Co-operative: Home Options In Childhood Education

C:HOICE homeschoolers' guidelines for effective group work

page 2 - EFFECTIVE GROUP WORK (communication, decision-making and action) depends on active listening, clear speaking, and respect for each person.

APPROACH AS AN ALLY	ADVERSARIAL APPROACH
same side of the fence	opposite side of the fence
people seen as resources	people seen as obstacles
willingness to co-operate	lack of flexibility
concerns	objections
common ground	rejection
"How can we make this work?"	"That won't work"
"power-with" strength	"power-over" struggle

DECISION-MAKING

VOTE OR CONSENSUS

Reaching a group decision by vote can appear to be more efficient than trying to find consensus. It really depends on how the pre-decision discussion is led: if only the more vocal members are heard and they're kept to a time limit, it can be less time-consuming than consensus. In that scenario, however, issues are more likely to be squelched than resolved. "Efficiency" doesn't necessarily result in "effectiveness." A group is more effective - that is, it has more power to achieve desired results - if it's not plagued by unresolved interpersonal conflicts.

Reaching consensus is a daunting proposition only when people adopt an adversarial stance. Then they're likely to get stuck in seemingly irreconcilable camps, no matter how long they keep "discussing" (read: arguing).

Following the suggested approach, however, leads relatively easily to a point at which an option can be agreed upon - not because it satisfies everyone completely, but because everyone has been given the means to find their way from their own individual zone of discomfort to a compromise they can feel comfortable with.

The possibility always exists that someone could block a consensus decision indefinitely if they can't find enough inner flexibility to compromise and work with rather than against others. It might then be appropriate to allow for a combination process, whereby consensus is sought for as long as possible, but voting determines the final decision.

ACTION

Once a decision is reached, it needs an action plan to be effective:

what needs to be done (list tasks)
who does each task
when each task should be completed
co-ordinating all tasks with effective and timely communication.

Being organized requires neither regimentation nor hierarchy. An action plan simply outlines the ways in which individual efforts need to move if they are to enhance those of others rather than block them. It's the practical dimension of the approach we've been describing: clarity and respect as the basis for EFFECTIVE GROUP WORK.

Effective Group Work - page 2 of 2 - copyright 1997-2001 by Marian Buchanan - authored for C:HOICE homeschooling group, based on approaches used in the field of mediation. Use of this approach is encouraged. To this end, you may reproduce this handout as long as it remains complete and unaltered and includes this copyright notice. Go to printable version. Go to page 1.

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