A small group is made up of 3 to 13 people who get together to do a job, solve a problem, or maintain relationships. Effectiveness in small groups is essential to your career success, will save you time and money, will help you in college, and will help you personally to accomplish your own goals and projects.

Small groups vary from one culture to another, subscribe to norms, and have rules. The different types of groups vary from social groups, to task-oriented, information-sharing, and learning groups.

For small groups to be effective, they must have a workable size, an appropriate meeting place, suitable seating arrangements, and cohesiveness and commitment, and they must guard against groupthink—when members start to think too much alike. A team is a type of group that has two or more people, a specific goal to be attained, and a coordination of activity among the members is required for the attainment of the goal.

Most groups that meet together to solve problems use a problem-solving sequence to structure their work. A common sequence is that the group chooses a topic, identifies the problem, analyzes the problem, finds and evaluates solutions, and chooses the best solution. Small groups beyond those in the speech communication classroom also reevaluate solutions after some time has passed.

Participating in group discussion involves the use of both task and maintenance roles. Recognizing dysfunctional, or individual, roles will help both leaders and members suppress, control, or compensate for their influence.

Online discussion groups such as e-mail lists or mailing lists, Usenet newsgroups, bulletin boards, or Web conferencing and Web forums provide places to get suggestions and feedback, ask questions, test ideas, or just observe conversations by others around a particular topic. They require a focus and goals; must appeal to the tastes, interests, and needs of the community that they serve; and often, simply offer a place for people with similar backgrounds and interests to meet and discuss.