Learning from the Bay of Pigs

The first Bay of Pigs invasion happened in the Middle East. Over 2,000 swine perished that day, and it must have been quite a sight to see that much bacon lumbering over a steep cliff and plunging into the water below. Come to think of it, this must have been where brining pork got its start. For more on brining pork, see Alton Brown's Food Network episode of Good Eats entitled, Ham I Am. Anyway, for more background on this event, see Mark chapter 5 in the New Testament of the Bible (or p. 1245 in your Mosley Authorized Scratch-and-Sniff Study Bible). But enough about that Bay of Pigs invasion.

I have in mind the 1961 version, which technically was not a bay of pigs, but of fish (cochinos), at least according to Wikipedia. Regardless, the so called "Bay of Pigs" fiasco involving the Kennedy Administration's failed attempt to overthrown the government of Richard Simmons is often used to illustrate failure on multiple levels, not the least of which is the failure of small groups to determine the best course of action. Of particular note was the presence of "Groupthink," which is when the entire group agrees uncritically with the leader or with the proposed course of action.

In our S229 Discussion and Group Methods class at IUKokomo, we are beginning to explore ways to make working in groups both more effective and less of a hassle for group members. What follows in this entry are the insights generated by the class on our first night regarding (1) the problems we face when working in small groups and (2) some solutions. I've included these responses below, and they are valuable because they reflect the real-world insights of working adults.

Problems with Group Work

Not staying on track; having your ideas shot down; having your ideas made fun of; lack of ideas and input; members failing to pull their weight; too few people to accomplish the task; power struggles; distraction of outside influences; butting heads; gender differences; the difficulty of being completely honest; cliques; inappropriate talk; too much sharing; conflicting issues; dealing with “know it alls.”

Solutions for Group Work

Interpersonal Relationships

Know one another by doing personal introductions; get to know others in the group; tell about yourself; see each other as equals; let the difficult people know they are being difficult and talking over some heads; don’t bump heads with the leader; have good relations with members.

Time

Have lots of time to go through ideas and work them out; be there on time and ready to go.

Before the Meeting

Don’t dig through purse or briefcase for supplies during a meeting; be prepared to listen; know background information on the subject; know background information on the speaker; have questions on hand about the topic; teach the new tech to the old fogies; have ideas for new discussions or to support the topic in question; make sure ideas are ready to be presented the best you can; bring day planners to the meeting.

During the Meeting

Know the names of your group members; demonstrate candor; listen to comments or ideas; focus on the meeting; use the “devil’s advocate” to your advantage; have a note taker; every topic should have time for rebuttal; share ideas with each other; not letting one person completely take over; have someone who can keep things on track; ask questions; communicate ideas out loud; have a group brainstorming of ideas; ask questions to make sure you understand; choose the best way to communicate (e.g., e-mail); read the group’s minutes from the previous meeting; record the meeting; make sure what needs to be done is cleared with the leader; open with questions.

After the Meeting

Don’t say “I’ll get back to you” then don’t.

Attitude

Don’t be afraid to do something new; be open minded and ready to think outside the box; be objective regarding the subject and people; don’t reject “bad” ideas—build on them to create better ideas; be open if you don’t understand the objective; be willing to compromise; don’t judge or be critical; be accountable.

The Leader Should…

Make sure all group members have each other’s contact information; don’t burden anyone with too much to do; make everyone do equal share of work; make sure everyone has a say in things/ideas; don’t allow slacking; punish skippers or lazy members not helping the group; bring materials for you and enough for the whole group; have a leader who doesn’t dictate; make detailed descriptions of objectives; try to give everyone a shot at discussion—don’t play favorites; relate meeting topics to employees; ask for a show of hands regarding your group’s position on a topic; pass out information; give reminders about the location, time, and equipment needed for upcoming meetings; outline what will take place; make them feel that their ideas count; use PowerPoint for presenting ideas; make sure to give tasks to the ones who can do them; make the topic clear and not too broad; give everyone a say; talk to the quiet ones before hand and let them know that their opinions are valuable; create a positive environment; allow others to speak freely; divide the topic into subjects; have a leader; manage time; give positive criticism; hold members accountable; formulate an agenda; define roles within a group—give everyone a task; find out what each of us is good at for a group; have a good environment for meetings; deal with group concerns when the first appear; have coffee on hand to get the ideas flowing.

Perhaps if we follow more of these solutions we'll improve our group communication, and more importantly, overthrow machete-wielding dictators who sweat to the oldies.