Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Week 6 - Discussion 1 - Consultants
It is important to use an observer or outside consultant in small groups in order to measure how well the group works together. As the book states, it is very hard to both observer and participate, and therefore it is important to use an outside source. This outside source can provide notes on how well the each participant performs his or her task, but also evaluate the levels on which the group excels or lacks as far as participating as a single entity and not just individual opinions or ideas. Similarly, feedback from an outside observer can offer valuable information on the group’s performance of specific tasks, whether its taking minutes, letting everyone speak, diversity within the group, key roles such as task-masters, leaders, and secretaries, and of course whether or not the group is staying focused on the end-goal or if they’re getting off-topic and not really getting much accomplished. Specific feedback from the observer or consultant is also important, so that the group can actually use the feedback in order to evolve how the group operates.
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I agree with you that it is important to have an observer in small groups. While I find a facilitator important and in some cases necessary, I feel that an observer is able to help more in small groups. As an observer you have more freedom to express what you feel. I took a class where we learned how to facilitate difficult conversations in small groups; I found it to be so difficult to be able to not take sides. I agree with what you say about observers being a, “outside source can provide notes on how well the each participant performs his or her task, but also evaluate the levels on which the group excels or lacks as far as participating as a single entity and not just individual opinions or ideas.” This was a nice topic to think about when it comes to small groups.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your initial statement offered for why an observer or outside consultant is important and agree that it is to measure how well a group is working together. Also the part you got from the book is something I found very interesting/ important myself. It is hard to be both a member of the group and an observer and that is one reason why people get outside observers to evaluate the group. Lastly I thought the most important part was how you mentioned that the feedback from the observer or consultant is important because that is what the group is going to use to get better.
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