has to prepare the space and the setting to the extent possible; help the group establish ground rules that will keep it moving civilly and comfortably; provide whatever materials are necessary; familiarize herself with the topic; and make sure that any pre-discussion readings or assignments get to participants in plenty of time. Group Work in the Classroom | Resource Pack. Suggestions for Leading Small-Group Discussions, prepared by Lee Haugen, Center for Teaching Excellence, Iowa State University, 1998. There are a number of reasons for this, some practical and some philosophical. Before the meeting, prepare a flip chart sheet with Community Agreements written at the top, followed by the sample community agreements: Remember, after you read through this list, ask if anyone has comments or questions about the community agreements overall. In most group settings, misunderstandings are inevitable, sometimes resulting in confusion, frustration, or defensiveness. Its not an easy task, but it can be extremely rewarding. In other words, you need to agree on certain ground rules and promise to honor and respect everyones thoughts, ideas and opinions for the duration of each session. (1997) Clinical discussion sessions and small groups. Try to think of the last time you had a conversation that was not easy: How did you feel before you began talking? Over-generalize behavior or have stereotypical expectations of participants (tokenism). Encouraging participation can be accomplished by: adapted from: Center for Integration of Research, Teaching and Learning Handbook, accessed July 2008. Usually, that means comfortable furniture that can be moved around (so that, for instance, the group can form a circle, allowing everyone to see and hear everyone else easily). The facilitator can encourage participants making unclear contributions to give examples and factual evidence of their points. If there is an experimentally verified answer, the facilitator can use the opportunity to review the method by which the answer could be determined. S E=dHv>X:)GG8" Its leadership is usually less directive than that of a meeting. There are no right or wrong answers - we want honest, candid opinions. Even where thats not the case, facing the conflict reasonably, and looking at the roots of the ideas on each side, can help to focus on the issue at hand and provide solutions far better than if one side or the other simply operated alone. A group of parents meets to wrestle with their feeling that their school district is shortchanging its students. (2004) Student perceptions of effective small group teaching. Work begins long before you sit for the group discussion. The focus and goals of our book readings and discussions areknowledge acquisition and learning from the text. ", 4. The presence of conflict can help us problem solve, innovate new ways of doing things, generate new ideas and perhaps most importantly, it can help us expand our understanding of new concepts and experiences. Medical Education, 38:286-293. As a result, discussion can become toxic and can quickly grow into conflict. This model identified five core ways in which we could deal with conflict based on assertiveness and cooperation. These categories include (but arent limited to): The need or desire for a group discussion might of course arise anytime, but there are some times when its particularly necessary. That doesnt mean you have to agree with them, but that you have to make sure that they can be expressed, and that discussion of them is respectful, even in disagreement. The facilitator can take a strong position as moderator, preventing participants from interrupting each other or speaking simultaneously. Smaller groups may help put some students at ease. 2. Research & Develop your meeting and workshops skills, Upskill your talent with facilitation skills. An effective discussion group depends on a leader or facilitator who can guide it through an open process the group chooses what its discussing, if not already determined, discusses it with no expectation of particular conclusions, encourages civil disagreement and argument, and makes sure that every member is included and no one dominates. Active listening - Facilitators can paraphrase the message they heard and check out the accuracy of their assumptions before responding. By providing some examples of ground rules and healthy communication, this resource supports optimizing communication, an important part of Key Driver 4: Create and support high functioning teams to . In these circumstances, the leaders ability to identify points of agreement, or to ask the question that will get discussion moving again is crucial to the groups effectiveness. Mute yourself whenever you're not speaking on the current topic. Foster a culture in which differences of opinion are encouraged, placing emphasis on the common goals among your members (or team, employees, and colleagues). Be candid but respectful. Who will take notes, record important points, questions for further discussion, areas of agreement or disagreement? Good listening requires concentration and attention. Discussion prompts may include: . Acknowledge that we are all systematically taught misinformation about our own group and about members of other groups. this discussion guide focuses primarily on the . (8th edition). Develop the script to frame the purpose of the focus. A college class in human services approaches the topic of dealing with reluctant participants. You also may be in a position to lead one, and thats what this section is about. Empower your team by reminding them that they have permission to: ask . stream What surprises or challenges me? Feito, J. Ground rules help a group start and maintain a productive discussion. So lets make sure we are listening 100 percent. Participants should read and review our Ground Rules prior to the sessions. Regardless of the forum, conversations about diversity and inclusion can be difficult. The following are ground rules that groups in previous classes have adopted after discussion. If the group starts to veer in the direction of negativity and/or pointless venting, ask them how they would like to address this. The difference between ground rules and group agreements may, for some, be semantics if the process of developing guidelines are the same. Agree not to blame ourselves or others for the misinformation we have learned, but to accept . Conversation ground rules can be found here. Techniques for Leading Group Discussions, Chapter 16. Is sometimes simply the obvious, or even the only, way to proceed. Johnson, D., &Frank P.(2002). The ground rules of a group discussion are the guidelines that help to keep the discussion on track, and prevent it from deteriorating into namecalling or simply argument. Create an inclusive environment. E.L.M.O stands for "Enough, let's move on" and can be established as a meeting rule to cut unnecessary discussions. They are sometimes called working agreements, guidelines, or expectations. Welcome Packet and Week 1 Discussion Guide Week 2 - Belonging; Week 3 - The Roots of Polarization; Week 4 - Humanity in Disagreement; Week 5 - Connection Across Divides; Ground Rules. Maintain an atmosphere for discussion and analysis of our options. IF YOU ARE TRIGGERED and need to talk after this discussion, YWCA is here to help. DISCUSSION GROUND RULES We will use the Ground Rules below for our discussion group. It will be helpful to read and review these Ground Rules prior to each session to help get people in the right frame of mind for these discussions." (1) We will modify these as a group to meet DEI needs. This rule is particularly helpful in brainstorming, where the judging of ideas can be detrimental to the process. Share, even if you dont have the right words: Suspend judgment and allow others to be unpolished in their speaking. In this last section of a chapter on group facilitation, well examine what it takes to lead a discussion group well, and how you can go about doing it. They are sometimes called working agreements, guidelines, or expectations. What I really hear you saying is. Develop an awareness for barriers for learning (cultural; social; experiential, etc). Generate an agenda or goals for the session. This is a discussion, not a debate. Things will emerge, unplanned situations will arise. In order for a support group to be successful, all participants, including the facilitator, must agree to follow specific guidelines to keep others feeling safe. Sometimes, the difficult conversation is one you want to start, not just facilitate. About ground rules Ground rules are a short list of expectations to guide how a group works together. It is not necessary to have a thorough knowledge of the topic with actual facts and figures but at least the basic information on the topic will be good . Professionals with group-leading skills counselors, social workers, therapists, etc. The exception here is when someone has been chosen by her community or group to represent its point of view in a multi-sector discussion. Respect silence: Dont force yourself to fill silence. Openly and honestly communicate with everyone. Discussion is a powerful mechanism for active learning; a well-facilitated discussion allows the participant to explore new ideas while recognizing and valuing the contributions of others. A variety of points of view are put forward and discussed, The discussion is not dominated by any one person, Arguments, while they may be spirited, are based on the content of ideas and opinions, not on personalities, Even in disagreement, theres an understanding that the group is working together to resolve a dispute, solve a problem, create a plan, make a decision, find principles all can agree on, or come to a conclusion from which it can move on to further discussion. 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