Number 1 Project Brainstorming Report
TOPIC -Employees are arriving late to work due to heavy morning rush hour traffic
Goal: To work with others to brainstorm how to solve a problem and then analyze the experience in light of interpersonal communication skills.
Rationale: We will work in groups with others all our lives; family groups, groups of friends, work groups, and social organizations test our interpersonal communication skills. Developing problem solving skills to complete a task or solve a conflict is a valuable experience because it tests our skills and helps us see the value of developing strong interpersonal communication skills.
Task: You will form a group to solve a problem. After meeting with your group members in a brainstorming session, you will write a reaction essay to analyze your experience.
- Identify – clearly state the problem you are trying to solve.
- Define – thoroughly describe the problem. Why does the problem exist? What are the cause and effects? Are there drawbacks to solving this problem?
- Clarify – who is impacted by the problem? How are they impacted?
- Solve – offer one solution to satisfy the problem. Include strengths and weaknesses of this solution as it relates to the problem you described
Number 2 Reaction Essay Questions The essay should be 2-3 pages, double-spaced, Times New Roman font.
- Verbal/Nonverbal Analysis – Did each group member contribute to the problem solving discussion? How did the group decide who would talk at a time? Did one group member talk more than others? Overall was the group effective with verbal communication? How did nonverbal messages contribute to the group process?
- Listening Analysis– How effective were the group members at listening to one another? Was there a member who exhibited good or poor listening skills? Why are listening skills important when working in a group?
- Conflict Analysis – Did your group experience any conflict or differing opinions? What type of conflict: pseudoconflict, simple conflict, or ego conflict? How did conflict impact the group problem-solving experience? If conflict was not experienced, how did your group avoid conflict?
- What insights did you gain about the interpersonal communication process through working in this problem-solving group?
