Seek first to understand, then to be understood. This is the new edition of the award-winning guide to social justice education. Justice, T., and Jamieson, D. (1998). Even after youve wrapped up the discussion, youre not necessarily through. A representative . A group of two or three generally doesn't need a leader to have a good discussion, but once the number reaches five or six, a leader or facilitator can often be helpful. If such conflicts are left ambiguous, they may cause continuing trouble. DISCUSSION GROUND RULES We will use the Ground Rules below for our discussion group. 1. Use headphones or a headset. Is sometimes simply the obvious, or even the only, way to proceed. Group and Organizational Studies, vol. Rather, were saying that the presence of that conflict can lead to something good. Elevate meetings and workshops from the bottom-up by giving your talents the skills to run productive and engaging meetings in any situation. In this section of the toolkit, we provide guidance on identifying leaders in your branch who can take on the role of diversity officer and shepherd the process of creating a diversity and inclusion plan. Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument (TKI), Clarke University Tips for Managing Conflict, UC Berkeley Resolving Conflict Situations, Group Dynamics for Teams by Daniel Levi, Chapter 7: Managing Conflict, TeacherVision: Conflict Resolution Activities, Conflict Resolution Activities: Effective Ideas for Classrooms, KidsHealth in the Classroom: Conflict Resolution, Negotiation and Conflict Resolution Activities, The Big Book of Conflict Resolution Games: Quick, Effective Activities to Improve Communication, Trust, and Collaboration, Conflict Management Exercises and Activities to Use With Your Team, Sesame Street: Helping Kids Resolve Conflicts, Conflict Resolution: Using the Interest-Based Relational Approach. Then, ask if the participants have any to add. Turn off/silence all cell phones, blackberries, etc. Weekly Discussion Guides. After proposing this list of ground rules, give people time to digest them, to talk about them, to understand them. Respect your spouse's privacy - During your Group . Its less formal, and may have no time constraints, or structured order, or agenda. We support, encourage and admonish each other towards Christ-likeness and always speaking in love. Listen to each other. As a result, discussion can become toxic and can quickly grow into conflict. Respect silence: Dont force yourself to fill silence. "Notice your own defensive reactions and attempt to use these reactions as entry points for gaining deeper self-knowledge.". Go over constructive and destructive group behaviors at the start of the course / workshop. The "3x3 Rule" says that everyone should wait until 3 other people have spoken, or 3 minutes have passed before speaking again. "Be the crew, not the passenger" highlights the value of actively contributing to the meeting (crew), instead of falling back into the role of an observer (passenger). If youre committed to a non-directive style, but you tend to want to control everything in a situation, you may have to learn some new behaviors in order to act on your beliefs. Conducting the Focus Group Session, Continued Ground Rules (1-2 minutes) This session will take approximately [2 hours]. Leading an effective group discussion takes preparation (if you have the opportunity for it), an understanding of and commitment to an open process, and a willingness to let go of your ego and biases. Author: Lisa Hinz, Extension educator, leadership and civic engagement. There may actually be no need for one, in that the goal may simply be to discuss an issue or idea. All members of the group have a chance to speak, expressing their own ideas and feelings freely, and to pursue and finish out their thoughts, All members of the group can hear others ideas and feelings stated openly, Group members can safely test out ideas that are not yet fully formed. Keep discussions focused. Uphold confidentiality: Treat the candor of others as a gift. Push yourself to be open to new ideas and experiences even if they initially seem uncomfortable to you. Some Thoughts on Establishing Ground Rules "All the literature on classroom management considers setting groups rules essential (Baldwin, 1997-1998; Ballantine & Risacher, 1993; Boice, 1996; Brooks, 1987; Feldmann, 2001; Gonzalez & Lopez, 2001 . Request that if participants challenge others ideas, they back it up with evidence, appropriate experiences, and/or appropriate logic. Follow the agenda. 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. Undiscussable issues are those issues that are on everyones mind, but no one is able to bring them forwards. 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. _____________________________, Library Book Discussion Series, Fall2021. A group of two or three generally doesnt need a leader to have a good discussion, but once the number reaches five or six, a leader or facilitator can often be helpful. Second, each person has to share his style with the group. Get together with people around the world to develop your skills in leading successful meetings and workshops in a one-of-a-kind online learning experience. Having pre-established guidelines can also help decide how to address difficult situations (Cornell Center for Teaching Innovation, 2020). Ground rules (also known as group agreements) help create these feelings from the start. DISCUSSION GROUND RULES We will use the Ground Rules below for our discussion group. Another is to ask to hold your opinion until the end of the discussion, so as not to influence anyones thinking while its going on. Meeting rules covering time management listening and record outcomes. Respect Differences? Mitchell, B. and Cornelia Gamlem. 5 Questions to Get the Diversity & Inclusion Conversation Started in Your Organization. This list is not a complete list! As explained in the opening paragraphs of this section, group discussions are common in a democratic society. 2. Deferring - Often, the best strategy is to invite participants to come up after the session and arrange for a time to talk about the disagreement further, and then move the discussion on to another topic. Strickland, Tessa, Kate DePalma, and David Dean. If youre asked a direct question, you might want to answer it if its a question of fact and you know the answer, and if its relevant to the discussion. Then she has to guide the discussion, being careful to promote an open process; involve everyone and let no one dominate; attend to the personal issues and needs of individual group members when they affect the group; summarize or clarify when appropriate; ask questions to keep the discussion moving, and put aside her own agenda, ego, and biases. The chances are that, like most of us, you fall somewhere in between the extremes of the leader who sets the agenda and dominates the group completely, and the leader who essentially leads not at all. "Let go of personal anecdotal evidence and look at broader societal patterns. Openness - Be at ease. 1. 1. Writing participants comments on the whiteboard. Step up, step back: If you usually speak up often or you find yourself talking more than others, challenge yourself to lean in to listening and opening up space for others. However, any class can benefit from ground rules that set expectations for respectful dialogue. University of Queensland: Designing Culturally Inclusive Environments, accessed July 2008. www.tedi.uq.edu.au/cdip, The Harriet W. Sheridan Center for Teaching and Learning, Course Development Funds for Remote-accessible (REM) Courses, Graduate Student Proctorship in Academic Administration, Seminar for Transformation Around Anti-Racist Teaching, Sheridan-RISD Museum Collaborative Workshop Series, Guidelines for Assessing Student Learning, A Guide to the Writing Support (WSUP) Flag for Faculty, http://academics.georgiasouthern.edu/ijsotl/v1n1/feito/ij_feito.htm, What do the participants bring to the group? Here are several solid ground rules for virtual meetings: 1. 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. This is not meant to make you the expert, but rather to allow you to ask good questions that will help the group generate ideas. 1. It is important to ensure that the response is rational and balanced and deals with the conflict in an efficient way so we can restore our focus on the task at hand. 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. Each session will be a facilitated discussion of selected chapters, led by a member of the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee. Maths in Our School Environment for Junior & Senior Infants Booklet. Its much closer to acting as a facilitator, but not exactly the same as that either. 3. All of these might be examples of group discussions, although they have different purposes, take place in different locations, and probably run in different ways. This is true for everyone, regardless of our group (s). This causes friction because everyone's experience and expertise are different. Boyce, K. (2002). In general, meetings are better if more people participate and take responsibility for discussions and decisions. Whenever you hope to facilitate conversations on social justice concerns, whether preparing for a one-hour workshop or weaving such discussions into a year-long class, a vital first step is the development of guidelines for participation. Locating - Facilitators can ask the questioner to explain the context behind the question. 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 . A college class in human services approaches the topic of dealing with reluctant participants. If you have the luxury of choosing your space, you might look for someplace thats comfortable and informal. You might present an agenda for approval, and change it as the group requires, or you and the group can create one together. 1. . Stone, D., Patton, B., and Sheila Heen., Difficult Conversations: How to discuss what matters most. Alternatively, you may wish to reframe their comments, making them viable additions to the discussion. Provide the rules in writing. No stalkers or cyberspace lurks allowed. If you can do these things, the chances are you can become a discussion leader that can help groups achieve the results they want. Once ground rules are clarified, leaders should confirm with the group that these rules will guide the discussion. Ground rules clarify expectations for behavior in the meeting. Participations often fall into patterns of using language that generalizes assumptions and opinions for everyone. Suggestions for Leading Small-Group Discussions, prepared by Lee Haugen, Center for Teaching Excellence, Iowa State University, 1998. Give all participants a voice- at the start highlight the value of a diversity of perspectives as an essential part of the process. Come to the meeting with a positive attitude. If youve been the recorder, you might want to put the notes from the session in order, type them up, and send them to participants. If participants are simply trying to embarrass the facilitator, they may seek to make him or her defensive with such comments as, How do you really know that? or Youre not really saying that? Such questions can be handled by playing boomerang. Poster. It wont hurt to think beforehand about how you want to handle it. Usually, a group discussion will be based around a central topic. Involve students in the creation of guidelines. Be solution-focused. "Discuss undiscussable issues" gives participants permission to address these challenges, because they are for the benefit of the whole group. ( Cornell Center for Teaching Excellence, Iowa State University, 1998 it up with evidence, appropriate experiences and/or... May cause continuing trouble, making them viable additions to the discussion own defensive reactions and to. Gives participants permission to address difficult situations ( Cornell Center for Teaching Excellence, Iowa State University, 1998,. Evidence, appropriate experiences, and/or appropriate logic around the world to develop your skills in leading meetings... Discussion will be based around a ground rules for group discussion topic open to new ideas and even! Has to share his style with the group services approaches the topic of dealing with reluctant.! Be open to new ideas and experiences even if they initially seem uncomfortable you. This is true for everyone. `` give all participants a voice- at the start the. Stone, D., Patton, B., and Jamieson, D. ( 1998 ) of...: 1 get the Diversity & Inclusion Conversation Started in your Organization all participants a voice- the. 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