Speaking in
Small Groups
Chapter Objectives
After reading this chapter, students should be able to:
1. Provide definitions of a small group and a problem–solving small group.
2. Identify the four kinds of leadership that may occur in a small group.
3. Distinguish among the procedural needs, task needs, and maintenance needs of a
small group.
4. Explain the five major responsibilities of every participant in a small group.
5. Identify the five stages of the reflective–thinking process and discuss the major tasks
of a group at each stage.
6. Explain the methods for presenting orally the findings of a small group.
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b. For each item on both worksheets, students should enter the difference between their indi-
vidual ranking or group ranking and the NASA ranking. It makes no difference which rank-
ing is higher. For example, if the individual or group ranking is 12 and the NASA ranking
is 8, the difference is 4. Likewise, if the individual ranking is 8 and the NASA ranking is
12, the difference is 4.
c. The total score for each worksheet is figured by adding all the numbers in the “Differ-
ence” column on each sheet.
Fourth, have students compare their individual scores with the group score. Also have
students compare the average individual score of all members of each group with the group
score. In almost every case the group’s score will be better—closer to NASA’s rankings—
than either the individual scores or the average individual score of the group’s members.
Fifth, conduct a general class discussion of the results and of the decision–making proce-
dures used in the groups.
Discussion: This is an excellent exercise to acquaint students with the processes and
2. Have students perform the “Hostages” exercise, as follows:*
First, divide the class into groups of 4 to 6 members, and have each member complete the
“Hostages” Individual Worksheet on pages 300–301. Allow 10 minutes for this part of the
exercise.
Second, have each group discuss their individual answers and try to reach a consensus
ranking of the eight hostages. Each group should complete the “Hostages” Group Worksheet
on page 302. Allow 20 minutes for this part of the exercise.
Third, have each group report its rankings to the rest of the class. Afterward, conduct a gen-
eral class discussion of the results and of the decision-making procedures used in the groups.
Discussion: Like “Lost on the Moon,” this is an excellent exercise to acquaint students with
*Adapted from Anne L. Haehl, “Adapting to Non–Traditional Students,” Speech Communication
Teacher (Winter 1988), 12–13.
CHAPTER 20—SPEAKING IN SMALL GROUPS 295
3. Assign students the Twelve Angry Men group consultation project, as follows:*
First, divide the class into groups of 5 to 6 members. The task of each group is to view
the classic film Twelve Angry Men, which revolves around the efforts of eleven members of a
jury in a murder trial to convince one member to change his “not guilty” vote to “guilty.” The
film dramatizes many of the aspects of small–group discussion covered in the textbook, in-
cluding the kinds and functions of leadership, interpersonal conflict, hidden agendas, and the
creation of consensus. Because the film is 96 minutes long, each group will have to arrange a
time to view it out of class.
Second, give each group the following instructions: For this assignment, your group is to
act as a consultant to the jury in the movie Twelve Angry Men. The purpose of this assign-
ment is for you to demonstrate your knowledge of group processes by evaluating a group’s
decision making. There is no single correct answer to this assignment. Your task as a group is
to demonstrate that you understand and can apply the concepts of small–group discussion pre-
sented in the textbook and in class.
Third, have each group consider the following questions in its analysis:
a. What are the strengths of the group portrayed in Twelve Angry Men?
b. What are the weaknesses of the group?
c. What kinds of leadership does the group demonstrate?
d. What role do hidden agendas play in the deliberations of the group?
e. If you were the leader of the group, what would you do to eliminate some of its interper-
sonal conflict?
f. Who are the most effective communicators in the group? The least effective? Why?
g. How could the group improve its decision making and problem solving?
Fourth, conduct a general class discussion in which each group reports a summary of its
deliberations and recommendations. Use the discussion to illustrate points about speaking in
problem–solving s mall groups.
Discussion: This assignment is particularly valuable in helping students understand the
*Adapted from Bruce C. McKinney, “The Group Process and ‘Twelve Angry Men,’” Speech
Communication Teacher (Winter 1990).
296 CHAPTER–BY–CHAPTER GUIDE TO THE ART OF PUBLIC SPEAKING
4. Divide the class into groups of 5 to 6 students each and distribute the Classroom Speech
Deliberation Worksheet from page 303 of this manual. The task of each group is to review
the previous round of classroom speeches according to the questions on the worksheet and to
provide constructive suggestions to help improve the next round. Have each group present its
thinking in a panel discussion.
Discussion: This assignment can be a helpful way to integrate group discussion into a public
5. If you assign students a major group project that requires work outside of class, have them
prepare a 2– to 3–page written report on the deliberations of their group. To guide their writ-
ing of the report, students should follow the Group Discussion Self–Assessment, which ap-
pears on page 304 of this manual.
Discussion: This assignment helps students think critically about their small–group expe-
6. As in the preceding assignment, encourage students to keep a journal of their group’s deliber-
ations. The journal should note what happens at each meeting and what developments take
place over time as the group works on its project. When the project is completed, have each
student turn in a Group Discussion Participant Evaluation Worksheet (page 297) assessing
the work of each participant in the group other than himself or herself.
Discussion: This is an alternative to the detailed evaluation called for in the preceding Addi-
297
Group Discussion Participant Evaluation Worksheet
Person being evaluated
Your name Group
For each item, circle the number that best reflects your evaluation of the participant’s contribu-
tion to the group.
P F A G E Appeared committed to the goals of the group
P F A G E Participated frequently in group deliberations
P F A G E Comments were clear, relevant, and helpful
P F A G E Carried out individual assignments promptly
P F A G E Assisted with procedural leadership functions
P F A G E Assisted with task leadership functions
P F A G E Assisted with maintenance leadership functions
P F A G E Avoided interpersonal conflict with group members
P F A G E Encouraged participation by other group members
P F A G E Helped keep discussion on track
P F A G E Overall contribution in comparison to other group members
Comments: (this space must be filled in)
poor
fair
average
good
excellent
298
“Lost on the Moon” Individual Worksheet
Instructions:
Your spaceship has just crash–landed on the lighted surface of the moon. You were scheduled to
rendezvous with a command ship 200 miles away, also on the lighted side of the moon, but the
rough landing has ruined your ship and destroyed all the equipment on board, except for the 12
items listed below.
Your crew’s survival depends on reaching the command ship, so you must choose the most
critical items available for the 200–mile trip. Your task is to rank the 12 items according to their
importance in allowing your crew to survive the 200–mile journey to the command ship. In the
column titled “Your rank,” place the number 1 by the most important item, the number 2 by the
second most important item, and so on through number 12, the least important.
You have 10 minutes to complete this worksheet.
Your rank
NASA rank
Difference
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“Lost on the Moon” Group Worksheet
Instructions:
Your task is to reach a consensus ranking of the 12 items needed to survive the journey to the
command ship 200 miles away. This means that the ranking for each of the 12 items should be
agreed upon by each member of the group before it becomes a part of the group’s decision. Here
are some guides to use in reaching consensus:
1. Don’t argue stubbornly for your own point of view just because it is yours. Listen to other
members of the group and be willing to change your views on the basis of reason and logic.
2. On the other hand, don’t change your mind simply to avoid disagreement. Seek out differences
of opinion and try to get every member involved in the decision-making process. The more in-
formation you have, the better chance you will have of making a sound decision.
3. Avoid such techniques as majority vote, averaging, flipping coins, and bargaining.
After your group has reached consensus on how to rank the 12 items, fill in the “Group rank”
column below. You have 25 minutes to complete this phase of the exercise.
Item
Your rank
NASA rank
Difference
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300
“Hostages” Individual Worksheet
Instructions:
A plane has been hijacked! The hijackers offer to release four passengers to the U.S. embassy. In
return for this gesture, the government of a neutral country will agree to allow the plane to land at
its airport and refuel.
The captors insist, however, that U.S. authorities select the four to be released from the fol-
lowing list. The president has given your group the job of making the selection. If you do not
select the people, the hijackers are perfectly willing to allow the plane to run out of gas and crash,
killing all passengers. You must reach a decision by consensus, and you must do so within the
next half hour.
You may assume the terrorists are honest about releasing those who are chosen to be re-
leased. You do not know what will happen to those who remain on the plane, but given what is
known about this particular terrorist group, you expect most or all of the remaining hostages
probably will die.
Quickly rank the following passengers in the order in which you would choose them to be
released. In the column titled “Your rank,” place the number 1 by the hostage you would save
first, the number 2 by the one you would save second, and so on through number 8, the hostage
you would save last.
You have 10 minutes to complete this part of the exercise, after which you will discuss the
matter with your group and reach an agreement.
Hostages
Your rank
1. Brenda Jones, age 27, has three children by three different fathers, none of
whom she has married. She loves her children, however, and has resolved to
get her life together for the children’s sake. Her mother is caring for them so
Brenda can attend a six-week training program for women who lack job skills.
_________
2. Fr. John O’Brien, 65 years old, is in excellent health. A Roman Catholic priest,
he has dedicated his life to working with the poor in an inner–city ghetto. He is
taking this flight to arrange for funding and personnel that will enable him to
set up a program to carry on his life’s work after he becomes unable to work.
Should he die at this time, the work probably will end.
_________
3. Juan Garcia is 45. He has a history of heart trouble and might not survive the
stress of a prolonged hostage situation. He is a wealthy businessman whose
estate would easily provide for his wife and three young children, even if he
should die in the hijacking. His business, however, which has employed and
given dignity to many Hispanic people, probably would fold without his vision
and drive, putting many people out of work who will not be able to find jobs.
_________
301
Hostages
Your rank
4. Elijah Brown is 52. He did time in jail for armed robbery. Since his release
two years ago, he has worked hard, gone to school part time, and supported
his invalid wife and youngest child (the only one remaining at home). There
would be no money to provide for his family in the event of his death.
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5. Betsy Bates, 29, is a well-known and successful model. Married a little over a
year to rock star Duke, she has just found out that she is pregnant, a discovery
she views with mixed feelings.
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6. Congresswoman Jan Perkins is 47. Widowed young, when her husband died
in the crash of an Air Force plane while on a diplomatic mission for the State
Department, she has devoted her life to politics. She has been an effective and
eloquent worker for peace and for the rights of women and minorities. Her
death would be a crushing emotional blow to her elderly parents, though she
has provided for them financially in her will. Perkins is widely seen as the
most likely candidate for the first woman President of the United States.
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7. D. B. Calhoun is 43. Little is known about him, except that he is a very
bigoted person with an unstable employment history. He reads Soldier of
Fortune and similar magazines, and dreams about being a mercenary. It is
quite possible that he will try some hostile action against the hijackers and
ruin any chance of getting the remaining hostages out alive.
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8. Andrea Ohms, at 19, is already a distinguished pianist, having started per-
forming professionally at age 8. Her performances give immense pleasure to
thousands of people around the world. She is engaged to be married.
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302
“Hostages” Group Worksheet
Instructions:
Your task is to reach a consensus ranking of the four hostages to be released by the terrorists. This
means that the ranking for each of the four should be agreed upon by each member of the group
before it becomes part of the group decision. Here are some guidelines to use in reaching consensus.
1. Don’t argue stubbornly for your own point of view just because it is yours. Listen to other
members of the group and be willing to change your views on the basis of reason and logic.
2. On the other hand, don’t change your mind simply to avoid disagreement. Seek differences of
opinion and try to get every member involved in the decision–making process. The more in-
formation you have, the better chance you will have of making a sound decision.
3. Avoid such techniques as majority vote, averaging, flipping coins, and bargaining.
After your group has reached consensus on how to rank the hostages, fill in the “group rank”
column below. You have 20 minutes to complete this phase of the exercise.
Hostage Group Rank
1. Brenda Jones ___________
2. Fr. John O’Brien ___________
3. Juan Garcia ___________
4. Elijah Brown ___________
5. Betsy Bates ___________
6. Jan Perkins ___________
7. D. B. Calhoun ___________
8. Andrea Ohms ___________
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Classroom Speech Deliberation Worksheet
Your group’s task is to review the previous round of classroom speeches by answering the questions
below. Try to reach consensus in your answers, and make sure you provide constructive suggestions
to help improve the next round of speeches. Present your group’s recommendations in a panel–
discussion, which is described on page 387 of your textbook.
a. How well did the class as a whole perform in narrowing their topics and adapting their speeches
to this audience?
• Were specific purposes sharply defined? Were they too broad? Too narrow? Too technical?
Too trivial?
• Which speeches were especially well adapted to the background, knowledge, and interests of
the audience? What methods of audience adaptation were used in these speeches?
• What advice would you give to the class about audience analysis and adaptation for the
next round of speeches?
b. How well did the class as a whole perform in the area of speech organization?
• Which introductions worked especially well? Why?
• Which conclusions were particularly effective? Why?
• Did speeches follow a clear method of organization? Which speeches were especially
strong in this respect?
• Did speakers make effective use of connectives to help listeners follow their ideas?
Which speeches stood out in this regard?
• What advice would you give to the class about organization for the next round of speeches?
c. How well did the class as a whole use supporting materials in this round of speeches?
• Which speakers made especially good use of examples? What made their use of exam-
ples so effective?
• Which speakers made especially good use of statistics? What made their use of statistics
so effective?
• Which speakers made especially good use of testimony? What made their use of testimo-
ny so effective?
• What advice would you give to the class about the use of supporting materials in the next
round of speeches?
d. How well did the class as a whole deliver this round of speeches?
• Did speakers sound fluid, confident, and conversational?
• Did speakers manage their notes effectively and establish strong eye contact with listeners?
• Did speakers avoid distracting mannerisms? Did they use gestures to help communicate
their ideas?
• Did speakers use visual aids effectively? Which speeches were especially noteworthy in
this respect?
• What advice would you give to the class about delivery in the next round of speeches?
304
Group Discussion Self–Assessment
Your task is to reach a full, objective assessment of the major strengths and weaknesses of your
small group and of your performance in the group. Write a thoughtful, objective evaluation in
full–sentence and paragraph form with an introduction and a conclusion.
Use the following questions to guide your self–assessment, though you do not need to answer
each question individually in your paper. Be specific and concrete in your comments.
Leadership
Did your group have a designated leader?
If you did not have a designated leader, what kind of leadership developed in the group?
Which members were most effective in meeting the group’s procedural needs?
Which members were most effective in meeting the group’s task needs?
Which members were most effective in meeting the group’s maintenance needs?
Responsibilities of Group Members
How fully did members commit themselves to the goals of the group?
How well did members carry out their individual assignments?
Did the group avoid interpersonal conflict by keeping disagreement at the task level?
Did vocal members encourage full participation by other members of the group?
Did group members work to keep discussion on track?
Use of the Reflective–Thinking Method
Did the group define the question for discussion clearly?
Did the group analyze the problem thoroughly before attempting to map out solutions?
Did the group establish criteria for an ideal solution?
Did the group brainstorm to generate a wide range of potential solutions?
Did the group evaluate each potential solution in light of the criteria for an ideal solution?
Did the group make a determined effort to reach consensus about the best solution?
Did the group achieve consensus? Why or why not?
Overall Evaluation
Are you satisfied with the work of the group and with your role in the group?
If the group were to start its project over again, what changes would you recommend to help
the group work more effectively? Be specific.