The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

"CPR" â€" The Lifesaver of Ailing Groups By Chuck Bakur Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation? We are all aware of the three letters which refer to that method of helping someone with heart trouble. Have you ever wondered how to help your group when it gets into trouble? A few years back I belonged to a community group which I would classâ€" ify as being in trouble. There was ten- sion throughout the meetings. and after- wards. while people were getting into their cars to leave. I often overheard grumblings about the way things had just gone. The main theme of these grumblings was about the process that had just taken place. rather than about the programs. activities and purpose of the group. Everyone really believed in the cause of our group. yet something was wrong. CPR - what do those initials have to do with groups? Nothing quite as dramatic as the original meaning. but still handy to remember if you happen to be a group chair: C stands for Con- tent: P stands for Process; and. R stands for Relationships! Content What is it that the group is talking about. doing or involved with during this meeting or getâ€"together? Do we have all the necessary facts. documents. reports. expertise. etc.. to get the job done? Do we know what we are doing, or what we are talking about? (How can I as chairperson ensure a ‘yes‘ answer to these questions?) Process How is the task being accomplished? Is everyone involved equally and fairâ€" ly? Does everyone have input? What method of decisionemaking is being used? Are the creature comforts being attended to (room temperature. physical setvup. etc.). Does the agenda allow for those who take in information best by seeing it (hand-outs. visuals)? Or does it better suit those who prefer learning by hear- ing it (discussion. verbal reports)? The best agenda has a balance of styles beâ€" cause not everyone in your group will be good at both. And some really prefer a hands-on method as the third learning style. They don't enjoy either reading or listening. but rather working With their hands. You might try demonstraâ€" tions or tours as an alternate method of sharing information in your group. Relationships Is there harmony in your group? Why did members join. and are their needs being met? Are the dominators and the shy people being treated equal- ly. or are only a few people doing all the talking? How many breaks in the meet- ing are being allowed to give members a chance to stretch and talk with each other about something other than the task at hand? Most organizations are very task- oriented (content). and pay a lot less attention to the process and relation- ship components of a group gathering. Our community group was guilty ofthis very problem. The chair was con- centrating on the task to be ac- complished at each meeting. trying to get through the agenda. In the mean- time. only the same few people were being heard. and many were feeling left out as a result. Here's a method of increasing the involvement of all members. helping to build both the process and relation- ships at the same time. Reaching Consensus Many meetings use Parliamentary Procedures to reach decisions. Making a motion. seconding and amending it. then voting in favour or against can be a good way of getting through the agenda. The people who don‘t know the ‘rules‘ or who may be too timid to suggest a motion. however, may not feel very comfortable with this method. The second problem with ‘majority rule” as a way of making decisions is that if the majority is 51%. then poten- tially 49% of the group will not agree with the decision. and may actually resent it. There are manygood reasons to use parliamentary rules of order during a meeting. but there may be a price attached. If you use a consensus technique. then ailmembers are actively involved in the discusston of issues surroundin the problem. The group pools figs knowledge and experience, and the final decision must be supponed by each member before it is declared ac'. ceptable. When your group reaches the point where each person can say. "Well even though it may not be exactly whuj 1 want. at least I can live with the idea and will support it." it has reached con. sensus. This method of making decisions i: a little slower and a little more tedious. but can work for your group under many different circumstances. Here are some tips to help your group reach a consensus. 1. Help members prepare their posi- tion as well as possible before the problem is discussed. Listen carefully to the views of others - be sure that their viewpoint is heard. understood and considered before moving to another. 3. Express your own opinion and et- plain it fully. so that the rest of the group has the benefit ofyourthinlt- ing. 4. Explore the views of as man} members as possible. and give everyone a chance to be heard. 5. Look for a most acceptable soluâ€" tion - everyone should come out a winner; there should be no losers 6. Deal with conflict front a positive point of view. If the members of the group are willing to disagree. ll means that the group is committed to the task; and the group is able to test how good the idea is and ensure that many possibilities are heng heard. 7. Do not use conflict reducing tech- niques, such as voting or negotia- tion. as tempting as these methods might be. to break a stalemate. Pack this method of reaching consen- sus away in your kit bag for future LISt‘l it may be just the CPR your gTOUP needs! [‘9 Chuck Bokor' is a Rural Leadership Consultant with the Ontario M tntrtty Hf Agriculture and Food. Guelph. 6 Haflt C March, April. May l99l