Working in Groups

1. Human Relations Working in Groups

2. What is a Group? Human Relations • A unit of two or more people. • Members interacting and coordinating their work. • Members accomplishing a performance goals.

3. Human Relations Benefits of Groups • Level of Effort: groups often unleash enormous energy and creativity. • Satisfaction of Members: groups reduce boredom and often increase people’s feelings of dignity and self-worth. • Expanded Knowledge and Skills: groups gain the intellectual resources of several members.

4. Group EffectivenessBased on Two Outcomes Human Relations Productive Output Personal Satisfaction 1 2

5. Formal Work Groups Human Relations Vertical: • Composed of manager and subordinates in a formal chain of command. • Sometimes called a functional team. • May include three or four levels.

6. Formal Work Groups Human Relations Horizontal: • Drawn from several departments • Given a specific task • May be disbanded after the task assignment is complete • Two most common types of teams are: • Tasks forces • Committees

7. Task Force &Committee Advantages Human Relations • Allow for exchange of information. • Generate suggestions for coordinating units that are represented. • Development of new ideas and solutions for existing problems. • Assist in the development of new practices and policies.

8. Work Group Characteristics Two things to be aware of: • Size-- • Ideal size is thought to be 7. • Variations of from 5 to 12 typically are associated with good team performance. • Small teams (2-4 members) show more agreement, ask more questions. • Large teams (12 or more) tend to have more disagreements. • Member Roles-- • Task specialist role spend time and energy helping the team reach its goal. • Socio-emotional role support team members’ emotional needs.

9. High Member Task Behavior Low Low High Member Social Behavior Group Member Roles • Task Specialist Role • Focuses on task accomplishment • over human needs. • Important role, but if adopted by everyone, team’s social needs won’t be met. • Dual Role • Focuses on task and people. • May be a team leader. • Important role, but not essential if members adopt task specialist and socioemotional roles. • Socioemotional Role • Focuses on people needs of • team over task. • Important role, but if adopted by everyone, team’s tasks won’t be accomplished. • Nonparticipator Role • Contributes little to either task or • people needs of team. • Not an important role-if adopted by too many members, team will disband.

10. Five Stages of Team Development 1 Forming: Orientation, break the ice Leader: Facilitate social interchanges Storming: Conflict, disagreement Leader: Encourage participation 2 3 Norming: Establishment of order and cohesion Leader: Help clarify team roles, norms, values 4 Performing: Cooperation, problem solving Leader: Facilitate task accomplishment 5 Adjourning: Task completion Leader: Bring closure, signify completion

11. Rules of Goose, orHow to Lead • There are four rules of being a good goose: • Flocks of geese fly in a "V" formation because it is the most aerodynamically efficient formation for the flock as a whole. The beat of the leader's wings creates a pressure wave to either side, which the two following geese ride like surfers, and with a beat of their own wings, they add a little more energy to the wave and pass it on to the goose behind. • 2) When a goose moves out of formation, it immediately senses the loss of efficiency for the group and adjusts. • 3) There is no real leader. When the lead goose gets tired, it drops back and another goose which is rested steps up to the more demanding position. • 4) Geese constantly encourage the leader and each other while in flight. When geese honk, they are not saying hurry up, or get out of my way! Instead they are saying, "We are right behind you, and we appreciate the fine job you are doing."

12. Determinants ofGroup Cohesiveness Human Relations • Group interaction: the more time spent together, the more cohesive the group. • Shared goals: if members agree on goals, the group will be more cohesive. • Personal attraction to the group: similar attitudes and values, and enjoy being together.

13. Causes of Group Conflict • Scarce Resources: include money, information, and supplies. • Jurisdictional Ambiguities: conflicts emerge when job boundaries and responsibilities are unclear. • Communication Breakdown: poor communications result in misperceptions and misunderstandings of other people and teams. • Personality Clashes: personality clashes are caused by basic differences in personality, values, and attitudes. • Power and Status Differences: occur when one party has disputable influence over another. • Goal Differences: conflict often occurs simply because people are pursuing conflicting goals.

14. A Model of Styles to Handle Conflict Assertive Competing Collaborating Assertiveness (Attempting to Satisfy one’s own concerns) Compromising Avoiding Accommodating Unassertive Uncooperative Cooperative Cooperativeness (Attempting to satisfy the other party’s concerns)

15. Facilitating Communications Human Relations • Focus on facts • Develop multiple alternatives • Maintain a balance of power • Never force a consensus

16. Potential Cost of Groups Human Relations • Free Riding: team members who attains benefits from group membership but do not do a proportionate share. • Coordination Cost: time and energy required to coordinate the activities.

17. Avoiding Groupthink Human Relations • Ask all members to participate, especially if they have different views than those being adopted. • Welcome all ideas. “There are no dumb ideas!” • Ask one member to play “devils advocate”.