This competency enables the learner to:
Representing the Group is accurately communicating to non-group members the sum of group members' feelings, ideas, etc., and vice versa. A leader must represent his team on a great variety of issues. Some of these issues and the need for a decision representing group interests will be known in advance; others will not be.
Under any circumstances, to faithfully represent the group, you must:
Representing the Group is more an art than an exact science. When the requirement to represent a group regarding a specific issue is known beforehand, then the entire representation issue is much more manageable. It's an issue requiring decision-making skill.
If you are effective at representing your group, you will positively influence their attitude, motivation, and enthusiasm. They will come to feel that what they think matters, that the ideas they develop are good, and that they are making a positive contribution to the entire group.
Before you can effectively represent the group:
| Representing the Group Reaction Scale | |||||
| Member's behavior |
"Cool!" "Let's do it!" "That'd be great!" "All right!" "Yeah!" |
"OK." "Yes." "Sure." "Sounds good." "That would work." |
"I don't know." "I don't care." "Maybe." "Yeah." "Tell me more." "Whatever." |
"No." |
"No way." "Never." "Not in a million years." "Absolutely not." |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type of response |
Enthusiasm | Compliance | Indifference | Resistance | Refusal |
| Group Answer |
Yes! | Yes | Maybe | No | No! |
As you listen to group members talk, be sensitive to their needs and characteristics. Don't ever make fun of an idea, or dismiss it out of hand. Use your Counseling skills and listen. Focus on the positive and keep things moving. Use your competence at Problem-Solving to help the group make a decision.
Once you've developed an assessment of the group's commitment to the decision, you can specifically ask them how much room you have to maneuver when it comes time to meet with the other groups. You may pose some "if/then" scenarios to them: "If they want to do such-and-so, then would it be okay if..." and so forth.
If the group is not locked into one option, you may be able to take several acceptable ideas to the group representatives for consideration. When group members are compliant, indifferent, or resistant to a decision, they may decide to ask you as their leader to represent them as uncommitted.
When you meet with the other group representatives, you also need to weigh your group's commitment as you assess the other patrols' commitment to their ideas. You can use a chart like that Table 14-2 below to help you decide.
| Assessing group representatives' commitment to a decision | ||||
| Situation | Your group is: | Other groups are: | Your group is: |
Your action: |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1
|
Enthusiastically for | Decidedly against | Committed | ? |
|
2
|
Decidedly against | Indifferent | Committed | ? |
|
3
|
Indifferent | Enthusiastically for | Uncommitted | ? |
|
4
|
Enthusiastically for | Indifferent | Committed | ? |
|
5
|
Resistant | Indifferent | Uncommitted | ? |
|
6
|
Compliant | Decidedly against | Uncommitted | ? |
Once your group has made a decision, you as their leader are committed to it, even if you personally think and feel otherwise. Your time to voice your personal opinion is within the patrol. As their representative, you are now their voice. You do not speak for yourself.
Obviously every decision and situation is unique with situational factors affecting your decision as the representative for the your group. If, for example, your group is wholeheartedly and unreservedly committed to their decision, but it is rejected by the other group representatives, given the option to do so, you must return to your group and ask them to reconsider. (Situations 1, 2, and 4.)
If the group was neither decidedly against or for a particular idea, then you as their representative might ask the group if you can represent them as uncommitted and work with the other representatives to find the best solution. (Situations 3, 5, and 6.)
Assuming the decision has been made to everyone's satisfaction, the representative simply bears the responsibility to represent his team thoughtfully and accurately. (He uses the Getting and Giving Information competency.)
When representing the group, you must be able to:
If new information surfaces, then a second decision may be called for, if permitted.
After representing the group:
When advance notice is not available, representation rises to an art form.
Sometimes you are faced with the potentially uncomfortable situation of representing your group without first having had a chance to seek their opinion. Depending on the trust and respect they have developed for you and the complexity of the decision you have to make, you may or may not have an easy time of it. If you only have to decide what the menu will be for the next meal, that's one thing. But if you are asked to make a decision affecting how others, for example, will spend their money--be careful!
Consider these questions before proceeding:
Are the representative and the leader necessarily one and the same? Not necessarily. As the leader you are responsible and accountable for all decisions. Thus, you probably should not delegate critical decisions. You are the leader because of your high level of interpersonal skills, your tact, fairness, sensitivity and knowledge of team members and the job. These skills are especially important when making high-powered decisions which have long-lasting implications.
You may choose to delegate non-critical issues, asking someone else to represent the group. This is a good opportunity to give others opportunity to practice and improve their competence in Representing the Group. This also enables others to grow in leadership competency, helping in turn the entire group to prosper.
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