Expert Power

According to the book by Harris and Sherblom, having ability to access particular information that is valued generates expert Power.  To the extent that a group has a problem to solve that involves an understanding of technical, regulatory, political or other specialized information those with that information will be in position to exercise their power to guide and influence the group discussion and decision making.

For eg: in the community group looking for solutions to its solid waste disposal problem, a trash hauler for the community may have expert power. That person knows the amount and content of the trash that needs to be disposed of, and this information becomes a vital element in the decision making process.  However it is important to keep the power of that person in perspective of the problem so that it doesn’t ride over the larger goals of the group process. However, it frequently is easy for those who hold expert power to abuse it by directing it, consciously or unconsciously toward some measure of personal growth.

Conflict

Collaborative conflict resolution:  I got into conflict on email with another parent of my older daughter’s class recently.  It happened so that I had signed up for volunteering in my daughter’s class for an ABC program.  I was in touch with the class teacher and we scheduled a date for the session.  When emails went about the session, this woman came out of blue and emailed me asking for cancelation of the session because she had signed for volunteering as well and she could not make it on that day.  I was annoyed for where was she all this while, when I was in communication about the program with our class teacher.   She kept sending emails explaining when she had signed up, and finally asking me to go ahead by myself coz she would back out. At this point instead of making the situation worse, I collaborated with her by giving her an option that will work perfect with both of us.  I told her we could take alternate sessions if we cannot make it on each other’s timings and that way we get to volunteer with breaks.  She immediately agreed with me on this and we resolved our conflict collaboratively.

Competitive conflict resolution: Last year when I was travelling to my home country, a gentle man in the flight kept all his hand carry luggage above my seat without leaving any space for my bags.  When I came to get my seat, my overhead shelf was full.  I asked who’s stuff was it and tried to move it, but he did not claim his bags.  So I called the stewardess and she started helping me remove those bags to put my bags in.  When she asked whose bags where those to put them in the lofts in the back of the plane, this guy started yelling at me.  The flight stewardess told him the space above your chair is ideally yours and anything else you can try and fit towards the end of the flight.  He had to go back to put his bags behind.  I felt happy about wining the conflict.

Colloquium my choice

According to Harris and Sherblom, ch 11 there are different forms of public presentation as follows:

Forum:  provides a format for speaking and listening to a larger audience.  It is a form of public discussion in which the full audience participates, examining a topic or problem after a short presentation by the group.

Panel:  is a public format in which a group of four to eight experts discusses a problem or decision in front of the audience.  The discussion often follows the problem solving format but uses an informal, sometimes humorous, style of interaction to keep the audience’s attention and to effectively share information that may be technical in nature.

The Colloquium:  is a form of public discussion in which a group of three to six experts usually chosen for their divergent views, discuss a problem, following the problem solving format, in front of an audience with a moderator facilitating their interaction.

The Symposium: provides a format for series of two to six brief speeches made on different aspects of a complex and difficult problem.

I prefer the colloquium form of public discussion because it frequently opens with short position or opinion statements by exerts and then shifts to a more interactive public discussion of the issues with audience participation, shifting back to comments by one or more of the experts and returning back to the audience.  Thus  colloquium offers a chance for both the parties to open up with their views and opinions.

Superiority versus Equality

In any group there are bound to be differences in experience, training, knowledge, status, or power.  In spite of these differences every body in the group should be encouraged to participate in giving inputs.  People who consider themselves superior over others because of any of the above mentioned traits, actually shut those with less power, influence, or expertise out of the process, to the detriment of all (Harris & Sherblom, 2011).

For an effective group process there has to be sense of equality.  Asking everyone for their perspective on the main issue is the best way to go about because sometimes the most unlikely person comes up with great creative insights.  In the best interest of the group all members should be encouraged to participate in the group (Harris & Sherblom, 2011).

In places where superiority plays over equality the members with less power develop a complex and the group as a whole misses on important insights.  Whereas the group that supports equality fosters equal participation by all members in voicing their opinions, and ideas to make the process more vibrant.

Cultural Barriers

Cultural Barriers in creativity include

1.     Requirement of conformity

2.     An expectation of practicality and efficiency

3.     Particular arenas for competition or cooperation

4.     Expectation of politeness and following rules of social order

5.     Reliance on statistical proofs, a trust in power of reason and logic

I think when a person does something unconventional; he is mocked, or not accepted by the society.  In fact whoever goes on this unconventional path becomes the rebel of the society because he dares to try something new like never done before.

Culture teaches us all that is considered right and wrong. I want to talk about my own example here, I belong to the Indian culture, which regards arranged marriage. Accordingly my parents had though of getting me married to a suitable man of their choice.  However, I refused all their proposals because I loved someone else and wanted to marry him by my choice.  I convinced my parents somehow, and in the end my parents agreed, but were criticized in my family for encouraging me in breaking the norms of our culture.  After seeing me marry as per my wish and my life thereafter all my cousins followed my path, and, now it is no more a cultural stigma.  So to start with, the one who breaks the cultural barrier becomes the rebel, but once he proves himself all others follow the path and call him dare devil for opting  creative ways.