Week 6 D3- Rating Scales

One thing that I found interesting from this weeks reading was the rating scales. I have been in groups before where we would rate how things worked and I enjoyed doing them. It makes it so that your rating are confidential,  and it helps the group to improve.  A likert scale is the rating system where you would ask a specific questions and list 7-5 ratings and have a person check the one that they fell best fits the group from their point of view.  The topics for the rating scale should be relevant to the expected behaviors of the group. That way it helps the group evaluate things and to improve.  The best way to get the most effective ratings, would be to have a variety of questions for the group members to rate. The book also mentions that a rating scale offers a systematic feedback mechanism and it is helpful to the groups success.

Week 6 D2 Guidelines

The book gives us 10 different guidelines to observer feedback. The guidelines are to help observes give back appropriate and useful information to the group.

1.       Avoid generalizations. Give more specific feedback. You want to give details on things and not just one to two words answers like, “great job”, “well done” be more specific

2.       Watch for behaviors that can be changed. If someone is being negative, let them know and try to help them become more positive.

3.       Don’t argue or debate with the group. You want to help them and not give your ideas pr analysis. Just give them your observations, insight or opinions but remember that they sont have to accept them.

4.       Don’t micromanage the process of the group. Pick out a couple of specific areas and develop them well.

5.       Remember your role. Provide specific explanations to things that you think the group can benefit from.

6.       Accentuate the positive aspects.  Try to spend most of your time finding things the group did right. Always start with the positives.

7.       You should end with specific suggestions for improvement.

8.       Be concise and clear with your observations.

9.       Compliments should be given in public and criticize in private.  You don’t want the public to know all of their mistakes/things that didn’t go well.

10.   While in an organizational setting,  you should develop positive relationships during the feedback process. Your goal isn’t to find faults, blame individuals, or criticize the efforts, but to help the group or team develop and improve.

All of these guidelines are important to follow as an observer, and it can help the groups tremendously knowing what to develop and improve on.

Week 6 D1 Observers

One reason to use a consultant or an observer for a small group would be to get feedback on how the group is doing. The observer is there to evaluate how well the group works together and if they are efficient in getting things done.  They see the group in a different perspective and can really help the group thrive.  They give the group constructive criticism to help them. Also the group can make a likert scale for an observer to fill out after watching what was going on.  At times it can be easier for an outside person/an observer to give more specific feedback that group members might not recognize as things going on.  Observers can also help a group become stronger with suggestions on improvements.  A group might also choice one of the members to be a consultant/observer to help them, instead of having someone not part of the group do it.  Observes can be a big part of helping groups success.

Week 4 D-3 Nonverbal Communication

One concept from the book that I found interesting and also very important to learn is Nonverbal communication. Nonverbal communication can often times be misunderstood and cause more problems than intended. It can take the form of tone of voice, body gestures, facial expressions, use of time, turn taking, habits of hairstyle or dress and more. I think that at times people can over react to something and take offense to it. Different cultures do thing differently and for example, the form of a thumbs up, like good job to Americans, can mean something totally different in another country and it can be offensive.  Nonverbal communication is something that people should learn more about and to not always assume the worst when they are observing it from other people. Like the book mentions that some people might have different ways of giving feedback or use of facial expressions when talking with others and it could make it seem like they don’t understand the person talking, when in fact they do.

week 4 D-2 Privilege

The concept of “White men of privilege” has to do with white males having more opportunities than other males. It’s also about how white males have more wealth and privileges than others. The book mentions that there has been a long overridden assumption that the upper-class and upper-middle-class  White Europeans  have more wealth and privileges.  I don’t agree with the concept but do believe that a lot of other people do. I don’t think it’s fair to single out certain classes and to say they are better than another based on ethnicity. I don’t believe the concept should exist, but I do know people that would and who would agree with it.  I do however at times think that white people are given more opportunities to do certain things, but then again I think that people of other ethnicities are also given more opportunities with other things than white people are.  It all balances out in the end of people jump at the right opportunities and to not just sit there thinking they always get left out. 

Week 4 D-1 Diversity

I believe that it depends on everybody. Valuing diversity comes easy for me since I like to learn more about other people and I do value their opinions. But for some people valuing diversity might be a challenge since not everyone is always accepting of other people. Different assumptions and stereotypes could also come into play with certain member of group and it could make it difficult to value another person’s thoughts. It can take a lot of time and learning for one to be more accepting of diversity.  One way in which a group could enhance their ability to value diversity could be to ask everyone to write their suggestions down on a piece of paper and for it to be anonymous. That way no one knows whose is whose.  Then another person could read everything aloud to the group and they could hear what everyone has to say in a non-judgmental way.  It would be harder for someone to ignore another person if they aren’t as accepting of diversity.