You\u2019ve downloaded Zoom. You\u2019ve logged in to your work meeting. You\u2019ve navigated your microphone and video settings and somehow managed to change your background.<\/p>\n
Now comes the hard part: communication.<\/p>\n
Online group meetings are subject to the same pitfalls and miscommunications of face-to-face groups, perhaps even more so. As the world rushed online to virtual meeting spaces during the coronavirus pandemic, two 51ÁÔÆæ graduate students began to wonder: How do group conflicts manifest online versus in person? How should group leaders manage those problems?<\/p>\n
Communication PhD candidate Jessica Kahlow and her co-author, Hanna Klecka, published a paper earlier this year exploring those questions. Klecka graduated from 51ÁÔÆæ with her master\u2019s degree in communication this spring. They and their mentor, Erin Ruppel, associate professor of communication, examined existing research about online and face-to-face meeting conflicts and found they needed to account for a new type of group.<\/p>\n
\u201cA more appropriate way to address or research these types of groups is actually looking at hybrid groups,\u201d Klecka said. \u201cFor the most part, that\u2019s the reality of today\u2019s world, and we\u2019ve seen that in a very aggressive way these past few months.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hybrid groups are those that work with a mix of face-to-face and online meetings. For example, a sales team that previously worked together in an office but now hosts meetings online would be considered a \u201chybrid group.\u201d<\/p>\n
By examining hybrid groups, Kahlow and Klecka found some best practices to make online meetings run smoothly. Group leaders should:<\/p>\n
\u201cSince there is, perhaps, more ambiguity with what to communicate or how to communicate, or what technology to use to communicate, establishing norms early is imperative because it sets up expectations,\u201d Klecka said.<\/p>\n
That might mean laying out rules for when microphones should be muted, for example, or establishing methods to make sure everyone has a chance to talk. With expectations clearly laid out, there will be less chance for conflicts to arise from miscommunications.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you\u2019re teaching, for example, you don\u2019t see the students before class or the ones who linger after class,\u201d Kahlow noted. \u201cThat happens in the workplace too; the discussions before and after meetings aren\u2019t as common, so it\u2019s important to know who to go to get a response.\u201d<\/p>\n
In fact, much of school or workplace dynamics rely on informal meetings in the hallway or popping by a coworker\u2019s cubicle. Without those small, in-person interactions, people need to make an effort to reach out beyond meetings if they have extra questions, Kahlow added.<\/p>\n
\u201cRight now, I work as a psychology lab manager. With my lab, we didn\u2019t have a lot of consistent meetings,\u201d Klecka said. \u201cOnce things changed, it felt needed to be more proactive in having standing meetings each week. Being proactive in \u2018forcing\u2019 communication was a significant change, and that, I think, helped us stay on the same page and not allow for the miscommunication or lack of communication.\u201d<\/p>\n
Despite their findings, Kahlow and Klecka agree that more research must be done in this area, especially as the pandemic continues and online meetings become more necessary and commonplace. There is a distinct lack of literature and research concerning hybrid groups, they noted.<\/p>\n
That might be a problem for schools as classes resume in the fall. With many institutions, including 51ÁÔÆæ, relying on online classes, there is plenty of potential for conflicts and miscommunications between teachers and students. Have patience, Klecka urged.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs someone who has taught online, (I\u2019ve noticed) students don\u2019t ask questions for clarification. In a classroom setting, if one person asks a question, everyone benefits and gets the answer,\u201d she said. \u201cThat doesn\u2019t always happen depending on what the class is or how the class is formatted in an online context. So, have patience and be proactive in communicating.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kahlow also encouraged students to make use of any \u201conline office hours\u201d that teachers and professors might offer, especially since students won\u2019t be able to informally ask questions before or after class.<\/p>\n
And, if conflicts do arise, the answer is simple: more communication.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
As the world rushed online to virtual meeting spaces during the coronavirus pandemic, two 51ÁÔÆæ graduate students began to wonder: How do group conflicts manifest online versus in person? How should group leaders manage those problems?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":785,"featured_media":85323,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","uwm_wg_additional_authors":[]},"categories":[174],"tags":[],"section":[132,246],"display_categories":[115,116],"related-coverage":[],"uwmnews-feed":[158,153],"class_list":["post-85322","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","section-business","section-business-world-affairs","display_categories-top-story-secondary","display_categories-top-story-section","uwmnews-feed-letters-science","uwmnews-feed-graduate"],"yoast_head":"\n