Group Presentation: Friend or Foe?

There are a lot of things that students dislike about being a student: homework, exams, these things called classes, working in groups, or the dreaded presentation. Why? Because your grade depends on other people. On top of not wanting to work in a group at all, the one thing that sends shivers down the spine are those two words, "group presentation."

Researchers have found that working in groups and then giving a final presentation is when students' learning is at its peak. They have found that student learn the best through "active, collaborative, small-group work inside and outside the
classroom," (Kågesten, Owe and Johann Engelbrecht). It enables the student to learn and develop many skills unattained when just listening to a lecture. According to the study by Owe Kågesten and Johann Engelbrecht, these skills include a plethora of social skills such as working with others, time management, oral skills, presentation skills and in depth understanding of the subject.

This being said, it does not lessen the fear of a group presentation. Half the reason that a group presentation scares people, is because of previous poor group experiences. Other reasons include a fear of splitting the work because of it not getting done, not getting done to the caliber of your own etc.

Now, the group has met, gained the information and needs to start putting your presentation together. Where to start?

Knowing your audience is the first step. You need to be able to target your key audience and keep their attention the entire way through the presentation. For example, making jokes can be appropriate for a peer audience, but for a professional audience you need to make sure to keep the joke professional. When you know your audience, it is easier to present the information as well. You can build a PowerPoint to coordinate with the audience.


A bad PowerPoint can ruin a good presentation!
PowerPoint's used to be used only in complex presentations when a visual was necessary. Recently, they have become very popular with every presentation, whether it be large or small.

Some reminders when making a PowerPoint include:
1.) Keep the slides to a minimum. You want your audience to listen to what you have to say, not be distracted by your PowerPoint.
2.) Put a blank slide in between slides when you have a lot to explain. This makes them focus on you.
3.) Dim the lights as little as possible
4.) Keep it short, sweet and to the point!

Once the research is done, the PowerPoint is made, and the presentation has been split up between each group member, it is time to practice.

Practice is such an important part of giving a presentation, especially in a group. It is essential that every member is confident in their information and knows it well so that they are not reading off the slides. PowerPoint slides shouldn't have very much writing on them anyway, so each member should be holding note cards that highlight main points only. Each member needs to be confident to speak their section by only seeing main points, spiking their memory. Be careful not to memorize your presentation because you may sound boring and monotone. Also, if a member who memorizes their portion loses their spot, it will be extremely hard to find it again. Finally, keep eye contact and keep your voice under control. Speaking to fast or too slow are signs of nervousness. While your information may be great, these vocal mistakes can make the group sound less credible. And keeping eye contact will keep your audience engaged.

Following these simple steps will help any student get through a presentation, whether it is solo or group orientated.


Citations
Henderson, Jeanette. "Stop the boring PowerPoint presentations!." Machine Design 79.13 (2007): 54-58. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 26 Feb. 2010.

Kågesten, Owe, and Johann Engelbrecht. "Student group presentations: a learning instrument in undergraduate mathematics for engineering students." European Journal of Engineering Education 32.3 (2007): 303-314. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 26 Feb. 2010

Sun, Calvin. "Improve Your Presentations." Student Lawyer 37.2 (2008): 28-31. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 26 Feb. 2010.

United We Stand, Divided We Fall

Communication within a group is important to overall success. It is important to quickly and effectively resolve all conflict immediately that surfaces within the group. Allowing conflicts to fester within will create tension and ultimately result in failure. Walkter Stephen lists three main ways to maintain morale and avoid group self-destruction:

1.) Check yourself before you wreck yourself - Self-reflection is a critical part of keeping the peace when working in groups. You may be over-reacting, under-reacting or simply being apathetic. If you find yourself upset over a group issue, take a minute to calm down, and reflect on the overall charge. Remember, temper is the only thing you can't get rid of by losing it!

2.) Get in where you fit in - Don't wait to be asked what your opinion is in the group. You need to be comfortable within your group and actively contribute.

3.) Relish contrasting opinions - Everyone is different and can learn from the other members of the group whether it be values, beliefs, or actions. It is important to be open-minded and encourage everyone to contribute conflicting ideas. When someone plays "devils-advocate," it has the ability to open up the door for discussion, discovering new ideas and relish contrasting opinions.



Citation:
Stephan, Walter G. "Psychological and Communication Processes Associated With Intergroup Conflict Resolution." Small Group Research 39, no. 1 (February 2008): 28-41. Communication & Mass Media Complete, EBSCOhost (accessed February 19,

Top 5 Ways to Develop Yourself as a Leader

Every small group has a person who either steps up or is delegated by the group as the leader. How they handle that responsibility will determine the groups dynamics and eventually their success. Leaders need to be able to self reflect and develop their own skills. Followership cannot be coerced, only volunteered, hence becoming a better leader involves improving the service we offer. According to Gayle Lantz, there are twelve complete thought out ideas on how to do this. We have summarized and placed in order of importance what we feel is the top five of her ideas:


5.) How can I think more strategically?
First, you need to completely know and understand your charge so that you can make a plan of attack instead of jumping in head first. It is important to never lose sight of your charge when setting goals and actions.

4.) How will I recognize success?
Nothing can be achieved without goals ways to measure your actions. Find ways to measure your actions against what you want to achieve and if it is something unmeasurable, then change your approach.

3.) What is one "problem" that I can turn into an opportunity?
Look to turn every weakness into a strength. Don't let problems shift the focus of the group, instead use each as an opportunity for success.

2.) What is my biggest fear and how will I face it?
Resisting a fear, only empowers it. Embrace things that make you nervous and overcome them to make you a stronger leader and in turn, your group will follow.

1.) What leadership skill can -and should- I get better at?
Everyone has their faults, gain feedback from your group members on what yours is and what you can change. Your group members will respect you if you extend them the courtesy first.




Citation:
Lantz, Gayle. "Twelve Leadership Questions for 2010." BusinessWeek Online (2010): 21. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 18.Feb. 2010.

Forging a Successful Team

Teams are everywhere, in all aspects of life. To be a successful group, every member must be focused on achieving the charge. According to Lisa Snyder, there are five key steps in doing this:


1.) Focus attention on the purpose of the project- Group time is meant for exactly that, time to focus on the charge and what needs to be done. The initial meeting is set for brainstorming and dividing the responsibilities.


2.) Encourage participation and positive collaboration- Make sure that every member has a chance to give their input and opinions on the material. Encourage conflict to enable discussion because playing "devil's advocate" can bring out new ideas hiding underneath the surface. Discussion leads to feedback, but be careful not to personally attack one anothers' opinions and beliefs.


3.) Establish a timeline- Have a time by which you want to accomplish each thing the group is working on. Dragging duties out can drop the team morale. Having a structured timeline increases productivity and keeps everyone aware of the task at hand.


4.) Keep the project on track- Once you've established a timeline, you know when deadlines are and how there isn't any time for delay. While each team member may have a different task, it is important to meet and put each task together to see how it fits into the larger goal. Communication is key!


5.) Negotiate conflicts-Every team will have its share of conflicts but it is important to quickly and efficiently resolve them. Outside of personal conflicts, it is important for team members to experience how they would handle conflict on the job. Role playing is a great way to practice this.



Citation:
Snyder, Lisa Gueldenzoph. "TEACHING TEAMS ABOUT TEAMWORK: PREPARATION, PRACTICE, AND PERFORMANCE REVIEW." Business Communication Quarterly 72.1 (2009): 74-79. Communication & Mass Media Complete. EBSCO. Web. 12 Feb. 2010.

Manage your Lion

Every group has that one person who isn't easy to work with. That person brings the whole group dynamic down and no one wants to work with the "Debbie Downer." So here are a few tips to turn that ferocious lion into a tamed kitty cat.

First you have to praise your lion. Boosting the person's ego and delivering positive reinforcement will give your lion a sense of accomplishment and that he or she is a valued member of the group.

In nature, antagonizing a beast never ends well. Therefore, the second tip is to keep your voice calm and collected. Speak assertively yet keep respect for the other person. If that person becomes defensive, try to maintain the civility of the situation.

Just like any animal, you need to feed your lion. Help the lion integrate into the rest of the group. Talk socially for a short time so that the lion feels comfortable within the group and can relate to some of its members. Also, this can be taken into a literal sense and someone can bring snacks to the group meeting. Morale is always high when there aren't any rumbling stomachs.

Your lion wants attention. You will need to feed its ego by "petting it" which is giving him or her the attention that he or she wants. This person will want to be heard and want everyone to listen to him or her, so you must make eye contact when that person is talking and keep the non-verbals positive.

Just remember that your lion is mean and ferocious, therefore you must be careful to approach it slowly. Listen closely for cues from the lion about how they are feeling and read their body language. They may be sending you signals for help without you even knowing it, so pay attention to what they are doing.

Finally, you must always neuter or spay your lion. You need to continue to boost the ego of your lion. Let him or her know that they have contributed to the group and that their contributions matter. Also, know the difference in how to act toward your lion depending on its gender. Know that conflict will arise and that civil problem solving is key.

Following these simple steps give you the ability to work with any unmanageable group member by turning your savage beast into a domesticated house pet.


Information on taming your lion presented by:
Eckstein, Nancy J. "“Making a Lion into a Pussycat”: Working with Difficult Group Members." Communication Teacher 19.4 (2005): 111-115. Communication & Mass Media Complete. EBSCO. Web. 12 Feb. 2010.