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1.3
Anticipating Conflict and Forming Group Guidelines
Submitted By Shannon Wheatley Hartman
This activity empowers group members to anticipate potential conflict in group discussions and create guidelines that will address these concerns and bring out the best characteristics of the group.
Learning Goals
Anticipate group dynamics with a specific focus on potential group conflict.
Work together as a group to establish guiding principles.
Instructions
Set Up: Prepare for the Activity
Organize the participants into pairs or small groups (5-6 ppl).
If the group completed Activity 1.1 What is Collaborative Learning?, then use the lists of positive and negative attributes as a starting point for this activity.
Begin by introducing the learning goals of this activity.
Step One: Generate Lists of Positive & Negative Attributes (10 min)
Invite participants to think back to a time when they were working with others on a project. In pairs or small groups, ask them to generate a written list of both positive and negative traits that they associate with collaboration. Do not debate or discuss the validity of contributions. Generate broad lists. Prompts:
What made the collaboration work well? Ex: clear communication, shared goals, feelings of inclusion or trust.
What made the collaboration challenging? Ex: dominating personalities, power dynamics, no follow through of tasks.
Step Two: Prioritize Attributes (10 min)
In pairs or small groups, ask participants to discuss which of the negative attributes they are most concerned about. Prompt:
Which negative attributes are most likely to occur in our discussions or with our particular collaboration? Select the top three concerns or negative attributes.
When finished, repeat this process but focus on positive attributes. Again, ask participants to reflect on this particular group and decide which positive traits would be most helpful. Prompt:
Which positive attributes would benefit our discussions the most? Select the top three positive traits or attributes.
Step Three: Discuss as a Full Group (10 min)
Regroup as a whole and invite each small group to share their top three positive and negative attributes. Discuss:
Where do we see overlap or common themes?
As we review our consolidated lists, what might be missing?
What are the top five positive or negative traits for our group as a whole?
Step Four: Craft Guiding Principles (20 min)
Once the group has identified approximately their top five traits (positive or negative), create a space where they can craft sample guidelines that reflect these traits. This could be done on a white board or shared google document. For example:
If the concern is “negativity,” then the guideline might be “Bring your positive attitude and energy. Have fun!”
If the concern is “dominating personalities,” then the guideline might be “Make room for everyone to be heard. Listen to understand.”
If the positive trait is trust, then the guideline might be “Respect our community. Critique ideas, not people.”
Step Five: Debrief as a Full Group (10 min)
Discuss:
How often should we revisit this list?
What should be our process if someone violates our stated principles?
When are guidelines limiting and/or unproductive?
How might we adjust in anticipation to these concerns?
TIME
60
min
MODULE
Introduction to Collaborative Discussion
This activity can be completed by any discussion group.
This activity can be easily modified for asynchronous learning. See Sample Asynchronous Certificate Program Design to illustrate sample sequencing.
This activity can be used to support facilitation skills. See Sample Facilitation Certificate Program Design to illustrate sample sequencing.
This activity is suitable for professional or more formal learning environments.
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0 Comments
YD
December 3, 2022 at 1:58:08 AM
Activity 4.8 provides useful phrases and techniques, as well as helps participants develop their own, to join in during discussions and express their views according to the goals they choose for themselves on what they want to offer to the discussion and how they want to be perceived.
YD
December 3, 2022 at 1:52:48 AM
Activity 4.7 uses a tactile and fun method, like a bag of beans, to have participants experience what it is like to have different amounts of power in a conversation. This activity also highlights how we base our ideas of how power is distributed on stereotypes.
YD
December 3, 2022 at 1:48:29 AM
Activity 4.6 employs useful tools like the Question Chart to help participants learn how to craft "good questions" that move beyond any assumptions they have about the views of others based on stereotypes or third party descriptions, and unearth their true views on the issue.
YD
December 3, 2022 at 1:45:08 AM
Activity 4.5 uses visual aids like the Emotion Wheel to push participants to move beyond just cognitive empathy and shows how to reflect back the emotions and understand their source through dialogue. It also helps participants differentiate between messages of intentional empathy and problem-solving.
YD
December 3, 2022 at 1:39:46 AM
Activity 4.4 uses both individual written reflection and discussion in small and large groups to explore the which aspects of a person's identity we use to determine if they should be included in the conversation on a particular issue. This activity also give participants to practice explaining and negotiating who is chosen.
YD
December 3, 2022 at 1:33:37 AM
Activity 4.3 uses physical movement and both lighthearted and serious topics to help participants see how positions on different topics lie on a continuum and how positions can change as one is exposed to new information or perspectives. Participants also flex their imaginative and creative muscle by arguing for the position opposite to theirs.
YD
December 3, 2022 at 1:28:28 AM
Activity 4.2 breaks down the individual aspects of active listening into separate rounds/steps to help participants consciously and methodically learn and practice this skill.
YD
December 3, 2022 at 1:25:28 AM
Activity 4.1digs deep into the many facets of social identity, by using drawing, as well as both written silent reflection and verbal discussion in small and large groups.
YD
November 29, 2022 at 6:26:51 AM
Activity 3.8 easily helps visualize the many dimensions of a topic by using the fishbone diagram.
YD
November 29, 2022 at 6:24:44 AM
Activity 3.7 provides useful mind tricks to help practice patience and giving people the benefit of the doubt, thus creating the sense of psychological safety required in collaborative efforts.