Small Group Communication: Effective Team Communication

Small Group Communication:
Small group communication is, of course, the communication that is carried out within a small group. A small group is generally defined as a group that consists of at least three members and at the maximum around twelve to fifteen members. A group that has just two members or more than fifteen members would not come in the category of a small group.

A small group may be a professional group, an educational group or a social group. The members belonging to it will have a common bond or interest or goal that brings them together.

Understanding Communication:
We've seen what a small group is and what small group communication is, now let's see what we understand by the term communication.

Communication is about expressing and conveying your thoughts, feelings, opinions and ideas to another person or persons. Good communication skills can help you keep your head and confidently take charge of unfamiliar situations. People are more likely to listen to you, whatever you have to say, if you can express yourself well, and this is particularly useful in influencing and negotiating important personal, social or business matters. It also comes in handy in resolving conflict and dealing with difficult people.

Some people are born with effective communication skills; others need to develop them. Developing effective communication skills requires repeated practice, which you can do by putting yourself frequently in situations where you have to interact with a variety of people. Consider joining social clubs or public speaking and debate clubs to polish up your skills.

The Importance of Team Communication:
Let us consider team communication with regard to the workplace. Most companies and organizations have people working in small teams. This has been found to be more effective and productive than a single individual toiling away at a project. When you have three or four more people working on an issue, you have the advantage of having access to more ideas and solutions for the project, of having more checking safeguards against any flaws in the plan, and of being able to establish more network connections. A group is also more likely to take on and complete large-scale, complex projects.

However, for the team to operate smoothly, there must be open and efficient communication between the members of the team.

Team communication is important for the following reasons -

• Project-related information needs to be shared.
• Each member of the team needs to be acquainted with the team goal and his/her role in the team.
• Each team member has specific skills and knowledge that must be utilized and imparted to other members in the course of the work.
• Any questions or issues about the project must be broached and shared in order to resolve them.
• Any decisions taken must be imparted to all the members.
• Effective and open communication lines create feelings of trust and of belonging to the team. The more the members feels valued the more dedicated they are likely to be, and this in turn makes it easier for the team as a whole to achieve its goals.

On the other hand, poor communication between team members can unnecessarily botch up an entire project.

• The members may not understand what is needed and may waste time and energy in doing what is not required.
• The members may misunderstand one another and develop personal animosities. This can affect their desire to work together and thereby the quality of the work.
• The members may not be clear of the sequence of the things to be done and this can either hold up the project or play havoc with the deadlines.
• The members may not know what to change or how to change to make themselves more efficient.

Fostering effective team communication in your small group:
You can foster effective team communication in your small group by a mix of old-fashioned good manners, good attention and open-mindedness. Here are a few tips -

• Ask if everyone understands what the team goals are.
• Ask input and feedback from all members.
• Listen carefully to what the other person is saying.
• Don't interrupt until someone has finished talking.
• Give feedback on what they've said.
• Speak slowly and clearly.
• Make your points in a clear, logical manner.
• Include facts and details, and make sure they are all accurate.
• Don't ramble on. Be concise. Stick to the matter at hand.
• Make sure every member of the group gets the chance to speak.
• Be open minded. If you've come to the meeting with your mind already made up, there's little point in having a discussion.
• When responding to someone's question or statement, repeat it to make sure you have heard and understood correctly.
• If you are taking a certain stand, take full responsibility for it.
• Do not disparage anyone for their views and don't refute any point by taking personal shots at the speaker. Address the issue.
• Watch your body language. It is more effective than what you say. So if you are angry and look angry, that is going to convey itself to the other members in your small group.
• Don't make rash decisions or issue any statements when you are angry. Give yourself time to cool down.
• If there are any misunderstandings, clear them up in a calm manner.
• If you don't understand any point, speak up and ask questions. Get it clarified before you all move on.
• When considering the pros and cons of any issue, consider the exact pros and cons, not opinion of the majority.
• If you have an opinion, express it as such, with the reasons behind it, not as an iron-clad fact.
• Be polite at all times.