1.5 - About University

A FIVE- STEP PROCESS FOR ESTABLISHING GROUND RULES1. Explain the concept: What are ground rules? What are the benefits of making themexplicit? Provide examples of typical group concerns and how ground rules supporteffective group functioning.2. Brainstorm with the group: Visibly record a list of potential ground rules.3. Clarify and organize: Go back over the list to ensure understanding, then organize theitems into logical categories.4. Prioritize: Give each participant 10 votes; ask them to assign votes to the ground rulesthey think are most important for group functioning. Use the highest-rated ground rules.5. Monitor: Continually remind people of the ground rules. Keep them posted in thegroup’s meeting room.A DDITIONALTIPS✔✔Consider generating ground rules over a number of meetings, especially with groupsthat are unfamiliar with this leadership tool. Even if you only elicit a few obviousground rules at the first meeting, post these and refer to them at each successive groupmeeting. Also, at the start of each meeting, ask for additional ground rules that peoplemay wish to add to the list.When group difficulties arise, use the existing ground rules, and add additional groundrules as needed to overcome the difficulties. If the list of ground rules becomes toolong, prioritize and bring it back to a more manageable size. Finally, refer to the appropriateground rule(s) when making an intervention in the group. For example, when ameeting is not starting on time, you might say something like, “As we agreed in ourground rules, now that we’ve waited five minutes, we need to begin.”H OW TO USE THIS LEADERSHIP TOOLEighty percent of conflict is due to unclear expectations.Concerns about group meetings can range from participants coming late to groups failing toreach closure on decisions and plans. Posting a list of ground rules in the group’s meetingroom(s) can result in more effective meetings and sharply reduce frustrations. Here is a samplelist of ground rules.Ground Rules• We will start meetings on time. Late participants will contribute $1 to the charity fund.• Every meeting will have written Expected Results and an Agenda. We will rotate the responsibility forpreparing these.• Someone will summarize the decision or plan before we move on to a new topic.• Group decisions and plans will be visibly posted in our meeting room.• Only one person will talk at a time. No side conversations.• It is always okay to disagree or to present another point of view.• If someone becomes emotional over an issue, the next person must summarize before responding.• If you don’t agree, say so inside the meeting. Outside the meeting, everyone will support all decisionsthat were made in the meeting.• As many decisions as possible will be made by consensus.SECTION 10 TOOLS FOR LEADING TEAMS AND GROUPS 321