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Make group decisions
When decisions are made by the group, rather than one or two individuals, it helps avoid people feeling left out or poorly consulted. To reduce group tension, establish good group decision making processes:
- base all meeting and decision making processes on respect for each member
- allow adequate time for all decisions of consequence to be made. Not everyone can think on their feet so you may want to open an issue at one meeting and give a deadline of the next meeting to get everyone's feedback.
- allow various methods for members to feed back their responses. Some members may not be comfortable talking in front of the group or may prefer to put their responses down on paper.
One of your group's first tasks will be to decide on the preferred method of group decision making: by vote or consensus.
By vote simply means that each group member casts their vote on the issue. This can be done by secret ballot (such as writing your vote anonymously on paper and placing it in a box) or by a show of hands at a meeting.
Consensus decision making means all members can conclude that the group has agreed to the decision in question. Though some in the group may have liked things to happen differently, they agree to respect the majority decision. Consensus accepts that when all points for and against an idea have been fairly aired, the group has made a clear decision to go in a certain direction and stick to that decision until further notice. It is really important when campaigning that a united front is projected to the general public. It will also reflect well publicly and within the group if all members are able to explain the reasons for the group's decision and form of action in their own words and support that decision.
Communicate well
Communicating to the group means using more than just words.
- Establish and adhere to good meeting protocols.
- Identify clear tasks and responsibilities for members in the group.
- Decide on and distribute your goals and objectives for the group and for each action you take.
- Maintain a planning calendar so everyone knows what is ahead.
- Make meeting notes easily available to group members.
- Keep your group updated on ideas, plans and activities.
Resolve conflicts
Conflicts can arise for a number of reasons, including disagreement over the group's goals and/or methods of achieving them. Conflict can often arise when personalities clash.
Try to resolve the conflict rather than let it disrupt the group. If you are unable to move forward, consider inviting a third-party facilitator to help the group resolve its differences.
Sometimes conflict can introduce new ideas and debate around an issue. But if left to fester, group disharmony will undermine your activities and objectives and make room for your real opponents to break down your strategy.
Share leadership
You probably don't want to rely on a small number of people to provide all the leadership in an organisation. There is the risk that the strong individual/s carrying the group may burn out, leaving your group floundering.
- Encourage development of leadership skills in the group.
- Don't allow people to take on too much.
- Identify clear task descriptions for all members of the group.
- Have fun! Organise group get-togethers, like a film night, that don't have anything to do with your cause. Getting to know each other outside your work can really help group harmony.
