Digital Commons Network^™

The Pecking Order, Donelson R. Forsyth

Jepson School of Leadership Studies articles, book chapters and other publications

How can you increase your status? A clearly defined role and a central position in the group's communication network are essential. Good verbal skills and positive body language can help you make the right impression.

Effective Group Meetings And Decision Making, Donelson R. Forsyth

Jepson School of Leadership Studies articles, book chapters and other publications

An extraordinary amount of work and many types of decisions are handled by groups of people, for in group meetings we can pool our knowledge and abilities, give each other feedback about our ideas, and tackle problems that would overcome us if we faced them alone. Group members not only give us emotional and social support when meeting together, but they can stimulate us to become more creative, more insightful, and more committed to our goals.

Not every group, however, realizes all these positive consequences. Often we dread going to "committee meetings," "council sessions," and "discussion groups" because they take …