Teamwork Step 6

Teamwork: Working cooperatively with others towards achieving a shared goal.

Step 6: I contribute to group decision making

Outcomes

To achieve Step 6, learners will show that they can contribute to group decision making.

The previous steps were focused on the essential parts of being able to work well with others. The focus now shifts to how to make a contribution as part of a group, starting with how to contribute to group decision making.

Learners need to be able to:

Understand what is meant by group decision making
Make good contributions in group decision making

Introduction

Group decision making is when a decision is discussed and decided upon by a group. It might be that ultimately the leader has to make a final decision, but there is a process that gives everyone the chance to feed in their expertise, ideas and opinions.
Ask learners to share examples of making a team decision.

Skill Starter

The Knot

Get the group to form a circle. Tell them to put their right hand up in the air, and then grab the hand of someone across the circle from them. Repeat this with the left hand, grabbing a different person’s hand. Check to make sure that everyone is holding the hands of two different people and not with someone either side of them.

They must now try to untangle themselves to form a circle without breaking the chain of hands in ten or fifteen minutes.

Get learners to take their time in order to limit injuries. Ask the group not to tug or pull on each other and spot learners as they pass over others. Monitor throughout the challenge. If the chain of hands is broken, they must then start over again.

How will they decide on their approach to the task? How will they make decisions?

10 mins

Group activity

Active

Teach & Apply

To make the best decision for a team, we need to have multiple ideas to choose from so everyone should contribute.
However, it can take much longer to make decisions this way and open up debates which cannot be resolved.
Ask learners to share some strategies that can be used to make decisions and stop disagreements, such as: voting, leader chooses or combining ideas.
When making contributions, to make sure that they are helpful:
- Always think before you share something.
- Make contributions in a positive way.
- If you disagree with someone else then you should say so politely.
- Be ready to change your mind if other people share other perspectives or ideas.

Optional Activity

Crossing the Raging River

Split into groups of 3-5. Provide each group with two hoops, a plank (or similar) and some rope.

The aim is to move all their team members and equipment from one side of the river (floor) to the other (a total of 15-20 metres) without touching the floor. If somebody touches the floor they must start again.

What approach will they take to ‘making decisions’?

15 mins

Group activity

Active

Reflection & Assessment

Embed these strategies across your teaching and coaching to help learners apply what they’ve learnt.

Reflect on their experience and encourage the team members to share best practice across different teams.

Use these ideas for ways of assessing this skill step to help you check learners’ understanding and confidence.

Set learners a challenge to complete and ask them to record each team mate’s contribution, ensuring that everyone participates and listens to each other to reach a group decision.
Ask these reflective questions:
- What is meant by group decision making?
- How can you make good contributions to group decision making?
- What are things to avoid?