Evaluating Your Group’s Problem-Solving Meeting

The purpose of this evaluation is to reflect on the importance of group work and to apply it to your personal experience with this assignment. You are to write a 2-3-page evaluation essay that assesses your group participation and communication. This essay should be typed and double-spaced using a standard 12 point font. Please do not exceed the 3 page maximum. Consult the course schedule in your syllabus for the due date.

The essay should include an introduction, body, and conclusion and must include specific examples to support each argument. Divide the body into the following sections:

1. Describe the performance of your team members during the preparation for your meeting facilitation. Describe each person’s behavior (task, maintenance, and/or nonfunctional) during the course of the project. Provide specific examples to support each assertion and be sure to label the role/function that each member performed, then clarify why the role/function is an accurate description. Utilize the group function worksheets on the following pages to record examples of other group members’ behavior. Also, consult the chapters in your textbook, as well as information provided in class about group communication, in making this analysis.

2. Describe your behavior as a team member. Explain your behaviors and discuss what you did well and what you’d like to improve in future group experiences. Again, focus on specific examples and use your text and lecture to support your analysis.

3. Evaluate the performance of your team as a whole. In doing this, select any two group communication concepts and discuss how well your group met your objectives in relation to these concepts. For example, you might choose to focus upon reasoning or conflict resolution (or any other communication concept in Chapters 10 & 11 in your text) and comment on your group’s ability to employ these skills in your preparation meetings and/or in the meeting facilitation itself.

This evaluation MUST be in ESSAY form. Again, in the body of the essay, you should address each of the three content areas above, providing examples for each. This means you cannot simply create a numbered list. You will be graded on your content and how well you evaluate your group. Remember to check spelling, punctuation, and grammar. Be sure to utilize your textbook to support your claims (i.e., by quoting or paraphrasing relevant material).

Because this essay does not affect the group grade (which is based upon the presentation), please do not feel that you must try to convince your instructor that your group was effective or not. Rather, your goal is to analyze the events and behaviors that took place during the preparation and performance of the meeting assignment (positive and negative), explain what they were, why they occurred, and the outcomes of these events and behaviors.