Jessica Thompson

University of Utah

Group Decision Making: Strategies for Success

Scholars and professional meeting facilitators have developed a number of group decision-making techniques designed to help groups work more effectively in meetings. Research has shown that these techniques make a difference. In fact, groups that use such techniques are more satisfied with their decisions and more committed to their implementation. This seminar will introduce you to many of these widely used techniques, such as The Nominal Group Technique, Synectics, Buzz Sessions and many more. We will also explore some of the barriers, challenges and opportunities teams face when engaging in collaborative decision-making. Ultimately, this seminar will provide you with tools to facilitate the small group decision-making process and strategies to invite and embrace creativity among your team members. 

Biography:

Jessica Thompson is a doctoral candidate and teaching fellow in the Department of Communication at the University of Utah, where she is currently completing her dissertation research on interdisciplinary team dynamics. While at the University of Utah she has taught a variety of courses including: "Group Decision Making," "Communication & Social Responsibility" and "Negotiation and Interviewing." She also is a National Science Foundation (I.G.E.R.T.) fellow in the College of Engineering, where she co-instructs three graduate seminars, "Leadership & Ethics," "Communication & Teamwork" and "Creativity." 

Jessica earned her bachelor's degree in Speech Communication and Public Relations from Northern Michigan University in 2001 and then worked as a public policy and public relations intern in Washington, D.C. She moved to Salt Lake City to pursue graduate studies in Environmental Communication and Conflict Resolution. She earned a master's degree in 2003, and completed an interdisciplinary certificate in Adaptive Management of Environmental Systems in 2004. A portion of her thesis was awarded the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication First Annual Lori Eason Prize, and was recently published in Science Communication. Her dissertation research has been supported by a grant from the National Science Foundation, Biocomplexity in the Environment Program, (award number ATM 02157658). She has published her research in many competitive, scholarly journals including Science Communication, Nieman Reports of the Foundation for Journalism at Harvard University, System Dynamics Society Proceedings, and Environmental Communication: A Journal of Nature and Culture. 

Jessica will graduate with her doctorate in Communication in May 2007. She has recently been offered a tenure-track teaching position at a large research institution in the Midwest, but has not made a decision (ironically) regarding her future career plans.