Comments on: How to improve group decision making

By: Alice

Alice — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 13:41:14 +0000

oh and I liked the shitzu comparison! It’s like getting lost in the comfort zone of hazy chatter and imagining that everything’s progressing just fine, only to suddenly wake up and realise your meeting has still left you all out in the cold!

By: Alice

Alice — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 13:39:06 +0000

This is pretty interesting. Group discussions are a wonderful minefield of behaviour patterns – sometimes positive, sometimes deceptively positive, and sometimes obviously negative.

I think when people start talking together in groups, the less structured the group-time is, the more likely they are to slip into comfort zones where they reassure each other by getting into conversations which are inefficient, but subtly supportive and more to do with forming personal bonds than forging ahead with the problem at hand. More rigidly organised groups – for example, those who have a chairperson calling on people in turn and keeping the meeting on-topic – may be more focused but also lose some of the sense of freedom and brainstorming which can produce really wonderful, brilliant but unconventional ideas.

The issue seems to be: how can a group get the best out of individual members while still operating as a dynamic force? I’ve read a pretty interesting solution which splits the time into individual brainstorming followed by a discussion of ideas. I think this is a pretty good start. In general, I think the success of a group depends on how much clarity, intelligence, and direction goes into structuring the group-time.

By: Flapjack

Flapjack — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 12:03:02 +0000

Gary – Is this shihtzu foot therapy in any way related to Shiatzu massage? You could market that idea!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shiatsu_massage

By: Aaris

Aaris — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 05:22:11 +0000

All the groups iv’e worked with, have allways just elected me as the group leader(consiously or subconsiously) I guess I just allways take control of whatever the situation is ( because of how i carry myself they as a group probably think i must know what im talking about). I think when the leader of the group is more in control the group seems to remain on task, and they put in their knowledge in as they proceed through whatever they’re doing. I think its easier to persuade a group of people to do something once you’ve established a bond, then it is to persuade a single person because the individuals in the group dont want to seem distant or boring to the other group members. Iv’e done this before to secretly persuade the group to a final conclusion to get moving on a team project or something. it is better though to have many brains giving ideas, then it is to have one single person trying to come up with something on their own.

I really dont think the pup example really works with this, but ill think about it some more.

By: gary

gary — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 01:40:06 +0000

I wonder if this is the same kind of thing about assumptions that occurs on so many levels with everyone. In a group, individuals behave like group members, because that’s what they feel they’re supposed to do. Group members discuss group topics. I’ve used this to my advantage at University in group discussions lead by students.

Last night my shihtzu was laying on my foot to keep it warm. Due to nerve damage in my foot, I only felt a fraction of the warmth had it been my other foot. About an hour later, I was still enjoying the warmth of my pup, only to see him walk back into the room from the kitchen. My foot instantly felt cold when I looked down.

I was behaving as though the warm shihtzu had been there all along. I actually felt warmth.

Groups are just like that, I think.

By: Nopke

Nopke — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 19:34:14 +0000

Ehehehe … yeah .. meetings proof this … that groups babble a lot without any use (well, it serves the ones that talk ofcourse ..).

I’m not into groups, I always get more out of it when I work it solo .. ehehe …

Groups … humanity … unite … oh, it could have been such a beautifull world … so intelligent … so civilized … but hey …

By: Lyvvie

Lyvvie — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 08:26:46 +0000

You only have to watch The Apprentice to see this is true.

By: Flapjack

Flapjack — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 07:25:59 +0000

Simon – this reminds me a bit of Chuck Jones’ description of brainstorming sessions at Termite Towers… the nickname given to the animation department at Warner Bros during the golden era of Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck etc.
At the start of the meeting all ideas were pitched regardless of quality, and everyone was obliged to do their best to massage them into ideas that had potential, but the way the bad ones were routed out was when the other members of the team found it impossible to make anything worthwhile out of them and they hit a dead end. It’s kind of a Darwinian model where the cream of the ideas rise to the top and the rest die a natural death.
It’s probably slightly different if you’re relying on people for factual information, but it’s an interesting take on it. Whether or not they were just wasting valuable time is a moot point, but Jones reckoned it scored several palpable hits.

By: ScreamingGreenConure

ScreamingGreenConure — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 02:49:20 +0000

Also, check out that guy’s name. Mesmer-Magnus. Really? Seriously? Wow. I wish I had an awesome name like that.

By: ScreamingGreenConure

ScreamingGreenConure — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 02:46:53 +0000

I don’t think they mean the entire group listening to only one or two people. I think they mean each and every person in the group contributing knowledge not shared by the rest of the group, so that everyone gains new stuff, instead of each person in the group just discussing only things that the rest of the group already knows. So with the boating example, everyone in the group already knows what a sail is, so they ignore that. One person knows about rudders, one knows about hulls, one knows about, um, oars… I can’t think of any more bits of boat, but you get the idea.
Presumably each person would still have to present evidence for their unique knowledge. The day is saved for critical thinking!