Chapter 9: Task/Work Groups

1. Chapter 9: Task/Work Groups Introduction to Group Work, 5th Edition Edited by David Capuzzi, Douglas R. Gross, and Mark D. Stauffer

2. Diversity Issues • In all groups there is potential for cultural bias. • Whether cultures are considered ethnic, political, religious, or geographic, different cultures attach different values to, and thus create, different norms, expectations, and methods for the way task groups are to be led and tasks are to be accomplished. • Task/work group leaders must incorporate multicultural competence into their group work effort.

3. The Concept of Working Together • A task group can be defined as a group that forms for a special purpose and meets the following four criteria: • Has an interaction of members • Has a stable pattern of relationships between the members • Has the sharing of common goals • Has members who perceive themselves as being a group (Greenberg & Baron) • The concept of task can be either ongoing or finite.

4. The Concept of Working Together • Task/work groups must direct their attention to context and emphasize meeting performance goals. • They must have externalized rather than internalized outcomes. • The externalized outcome is the reason for the group (e.g., a report, a recommendation, a performance, a project). • Group disbands upon task completion.

5. Task/Work Groups and Teams • All teams are groups but not all groups are teams. • Teams are highly specialized types of task/work groups whose function demands additional requirements of members, with the result being a product, performance, or other outcome that is unique to the team itself (e.g., a management plan, a performance, an athletic victory).

6. Task Group Performance Model • An open system, where specific attention is paid to the unique context in which the task/work group is to function • A performance-based framework, where the group is expected to produce something that is tangible through meeting clear performance demands • Focuses on the interventions selected by the leader to facilitate group process and outcomes

7. Task Group Performance Model • Leader choices are based on the complex interaction among three components: • The type of leader intervention (e.g., problem solving or group process) • The level of leader intervention (e.g., individual, interpersonal, group, or organizational) • The function of leader intervention (e.g., caring, meaning making, motivation, or managing)

8. Balancing Process and Content Model • Process is the way a task is tackled by the group. • Content is the actual goal of the group. • A balance of process and content is vital to the group. • Attaining balance is accomplished by careful attention to group dynamics during the warm-up, action, and closure phases.

9. Training Standards for Task/Work Group Leaders • Organized into five clusters (Conyne, Wilson, & Ward): • Teaching the definition of task groups • Teaching pre-group preparation • Teaching therapeutic dynamics and leader skills • Teaching research and evaluation in task groups • Teaching ethical practice in task groups

10. When Conflicts Arise • Conflict is important for task/work groups. • Conflicts and the effort to work effectively through them can do the following: • Foster sound decision making • Build trust among members • Unify divergent points of view

11. Issues That May Cause Conflict • Challenging members • Individualists • Discontents • Saboteurs • Burned-outs • Super-members • Faulty Agendas • Unreasonable tasks • Impossible deadlines • Competing agendas