Group Diagnostic MeetingsGroup diag

Group Diagnostic MeetingsGroup diagnostic meetings are usually held by organizational "family" groups consisting of a supervisor and his or her immediate subordinates. The purpose of the diagnostic meeting is lot to solve problems but simply to identify them and decide which are the most crucial Solutions come later and may involve further interventions.Group diagnostic meetings usually require an outside consultant to facilitate the discussion however, supervisors can serve just as well if they possess adequate interpersonal skills and are not overly defensive. Being able to conduct a group diagnostic meeting is a valuable supervisory skill, but it is easy for a supervisor to feel defensive during the meeting since the discussion focuses on such questions as "What are we doing right? ""What are we doing wrong?" Are we taking advantage of our opportunities? What problems do we need to address? ""How good are our relationships with each other.A group diagnostic meeting consists of an open discussion of the group's problems. If there are intense hostilities or if the group is too large for everyone to participate, the group may be divided into small subgroups. The subgrouping could be as small as peers who interview each other and then report to the total group. Typically, the problems are written on chalkboard or on large pieces of paper taped to the walls. The group members discuss the problems, sharing their feelings about the cause of each problem and its seriousness.The outcome of a group diagnostic meeting should be a careful analysis of the group's problems and a priority ranking showing which problems are the most crucial. Formal scaling procedures have been proposed to help the group evaluate the problems. Later interventions may involve the group in generating and implementing solutions to the problems, but the goal of the diagnostic meetings is simply problem diagnosis. If the group members discuss the problems, sharing their feelings about the cause of each problem and its seriousness, many problems can be resolved without further interventions.