Group Communication Pitfalls

Preface Unit I: We Co-construct Our Groups by Communicating 1. Why Study Group Communication Pitfalls? Overview of the Book Why Do Groups Matter Enough to Make a Study of Them? Definitions of "Communication", "Group", and "Pitfalls" Casting a Wide Net to Include All Pitfalls and Breakdown Group Communication Pitfalls by Commission or by Omission The Breakdown-Conducive Group Framework Why Should We Focus Our Study of Groups on Group Communication Pitfalls? 2. How Grouping and Group Direction Help Create Effective Group Experiences The Universals of Grouping Activity The Framework for Grouping and Group Direction Rhetorical Situation and a Purgatory Puddle Unit II: We Struggle to Co-construct and Frame Our Circumstances and Processes 3. Pitfalls in Task and Supragroup Exigencies Groups as Systems Purgatory Puddle Pitfalls Supragroup Pitfalls Wrong Task for a Group How to Expect, Detect, and Correct These Pitfalls 4. Personnel Pitfalls "Wrong Group for the Task" Pitfalls Traits Orientation Style Circumstances How to Expect, Detect, and Correct These Pitfalls 5. Pitfalls in Grouping Techniques, Tendencies, and Process Prizes Grouping Techniques Technique Pitfalls Grouping Tendencies: Norms and Roles Norm Pitfalls Role Pitfalls Process Prizes Process Prize Pitfalls Deliberation Outcome Pitfalls 6. Pitfalls in Confusion, Conformity, Conflict, and Group Consciousness: Grouping Concomitants Confusion Pitfalls Conformity Pitfalls Conflict Pitfalls Consciousness Pitfalls How to Expect, Detect, and Correct These Pitfalls 7. Pitfalls in Vision and Direction Giving Vision/Outcome Pitfalls Savior Complex Pitfalls Ascension Pitfalls Transitions Pitfalls How to Expect, Detect, and Correct These Pitfalls Unit III: We Co-construct Our Exigencies for Grouping Into Our Group Outcomes 8. (Un)Intended Group Outcomes Dynamics Involved in Potential Group Outcomes A Set of Potential Group Outcomes 9. To Group or Not to Group, That Is the Question General Exigencies Against Grouping Distrust of Grouping Distrust of Self as a Grouping Member Distrust of Any Aspect of This Particular Grouping Effort Inertia and Specific Exigencies Against Grouping How Exigencies Against Grouping May Manifest Expecting, Detecting, and Correcting These Pitfalls: General Orientational Advice 10. Observing Groups Well Observing Groups Improving Observational Focus and Quality Observing the Purgatory Puddle Observing The Way/Process Observing the Vision/Outcome and the Savior Complex