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Group Development. “ Coming together is a beginning; Keeping together is progress; Working together is success.” Henry Ford. Classifying Groups. Work Groups interact to share information Decisions help each member perform within own area
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“Coming together is a beginning; Keeping together is progress; Working together is success.” Henry Ford
Classifying Groups • Work Groups • interact to share information • Decisions help each member perform within own area • Does not engage in collective work that needs everyone’s participation • Performance is based on the total of everyone’s participation • Work Teams • Individuals with complementary skills working towards a common result • Leader is the project manager
It is generally accepted that groups and teams pass through five specific developmental stages They don’t always pass through each step in sequence There may be times when groups can revert back or skip a step Group Development
Forming Storming Norming Performing Adjourning
Group members: • Have just been introduced • Familiarizing themselves • “Testing the waters” • Uncertainty about the group’s • purpose, structure, and • leadership Forming
Infighting • Quite volatile • Conflict, open rebellion, power struggles • Acceptance of the existence of the group but resistance of the constraints • Conflict over who will lead • Completion: • Hierarchy of team leadership • Some groups never completely emerge Storming
Development of: • Close relationships • Cohesiveness and cooperation • Group identity • Camaraderie • Increased organization • Development of norms • Acceptable standards of behaviour, goals, or values • Completion: • Solid group structure • Recognition of norms Norming
Significant task progress being accomplished • Coming together well to perform individual functions • Team structure completely functional and acceptable • Leader’s ultimate goal performing
In temporary work teams • Assigned task completed • Disbandment • Wrapping up activities replace task performance • Members: • Happy the job has been completed OR • Sense of loss of the team camaraderie OR • Reforming – begin different project adjourning
This task will have you identifying the stage of group development that is being described Complete “where are We Know?”
Mutual trust among members • Present in high-performance teams • Fragile • Takes a long time to develop • Can be easily destroyed • Hard to regain once it has been lost • Five key dimensions → Organizational Trust Integrity Competence Consistency Loyalty Openness
Honesty and truthfulness • Most important when someone assesses another’s trustworthiness integrity
Technical and human relations skills Followers respect the competent leader and trust that person’s ability to carry out his responsibilities competence
Predictability, reliability, and good judgment in handling situations • Followers notice if a leader does not practice what he/she preaches • Act consistently across situations and treat people equally consistency
Willingness to protect and save face for another person • One can depend on a person that does not act in his own best interest behind your back loyalty
Overall willingness of a leader to share ideas, information, and feelings freely • Suggestions: • Tell the absolute truth • Be fair with team members • Keep your promises • Be consistent in your actions • Maintain confidence • Practice openness • Speak your true feelings • Be confident in your role as leader openness
The Group Decision-Making Process The Group Decision-Making Process
Advantages: • Fast • Clearer accountability • More consistent decisions • When the decision is relatively unimportant and doesn’t require members’ input for success • When all the information required is available Individual Decision Making
Almost always superior over individual decisions • Advantages: • More complete information and knowledge • Higher-quality decisions • Group consensus is the optimum • Less efficient because they use up more time and resources to come to an ultimate decision Group Decision Making
Desire for consensus overrides the best possible viewpoint for solving the problem • Symptoms include: • Rationalizing resistance • Pressuring of hesitant members • Those who question the group opinion remain silent • Silence interpreted as “yes” • Leads to poor decision making Groupthink
Overcoming pressures to conformity and generating ideas or alternatives • Members “freewheel” as many suggestions and alternatives as possible • No criticism is allowed • Every alternative is recorded • Each individual in the group silently and independently ranks different ideas presented • The final group decision = solution with the highest aggregate rating Brainstorming