Project Introduction
The specific purpose of this project is to educate facilitators in communication theory using the functional perspective and groupthink. This project synthesizes current research pertaining to communication patterns linked with effective and ineffective group decision-making and connects each piece with the theory it supports. It also provides facilitation tools and techniques rooted in these research-backed theories in order to inform effective group decision-making. As an organization, Higher Ground spends a majority of the year leading activities that focus on relationship building, problem solving and challenge. In ORGL 518, Transforming Leadership, the author (Higher Ground Program Director) created a plan for staff development that was enacted in January of 2017. This project is the next step in development. The staff of Higher Ground, USA are contracted employees that have other full- or part-time jobs, families and/or community responsibilities in varying locations across the Northwest Georgia and Northeast Alabama area. Getting employees together for an unpaid training is difficult. Most of Higher Ground’s staff training happens on the job for this reason.
Importance of the Project
The
specific purpose of this project is to educate facilitators in
communication theory: The Functional Perspective and Groupthink. Then,
to synthesize current research pertaining to communication patterns
linked with effective and ineffective group decision-making, connecting
each piece with the theory it supports. Lastly, to provide facilitation
tools and techniques rooted in the research-backed theories in order to
instigate effective group decision-making. As an organization, Higher
Ground spends a majority of the year leading activities that focus on
relationship building, problem solving and challenge. In ORGL 518,
Transforming Leadership, the author (Higher Ground Program Director)
created a plan for staff development that was enacted in January of
2017. This project is the next step in development. The staff of Higher
Ground, USA are contracted employees that have other full- or part-time
jobs, families and/or community responsibilities in varying locations
across the Northwest Georgia and Northeast Alabama area. Getting
employees together for an unpaid training is difficult. Most of Higher
Ground’s staff training happens on the job for this reason.
This project incorporates mixed media and print into the project. There are instructional videos, scholarly articles for reference, summarized studies with real-life application questions and ideas as well as links to further reading and research to broaden their knowledge. Some of this is original content developed during this semester, while other pieces are resources that were found and made readily available. Instructors that complete this curriculum will begin and end simultaneously so that it can be front-loaded and debriefed as a whole, although the curriculum itself will be self-guided.
This project meets the COML 602 Handbook criteria for training and consulting. This is “A developed portfolio of training materials and consulting strategies for working in organizational and adult learner settings” (Caputo, 2017). The portfolio is in the form of a website and will be distributed to instructing staff at Higher Ground, USA. There will be a beginning and an ending to this training that the author will facilitate as the Program Director of the organization. This project will be presented with supplemental information about its intended use during the allotted oral presentation time.
Design Question
This
project will answer the question: How do you teach facilitators to A)
identify communication patterns and constraints of small groups and B)
facilitate effective decision-making?
Definitions of Terms Used
Here are some of the most pertinent terms used in the chapters that follow that merit defining.
Facilitate and Facilitator: To facilitate is defined as to make easier. A facilitator is someone who takes on the role of guiding others through a process and determining to make it easier for them.
Small Group: a number of people working together to reach a common goal. Usually less than 20 people in the case of Higher Ground small groups.
Hard and Soft Skills: Hard skills are technical in nature and have a right and wrong technique for completing them. Physical safety is effected by a facilitator’s hard skills. Soft skills are relational and conversational in nature and are learned through observation and experience; there is not a right or wrong technique to be prescribed. Emotional safety is effected by a facilitator’s soft skills.