For many tasks, groups have access to a greater collection of resources than do most individuals. Sometimes the resources involve physical effort. [For example, three or four people can put up a tent or dig a ditch better than a lone person.]

Another benefit of group work is the increased likelihood of catching errors. At one time or another, we all make stupid mistakes, like the man who built a boat in his basement and then wasn't able to get it out the door. Working in a group can help prevent foolish errors like this.

Besides coming up with superior solutions, groups also generate a higher commitment to carrying them out. Members are most likely to accept solu- tions they have helped create and to work harder to carry out those solutions.

Working with others allows us to consider approaches and solutions we might not think of otherwise. Although diversity is a benefit of teamwork, it requires special effort, espe- cially when members come from different cultural backgrounds. [For example, in teams that consist of both Asian-born and American-born members, Ameri- cans do most of the talking and are more likely than their Asian teammates to interrupt.]

Participation decision making: A process in which people contribute to the decisions that will affect them.

Some jobs are simply too big for one person to manage. They may call for more information than a single person possesses or can gather. For example, a group of friends planning a large New Year's party will probably have a better event if they pool their ideas than if one person tries to think of everything.

Remember that a group is more than a collection of individuals working side by side. The best tasks for groups are ones in which members can help one another in some way. Think of a group of disgruntled renters considering how to protest unfair landlords. In order to get anywhere, they realize that they have to assign areas of responsibility to each member, such as researching the law, getting new members, and publicizing their complaints.

Groups are best suited to tackling problems that have no single, straightforward answer. [For example, phoning merchants to get price quotes and looking up a series of books in the library don't require much creative thinking.]

Tackling a problem as a group is essential if you need the support of everyone involved. Consider a group of friends planning a vacation. Letting one or two people choose the destination, schedule, and budget would be asking for trouble because their decisions would almost certainly disappoint at least some of the people who weren't consulted. It would be far smarter to involve everyone in the most important decisions, even if doing so took more time.

Build Cohesiveness: The degree to which members feel connected with and committed to their group is known as cohesiveness.

Highly cohesive groups communicate differently than less cohe- sive ones.

When group members become familiar with one another's positions and tentatively volunteer their own.

When group members openly defend their positions and question those of others.

When the number of members is too large for effective discussion, breakout groups can be used to maximize effective participation.

Sponsoring organizations often use focus groups to learn how potential users or the public at large regards a new product or idea.

Problem-solving meetings can follow a variety of for- mats. A session that uses parliamentary procedure observes specific rules about how topics may be discussed and decisions made.

In which the participants discuss the topic informally, much as they would in an ordinary conversation.

In a symposium the participants divide the topic in a manner that allows each member to deliver in-depth information without interruption.

A forum allows nonmembers to add their opinions to the group's deliberations before the group makes a decision.

A process in which people let go of the notion that their ideas are more correct or superior to others' and instead seek to understand an issue from many different perspectives.

Perhaps the most valuable lesson is that online meetings should not entirely replace face-to-face ones, but they can supplement in-person sessions. Combining the two forms of interaction can help groups operate both efficiently and effectively.