Facilitating Group Interaction

DOE-HDBK-1076-94

Members should focus on offering constructive suggestions rather than negative

criticisms or comments. This means that each member must listen carefully to

the views and comments of others.

Task statements should be accepted as soon as a consensus is reached on them.

Group consensus occurs when the entire team can accept a decision that is made.

If consensus is not readily reached, record the task and come back to it at the end

of the session. Subsequent discussion may help clear up any issues the group

may have.

Members should use references AFTER brainstorming to ensure that no tasks have

been missed.

Any observers who are present CANNOT participate.

All task statements should begin with an action verb and should reflect observable

worker performances.

4.3.1.7 Facilitating Group Interaction. Two major responsibilities should be dealt with

concurrently as the next phase of the TTJA session begins. Immediately following the

orientation to TTJA, the facilitator should simultaneously begin facilitating group

interaction and constructing the TTJA task list.

A TTJA facilitator must cultivate and use his/her interpersonal skills. Basically, the

TTJA process requires the facilitator to guide the participation and interaction of team

members in a specific sequence through brainstorming and consensus-seeking activities.

At the same time, the facilitator must enforce the basic ground rules of brainstorming and

adhere to the basic principles of TTJA.

Because a facilitator is responsible for facilitating many small-group brainstorming

sessions, the rules for productive brainstorming during a TTJA session are summarized

here.

The facilitator should:

Stay focused on the group process "how are they accomplishing their task"

Encourage each team member to contribute