Home
>
Team Building
>
Raising Issues In Your Group or Offline

Raising Issues In Your Group or Offline

In a recent group coaching session, a client mentioned that he thought his monthly meetings with his peers were dysfunctional. He felt they achieved "false closure" on key decisions - they'd discuss an issue, not make a clear decision, and move on, all acting as if they were clear. He felt one person took too much airtime on a regular basis, that the agendas weren't focused. On top of all this, people would come to him individually after these meetings to complain to him about them - and said they wanted their concerns kept confidential, and that they weren't willing to raise them in the group. They had formal time set aside for discussing how the meetings went and he couldn't remember the last time they had actually done this. No one raised this, either.

He decided he wanted to try to improve these meetings. One important question for his was whether or not to do so with the whole group present, or to try to do it "offline".

I offered his a few principles to help his make his decision; I offer them to you as well:

-People are accountable for their own information - It's counterproductive and unfair to privately express concerns to people involved and ask that they be kept in confidence. It's also counterproductive and unfair to act as if you don't have that information once you've received it.

-Raise the issue where others with relevant information are able to respond

- Each of us notices different things and have different reactions and information. Raising issues in the group that affect the group maximizes the likelihood that you'll build a common understanding of what's going on, so that the group can make a more informed choice on next steps.

-Jointly design the way forward - Others may not want to hear your concerns at all - or they may want to approach addressing them differently. Acknowledge publicly that you have concerns, say what you'd like to do about them, and ask for reactions, instead of just raising your concerns.

-Be transparent - say what you are thinking, and why, even if it feels risky to do so. (See my piece on risk in last month's edition for more on this).

Roger outlines similar principles in his chapter on this topic in his chapter "Raising Issues In or Out of the Group" in The Skilled Facilitator Fieldbook.

This client thought these principles made sense. He practiced raising his concerns with the group - first by saying he had them, and that he thought it would be best for them to discuss them as a group. The group agreed, and they built an agreement about how they wanted to handle the discussion - and challenging issues in the future.

These principles have helped us and our clients make much more productive decisions about whether and how to raise concerns in a group setting. I hope they do the same for you.

What are your reactions to all this? Please email me with your thoughts.

? 2005 Matt Beane

Matt Beane is an associate with Roger Schwarz & Associates and co-authored a chapter of the recently published "Skilled Facilitator Fieldbook: Tips, Tools, and Tested Methods for Consultants, Facilitators, Managers, Trainers, and Coaches," available on Amazon.com and via other quality booksellers.

This article was originally published in Fundamental Change, Roger Schwarz & Associates' free, monthly ezine. You can subscribe at: http://www.schwarzassociates.com/ezine_signup.html In exchange for subscribing, you'll receive a link to a free .pdf copy of "Holding Risky Conversations," a chapter from our recently-published fieldbook.

We write Fundamental Change to help you create workplaces and communities that are simultaneously highly effective and that improve the quality of life.

Every month we:

* Address issues important to you as practitioners and leaders * Share client examples and case studies * Offer tips and tools for challenging situations * Offer resources to help you become more effective.

kitchen deep cleaning Deerfield ..

In The News:

Unlike robotaxi competitors, Tensor focuses on consumer-owned self-driving cars that adapt to highways and urban roads with full redundancy systems for safety.

Medicare scams cost $54 billion in 2024 as fraudsters target beneficiaries with fake calls demanding payments and personal information to steal benefits.

Scammers create fake Evite invitations that mimic legitimate event emails, requiring users to verify senders and use antivirus software for protection.

The new Apple Watch hypertension feature passively monitors blood pressure patterns over 30 days using sensors to detect chronic high blood pressure signs.

Chrome extension spyware disguised as a free VPN service highlights security risks after it captured private browsing data from trusted sites.

New research shows how fatty acids in cooking oil can safely dissolve and recover silver from circuit boards without harmful chemicals or environmental damage.

The Fox News AI newsletter gives you information on the latest AI technology advancements, and about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

Anthropic investigates alarming AI abuse case where hacker automated entire cybercrime campaign using Claude, stealing sensitive data from defense and healthcare firms.

TikTok, Meta and YouTube restrict Charlie Kirk shooting videos with age gates and warnings while X faces criticism for allowing continued circulation.

Cybercriminals use fake troubleshooting websites to trick Mac users into running terminal commands that install Shamos malware through ClickFix tactics.

San Francisco startup Fable launches Showrunner, an AI platform dubbed the 'Netflix of AI' that generates animated episodes from text descriptions with Amazon support.

Apple raised iPhone prices for some models despite receiving tariff relief from President Donald Trump, with the new lineup starting at $799 for the base model.

A two-story 3D concrete printed home in Western Australia demonstrates faster construction methods that could reshape American housing amid rising costs.

Credit scores remain important during retirement for insurance rates and housing applications, while seniors become prime targets for identity theft and financial scams.

Scammers now send unexpected packages with QR codes that redirect victims to fraudulent websites or download malicious software to steal sensitive information.

Meeting AI tools record private conversations alongside work discussions, creating privacy risks that can be managed with proper settings and awareness.

Hotel privacy concerns are valid but rare, with methods to detect hidden tech using smartphone flashlights, mirror tests and scanning apps.

Improve your Wi-Fi speed and reliability with 10 simple router optimization tips that don't require special apps or expensive subscriptions.

A Columbia University breach exposed names, Social Security numbers and academic records of nearly 869,000 people, with notifications beginning in August.

Rental car drivers use AI-powered apps like Proofr to protect themselves from unfair damage fees as major companies deploy automated inspection tools.

Fox News' AI newsletter brings you the latest on technology advancements around artificial intelligence.

OnTrac data breach between April 13-15, 2025, exposed personal information of over 40,000 people including Social Security numbers and medical records.

A woman named Wika announces her engagement to an AI chatbot sparking worldwide debate about virtual relationships and technology.

The notorious people search site National Public Data relaunches despite a previous breach affecting 3 billion individuals, raising fresh privacy concerns.

Revolutionary TRAUMAGEL gel controls life-threatening bleeding from gunshot wounds and traumatic injuries, helping first responders prevent prehospital deaths.

Raising Issues In Your Group or Offline

Team Building