Small Group Communication Patterns

Written by: Red Williams

The patterns of communication within the group were extremely interesting to observe. Before the meeting actually got started, the women conversed amongst themselves with a great deal of ease. Although most of the discussions were along the lines of new recipes they had discovered or how they were progressing towards their goals, many of the pre-game talks had absolutely nothing to do with weight. In fact, the women felt so comfortable around each other that they were willing to discuss their personal lives with other group members. One woman told another how proud she was of her grandson who had gotten into some trouble with the law, but was back on feet and turning his life around.

This excessive ease of conversation was abruptly replaced by social anxiety when the meeting actually got started. The minute the leader stepped in front of the group, all but a select few members became instantly mute. Where there had been endless chatter before, there was complete silence. The first words out of the group leaders mouth were, "Does anyone have a success story to share?" Silence filled the room as the same women who a minute ago where chattering away, succumbed to group shyness. The same women who were just talking about their success stories, no longer felt comfortable sharing them in front of the entire group. It was obvious that the women felt much more comfortable sharing their feelings and goals in a one-on-one environment than they did in front of the entire group. Although this state anxiety didn't necessarily hinder the groups' productivity, the women might have found their time more rewarding if they had been able to overcome their fear of speaking in front of the group. This is not to say that every woman in the group was anxious about speaking during the meeting, but an overwhelming majority of them seemed to be. In fact, one or two of the more talkative ladies answered every questioned posed by the instructor, and the shyer women seemed to hide behind them.

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