• Planning helps ensure the meeting is useful; it defines the purpose of the meeting, which
might include the following:
• Develop the meeting agenda, which is a structured, written outline that guides
communication among meeting participants by showing which topics will be discussed, in
what order, and (often) for how long.
CONDUCTING MEETINGS
• Begin by clarifying the meeting’s purposes and anticipated outcomes.
• Ensure that participants are acquainted with each other and understand each other’s roles
and responsibilities.
• Carefully manage the group’s communication so that everyone sticks to the agenda, or
redirect as needed.
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conversation, suggest covering it in a separate meeting. Encourage the group members to
help manage the discussion by keeping track of time, speaking up when the discussion gets
FOLLOWING UP AND EVALUATING MEETINGS
• Within 24 hours of a meeting, send meeting minutes—a written record of the discussion,
actions, and decisions—to everyone who attended and to anyone who did not attend but
needs to know what happened.
CLASS DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. How does groupthink influence decision making? Are there times when a group
leader might want to encourage groupthink? If so, give an example.
• Discuss how groupthink is common in our society. Remind students of how sports
2. How do the types of tasks assigned to a group or the nature of the group influence
the type of leadership the group needs to be effective? Think of a group that you
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were a member of that was ineffective. What type of leader did that group have?
Would a different type of leader have made the group more effective? If so, why?
• Discuss with students how an important part of a group’s formation is ensuring the
3. Explain the importance of communication in being an effective leader. Give an
example of a leader who has demonstrated effective communication as a leader.
Explain your choice.
• Allow students to share their examples. As students discuss their effective leaders, list
4. Give an example of a time when you were a member of a group that experienced
conflict. Which of the two types of group conflict discussed in the text was it? Was
the conflict handled effectively? Did the group’s leader play a part in finding a
solution to the conflict? What would you have done differently if you had been the
leader?
5. Discuss the four guidelines given in the textbook for effective group brainstorming.
Describe what could go wrong with brainstorming if the group doesn’t follow these
guidelines.
• Discuss the guidelines of effective brainstorming. Have students participate in a quick
brainstorming activity while focusing on the guidelines to demonstrate the possibilities.
VIDEO SCENARIOS
HOW TO COMMUNICATE: HANDLING COMPLAINTS
This video feature shows students competent communication skills in action based on the
scenario following. The first video illustrates an ideal outcome, whereas the What if?
challenges prompt them to apply their own skills to times when their communication partner is
more difficult. To access the videos, go to macmillanhighered.com/choicesconnections2e.
Assign students to watch the videos and answer the questions before class, and then they can
1. Be self-aware and suppress any defensive nonverbal reactions (teeth clenching, arm
crossing, or eye rolling) while Tim is stating his concerns.
2. Listen to the complaint without interrupting. Ask questions to gather specific details
about why he is upset.
You might say, “I’m not really sure what you mean by ‘waste of time.’ How has our
meeting time seemed unproductive to you?”
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3. Express empathy for Tim’s concern by respectfully acknowledging his feelings about
the situation.
4. Use collaboration to ask Tim what he would like to see happen. As a group, negotiate a
mutually agreeable action or solution.
You might say, “How can we make sure our market research is comprehensive and still
move things along?”
Instructor Note: Online, students will be asked a multiple-choice question after the first
video. For Chapter 12, it is the following:
How does Tim’s boss try to find common ground when taking a collaborative approach to his
complaint?
A. By focusing on the work of the market research team
B. By reminding the group of the opportunity they all share*
C. By ignoring his complaint for as long as possible
D. By using an autocratic leadership style
[The * indicates the right answer. Depending whether the student answers the question right or
wrong, one of these two feedback options should appear:
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WHAT IF?
This section challenges students to adapt their skills and communication plans when things
don’t work out as shown previously. Students will view two videos. In each video, the
encounter becomes challenging and students must choose how they would respond based on
the open-ended question.
1. When Tim brings up another complaint by saying, “I’ve done a lot of work on this
already and you’ve completely ignored it,” how would you handle extending the
conversation?
You might say, “Tim, I appreciate all of your hard work and I understand that you must
feel frustrated. Everyone has contributed a lot of information and I am trying to ensure
2. How would you respond to Tim’s unwillingness to collaborate on a solution if he says,
“It’s not my problem to fix.”
You might say, “Tim, we are a team and we need your expertise to fix this problem. I
understand that you didn’t cause the problem, but I really need your help. I think if we
work together we can find the best fix.”
• Let Tim know how important he is as a member of the team and that if the team
collaborates, they can find the best solution.
CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. Who’s the Leader?
Goal: To help identify leadership roles and traits
Time: 45 minutes
1. Select an episode of CBS’s Survivor series.
2. Plan to show either the complete episode or a few excerpts from it. Before viewing
it, ask students to select one tribe, identify it, and take notes on the following:
a. Who is the most dominant leader?
2. Leaders in Action Interviews
1. Form students into groups of four or five.
2. Have each group brainstorm and select a local leader to interview. Suggestions
3. Each group is to request an interview with their selected leader. Ask students to
review the appendix about interviewing, included in their text, before conducting the
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4. Once they have completed the interviews, have students present their results. Have
the groups compare the traits given by each leader. Do they think the type of leader
they interviewed affects the selected traits? How does the interviewee’s profession
affect leadership style?
3. City Hall Economizing Exercise
Goal: To help students understand the role of a leader
Time: 60 minutes
1. Make enough copies for groups of six of the following roles:
a. Mayor Reynolds: You are the mayor of a small town. You are the committee
leader of a group interested in helping the town save money. You have a budget
of $1,000.00 to use to make improvements or changes that could help the town
save money in the end. Your goal is to listen to each group member and decide
d. Marvin Odunsi: You are the tax accountant for the city and a member of the
mayor’s committee, which needs to find creative ways to save money for the
city. Your goal is to suggest and have accepted that the city use the extra funds to
buy new copiers that can make double-sided copies, which will save the city
money on paper.
e. Louis Longstreet: You are a supervisor in the building and grounds department
of the city and a member of the mayor’s committee, which needs to find creative
ways to save money for the city. Your goal is to suggest that the city use the
extra funds to cross-train employees so they can cover for others during
2. Cut the character information into strips and place each role in a different envelope.
3. Divide the class into six-member groups.
4. Explain to the class that they each have been given a role. Their character will be
5. Bring the groups back together to discuss the results. Ask each group to discuss what
type of leader the group had. What type of decision making was used? How effective
was the group?
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4. Disruptive Roundtable
Goal: To teach students how an effective leader deals with disruptive group behavior
Time: 25 minutes
2. Go around the circle and ask the group to imagine they are a leader of a group and
describe how they would handle a group member who was
a. monopolizing the discussions
b. talking when others are speaking
c. using their cell phone for an extended conversation during a discussion
d. inappropriately demanding attention
e. exhibiting erratic, irrational behaviors
2. Go around the group again with the same question, but ask them to describe how a
group could be affected if the leader fails to address the problem.
5. All-Time Best Decision-Making Activity
Goal: To allow students to understand the differences between decision by majority and
decision by consensus
Time: 30 minutes
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2. Review the differences between decision by majority and decision by consensus.
3. Each group needs to first use decision by majority and then decision by consensus to
4. Once complete, have the groups discuss the differences they experienced while
making their decisions. How satisfied were the groups with their decisions? Ask
MEDIA RESOURCES
1. Dale Carnegie Leadership Training Free eBooks
Have students interested in leadership visit http://www.dalecarnegie.com/conflict-
2. Here Comes the Boom (Columbia Pictures, 2012)
This comedy is the story of a high school biology teacher who tries to organize and lead a
3. “The Tribes We Lead”
4. Office Space (Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation, 1999)
This comedy set in a corporate office offers a great example of horrible leadership and
5. Simon Sinek: “Why Leaders Eat Last”
In this presentation, ethnographer and author Simon Sinek discusses the hidden dynamics