Group Communication

Group communication is the exchange of information and ideas between individuals using interpersonal skills. There are several ways in which groups can communicate for example phone calls, emails, face-to face conversations, and memos to name a few. In order for group communication to be successful each team member has to actively participate, listen, deal with conflict, and respect others opinions. Communicating in groups is a skill that is learned at a young age that continues to develop as we mature into adults. The communication skills that are learned can be used in any group situation whether it is at school, work, and everyday life.
A difference between group communication and individual communication is that group communication is dependent on the interpersonal skills of several individuals; whereas individual communication is reliant on the interpersonal skills of one individual. Group interactions focus on different dimensions. These dimensions being Informational dimensions, Procedural dimensions, and Interpersonal dimensions. Some of the focuses of these dimensions are focusing on the content, focusing on the method, process, and focusing on people. “Different kinds of communication dominate during these stages of the life of a task group: formation, coordination, and formalization.” During the formation stage the team meets and begins to define their task as well as establish ground rules. The second and longest phase is the coordination phase in which most of the group’s work in done. Direction and friendliness is maintained through procedural and interpersonal comments however the majority of comments provide information. The last phase is formalization in which the group makes a decision and implements