If you are the leader of a group discussion, there are a number of challenges you will have to face. Being able to successfully overcome these challenges will mean the difference between the success and failure of your group.
In this article, I will go over these challenges, and I will present strategies that can allow you to overcome them. The biggest challenges that you will face in group discussions are avoiding put-downs, connecting solutions, listening for data, and summarizing ideas. Being able to overcome these challenges will bring about successful group discussions.
Avoding put-downs are extremely important. Put-downs occur when members of the group ridicule the ideas that are presented by other members. When this happens, it can slow down the productivity of the group, and can stop other members for voicing their own ideas or solutions. One way to solve this problem is to make it clear at the beginning of the discussion that no put-downs are allowed. Let the members know that if they do not agree with an idea that has been presented, come up with a better idea and present it in a way that does not humiliate the person that they are in disagreement with.
Another way to avoid put-downs is to let members know that you appreciate their hard work. This will make the confident, and will encourage them to work harder. The next challenge that you will want to overcome is the connecting solutions or ideas. The goal of most group discussion is to solve a problem. This is especially true for companies that are trying to develop marketing strategies. In order for them to succeed, it is important for members to make connections regarding the information that is discussed. One common problem that is seen in group discussion is members who create new ideas instead of adding to an idea that has been presented by another member.
Often, these ideas will not be related to the other ideas that were raised. This is problematic, because a group will not be able to come up with a relevant solution to a problem if the members keep generating new ideas without building on them. In the best group discussions, a few members will come up with some good ideas,and other members will contribute to it instead of producing new ideas. When this happens, a powerful solution to a problem can be developed. To solve this problem, the leader can ask one member to give their opinion on an idea or solution that can be used to solve the problem. Once they have presented their idea or solution, the leader can call on all the other members to respond to the idea without creating something new.
The next challenge that you will want to focus on is listening for information or data. This is a challenge that logically follows making connections between ideas. It is important for the members to be able to summarize the information they have learned. When the members are able to summarize the information, this can help the group reach a decision on an idea or course of action. Summarizing information can be difficult if members have not been properly trained. In a nutshell, they will need to go over the central idea of the discussion and summarize any points that have been brought up.
It is also important for all members to listen for important ideas. This is the last challenge that must be overcome. When everyone is attentive, they will be able to respond to ideas by adding relevant concepts that can better allow the group to solve a problem. If the members are not listening to the ideas that are being presented, they will not be able to respond to them effectively, and this can reduce the ability of the group to come up with relevant ideas.
A good way to make sure the members are listening to others is to have a person read the text out loud, and then call on the other members randomly to make sure they understand what is being discussed. This will ensure that they are paying attention during the discussion.
Once you are able to overcome these challenges, your group discussion will be effective, and you will be able to develop excellent solutions that can be used to solve a problem.
Posted in Labels: Group Discussion Challenges