Group Goals, Communication, Decision Making, Controversy and Essay

Group Goals, Communication, Decision Making, Controversy and Creativity - Essay Example Background on Assessment of Group Goals From the previous diagnosis, it was found that as the group’s leader governing the participation of the advisory board composed of eight executive directors at the affiliated dental schools, the group goals were deemed to be weak in the areas of clarity, operability, relevance, and interdependence and commitment of group members. Despite being deemed to be understood by all members, the goals were not explicitly and formally written; were universal and generalized in nature; defined in abstract terms; with members exhibiting high cohesiveness but low in performance. In this regard, the recommendations are hereby detailed according to the set categories: Goals In the next general meeting to be scheduled this July 2011, as the group’s leader, I would prioritize in the agenda the need to explicitly state and formally write the goals of the group with identified time frames. As previously noted, the group goals which were assumed to b e clearly and explicitly understood are: student growth, integrity, student training for entry-level jobs in the dental field, financial strength (profit), compliance with state and federal regulations, and student outcomes (graduation and employment for our students). These generally stated abstractly defined goals should be stated as follows: Student Growth: we should envision increasing the number of students by 20% for the next school year, 2011 – 2012. Financial Strength: dental schools should aim to generate at least 35% net profits by the end of the fiscal year, 2011. Integrity: Members and associates are expected to adhere and conform to ethical standards, moral principles, uprightness, honesty and sincerity at all times. Student Training: Upon entry-level, students are encouraged to undergo specifically designed training programs to increase competency and qualifications in their fields of endeavor. Compliance with Regulations: Members and associates are expected to adhere and conform to state and federal regulations in the governance of the affiliated dental schools. Student Outcomes: Members and associates would seek affiliations with private and public institutions for possible employment of graduates from respective dental schools and target to assist more than 50% of graduates for future careers by 2012. Communication An open communication is always encouraged among group members to ensure that issues and concerns are immediately brought to light and could be discussed and resolved in the next scheduled meeting. While the ultimate goal of communication is to share meanings, it is also to share them in order to arrive at the outcome for which communication is intended. Communication is intended to elicit action towards the achievement of certain goals. The sender must clarify the goals if action is to be possible at all. According to Carnes (2010), â€Å"for a group to achieve a goal, three things have to happen. Goals must be formulated e ffectively according to sound goal-setting principles. Goals must be effectively communicated to every team member. Finally, team members must feel that they "own" these goals† (par. 1). Papa (2011) validated the importance of clearly setting goals in the