Finding consensus in a group can be challenging. Is it better to do it over chat or face to face? The answer might surprise you.
Talking Points:
- A study was conducted with students where they had to come to an unanimous decision about what to eat for lunch. One group had to work through it in a group chat and the other a face to face conversation.
- The results were surprising. The group chat group was able to get to a consensus in the allotted time but the face to face group failed to reach consensus.
- The chat group had less distraction and they were able to scroll up to refer to the opinions of the group whereas the face to face group resorted to just talking over each other.
Discussion:
- Initial reactions to this topic? What jumped out at you?
- Describe a time you had to make a decision in a group setting. How did it go? What worked and what was frustrating?
- Why is it hard to reach consensus in a group?
- What are some pros to communicating through a group chat? What are some cons?
- What are some pros to face to face communication? What are some cons?
- Are there certain topics better dealt with in a chat rather than in person? Explain.
- Are there certain topics better dealt with in a face to face conversation? Explain.
- Is there a step you need to take based on today’s topic?
