INTRODUCTION
A significant shift is taking place in organizations throughout the world - a shift that has important implications for the skills that will be critical to your success both as a member of an organization and as a manager and leader. This shift involves increasing the emphasis on the group or team.
Today, most organizations embrace the notion of groups. Groups have become the core unit in many organizations. Part of this is based on the fact that groups are more effective in solving problems and learn more rapidly than individuals. Teams may be a necessary component of organizational success but their presence certainly doesn't guarantee success. Few managers have training or knowledge of group dynamics; many are quite apprehensive about groups and pessimistic about their value. Most of us are more comfortable managing individuals than groups and many of us are more comfortable working on our own than in a group.
DEFINITION
GROUP persons who are interacting with one another in such a manner that each person influences and is influenced by each person (typically they have a common goal).
BEHAVIOUR - the way a person behaves towards other people and manner of acting or conducting yourself.
TEAM - a small number of people with complementary skills committed to a common purpose, specific performance goals, a common working approach, and mutual accountability.
TYPES OF GROUPS
Most individuals belong to various types of groups. These different groups can be broadly classified into two types.
FORMAL GROUPS
Formal groups are those groups that are created to serve an organizational objective. They are intentionally designed to direct members towards important organizational goals. Formal groups can be classified into two types:
COMMAND GROUPS these are determined by the connections between individuals who are a formal part of the organization. These groups exist until a decision is made to change or reconfigure the organization.
TASK GROUPS these groups are specifically created by the organization to solve a problem or perform a definite task. Task groups are usually disbanded once the assigned task had been accomplished.
INFORMAL GROUPS
Informal groups are those groups that develop naturally among people without any direction from the organization within which they operate. These groups have few rules and procedures and are formed spontaneously. They have little structure or format. The different types of informal groups are:
INTEREST GROUPS these groups consist of persons who share common interests. They may be job related interests or non-work related interests.
FRIENDSHIP GROUPS these groups consist of individuals who come together because they share one or more common characteristics. They consist of people with natural affinities to one another.
STAGES OF GROUP DEVELOPMENT
Every group passes through different stages in its life cycle. These five different stages of group development are:
FORMING the group comes together and gets to initially know one other and form as a group. This is an important stage because it serves to clarify the team's mission and bond team members. Teams that pay attention to building the relationships as well as focusing on the task tend to do better than those that skip over relationship building.
STORMING
it results from differences between initial expectations and the reality of the situation as perceived by the members. Members may have varying opinions of what the group was to do and how to accomplish it. Members may feel anger or frustration with the task or with other members or may even resent the presence of formal leadership. Some groups, however, may become stuck in this stage and continue to be both demoralized and relatively unproductive.
NORMING
eventually agreement is reached on how the group operates Members are now resolving differences and clarifying the mission and roles. Members are less dissatisfied as in the previous stage because they are now learning more about each other and how they will work together. They are making progress toward their goals. They are developing tools to help them work better together.
ADJOURNING
the process of "un-forming" the group, that is, letting go of the group structure and moving on. Depending on the team's success in accomplishing its task and how strongly the members have bonded, this stage may reflect either a sense of loss or relief. When a team ends, time should be spent addressing how it should be done to properly recognize the team's accomplishments.
WHY DO PEOPLE JOIN GROUPS
People join groups for a variety of reasons. Most people join groups because different groups provide different benefits. Some of the benefits are:
STATUS individuals get recognition and status when they are members of groups, which are considered important by others. People look at them with respect.
SECURITY
groups may provide protection against a common enemy. By joining a group individuals feel stronger and are more resistant to threats.
POWER
power in numbers is achieved over individual power by group action.
SELF-ESTEEM being a member of a prestigious group increases self-esteem and gives you a feeling of self-worth.
GOAL ACHIEVEMENT
through knowledge, power, talents and resources people are able to achieve goals that may not be possible individually.
SATISFACTION OF NEEDS one of the most important reasons people join a group is to satisfy some need.
SHARED INTERESTS AND GOALS people join and form groups because of shared activities and interests. People who engage in activities will form groups to further these activities.
DECISION MAKING
Groups make decisions all the time, both consciously and unconsciously. Those decisions may concern the task at hand, team procedures, norms, and standards of behavior, or how much work the team will take on. Therefore, understanding how decisions are made is the key to the success of a team.
ADVANTAGES OF GROUP DECISION MAKING
• If well organized in advance, a heterogeneous group can move toward definite group conclusions.
• Can be used to expand the data obtained from surveys or existing documents, or can be used to generate a more specific survey.
• Motivates all participants to get involved because they sense they are personally affected.
• Generates many ideas in a short period of time; allows for a full range of individual thoughts and concerns.
• Permits input from people of different backgrounds and experiences.
• Gives all participants an equal opportunity to express opinions and ideas in a non-threatening setting.
• Gives all participants an equal opportunity to express opinions and ideas in a non-threatening setting.
• Allows individual generation of ideas without suppression by any dominant group member.
• Stimulates creative thinking and effective dialogue.
• Allows for clarification of ideas.
DISADVANTAGES OF GROUP DECISION MAKING
• Requires a skilled leader.
• Process may appear rigid if group leader does not show flexibility, and show respect for all ideas and concerns.
• May be some overlap of ideas due to unclear wording or inadequate group discussion.
• "Knowledgeable" individuals selected to participate may not represent all community subgroups.
• Assertive personalities may dominate unless leadership skills are exercised.
• May not be a sufficient source of data in itself; may require follow-up survey, observations, or documentary analysis.
• Inappropriate technique for routine meetings, bargaining, negotiation, or coordination.
GROUP DECISION MAKING METHODS
There are many methods or procedures that can be used by groups. Each is designed to improve the decision-making process in some way. Some of the more common group decision-making methods are:
BRAINSTORMING
brainstorming involves group members verbally suggesting ideas or alternative courses of action. The "brainstorming session" is usually relatively unstructured. The situation at hand is described in as much detail as necessary so that group members have a complete understanding of the issue or problem. Usually, the group leader or facilitator will record the ideas presented. Once the ideas of the group members have been exhausted, the group members then begin the process of evaluating the utility of the different suggestions presented.
Brainstorming is a useful means by which to generate alternatives, but does not offer much in the way of process for the evaluation of alternatives or the selection of a proposed course of action. One of the difficulties with brainstorming is that despite the prohibition against judging ideas until all group members have had their say, some individuals are hesitant to propose ideas because they fear the judgment or ridicule of other group members.
NOMINAL GROUP TECHNIQUE
the nominal group technique is a structured decision making process in which group members are required to compose a comprehensive list of their ideas or proposed alternatives in writing. The group members usually record their ideas privately. Once finished, each group member is asked, in turn, to provide one item from their list until all ideas or alternatives have been publicly recorded on a flip chart or marker board. Usually, at this stage of the process verbal exchanges are limited to requests for clarification. Once all proposals are listed publicly, the group engages in a discussion of the listed alternatives, which ends in some form of ranking or rating in order of preference. Research conducted on group decision-making offers some evidence that the nominal group technique succeeds in generating a greater number of decision alternatives that are of relatively high quality.
DELPHI TECHNIQUE
the Delphi technique is a group decision-making process that can be used by decision-making groups when the individual members are in different physical locations. The technique was developed at the Rand Corporation. The individuals in the Delphi "group" are usually selected because of the specific knowledge or expertise of the problem they possess. In the Delphi technique, each group member is asked to independently provide ideas, input, and/or alternative solutions to the decision problem in successive stages. These inputs may be provided in a variety of ways. After each stage in the process, other group members ask questions and alternatives are ranked or rated in some fashion. After an indefinite number of rounds, the group eventually arrives at a consensus decision on the best course of action.
A significant shift is taking place in organizations throughout the world - a shift that has important implications for the skills that will be critical to your success both as a member of an organization and as a manager and leader. This shift involves increasing the emphasis on the group or team.
Today, most organizations embrace the notion of groups. Groups have become the core unit in many organizations. Part of this is based on the fact that groups are more effective in solving problems and learn more rapidly than individuals. Teams may be a necessary component of organizational success but their presence certainly doesn't guarantee success. Few managers have training or knowledge of group dynamics; many are quite apprehensive about groups and pessimistic about their value. Most of us are more comfortable managing individuals than groups and many of us are more comfortable working on our own than in a group.
DEFINITION
GROUP persons who are interacting with one another in such a manner that each person influences and is influenced by each person (typically they have a common goal).
BEHAVIOUR - the way a person behaves towards other people and manner of acting or conducting yourself.
TEAM - a small number of people with complementary skills committed to a common purpose, specific performance goals, a common working approach, and mutual accountability.
TYPES OF GROUPS
Most individuals belong to various types of groups. These different groups can be broadly classified into two types.
FORMAL GROUPS
Formal groups are those groups that are created to serve an organizational objective. They are intentionally designed to direct members towards important organizational goals. Formal groups can be classified into two types:
COMMAND GROUPS these are determined by the connections between individuals who are a formal part of the organization. These groups exist until a decision is made to change or reconfigure the organization.
TASK GROUPS these groups are specifically created by the organization to solve a problem or perform a definite task. Task groups are usually disbanded once the assigned task had been accomplished.
INFORMAL GROUPS
Informal groups are those groups that develop naturally among people without any direction from the organization within which they operate. These groups have few rules and procedures and are formed spontaneously. They have little structure or format. The different types of informal groups are:
INTEREST GROUPS these groups consist of persons who share common interests. They may be job related interests or non-work related interests.
FRIENDSHIP GROUPS these groups consist of individuals who come together because they share one or more common characteristics. They consist of people with natural affinities to one another.
STAGES OF GROUP DEVELOPMENT
Every group passes through different stages in its life cycle. These five different stages of group development are:
FORMING the group comes together and gets to initially know one other and form as a group. This is an important stage because it serves to clarify the team's mission and bond team members. Teams that pay attention to building the relationships as well as focusing on the task tend to do better than those that skip over relationship building.
STORMING
it results from differences between initial expectations and the reality of the situation as perceived by the members. Members may have varying opinions of what the group was to do and how to accomplish it. Members may feel anger or frustration with the task or with other members or may even resent the presence of formal leadership. Some groups, however, may become stuck in this stage and continue to be both demoralized and relatively unproductive.
NORMING
eventually agreement is reached on how the group operates Members are now resolving differences and clarifying the mission and roles. Members are less dissatisfied as in the previous stage because they are now learning more about each other and how they will work together. They are making progress toward their goals. They are developing tools to help them work better together.
ADJOURNING
the process of "un-forming" the group, that is, letting go of the group structure and moving on. Depending on the team's success in accomplishing its task and how strongly the members have bonded, this stage may reflect either a sense of loss or relief. When a team ends, time should be spent addressing how it should be done to properly recognize the team's accomplishments.
WHY DO PEOPLE JOIN GROUPS
People join groups for a variety of reasons. Most people join groups because different groups provide different benefits. Some of the benefits are:
STATUS individuals get recognition and status when they are members of groups, which are considered important by others. People look at them with respect.
SECURITY
groups may provide protection against a common enemy. By joining a group individuals feel stronger and are more resistant to threats.
POWER
power in numbers is achieved over individual power by group action.
SELF-ESTEEM being a member of a prestigious group increases self-esteem and gives you a feeling of self-worth.
GOAL ACHIEVEMENT
through knowledge, power, talents and resources people are able to achieve goals that may not be possible individually.
SATISFACTION OF NEEDS one of the most important reasons people join a group is to satisfy some need.
SHARED INTERESTS AND GOALS people join and form groups because of shared activities and interests. People who engage in activities will form groups to further these activities.
DECISION MAKING
Groups make decisions all the time, both consciously and unconsciously. Those decisions may concern the task at hand, team procedures, norms, and standards of behavior, or how much work the team will take on. Therefore, understanding how decisions are made is the key to the success of a team.
ADVANTAGES OF GROUP DECISION MAKING
• If well organized in advance, a heterogeneous group can move toward definite group conclusions.
• Can be used to expand the data obtained from surveys or existing documents, or can be used to generate a more specific survey.
• Motivates all participants to get involved because they sense they are personally affected.
• Generates many ideas in a short period of time; allows for a full range of individual thoughts and concerns.
• Permits input from people of different backgrounds and experiences.
• Gives all participants an equal opportunity to express opinions and ideas in a non-threatening setting.
• Gives all participants an equal opportunity to express opinions and ideas in a non-threatening setting.
• Allows individual generation of ideas without suppression by any dominant group member.
• Stimulates creative thinking and effective dialogue.
• Allows for clarification of ideas.
DISADVANTAGES OF GROUP DECISION MAKING
• Requires a skilled leader.
• Process may appear rigid if group leader does not show flexibility, and show respect for all ideas and concerns.
• May be some overlap of ideas due to unclear wording or inadequate group discussion.
• "Knowledgeable" individuals selected to participate may not represent all community subgroups.
• Assertive personalities may dominate unless leadership skills are exercised.
• May not be a sufficient source of data in itself; may require follow-up survey, observations, or documentary analysis.
• Inappropriate technique for routine meetings, bargaining, negotiation, or coordination.
GROUP DECISION MAKING METHODS
There are many methods or procedures that can be used by groups. Each is designed to improve the decision-making process in some way. Some of the more common group decision-making methods are:
BRAINSTORMING
brainstorming involves group members verbally suggesting ideas or alternative courses of action. The "brainstorming session" is usually relatively unstructured. The situation at hand is described in as much detail as necessary so that group members have a complete understanding of the issue or problem. Usually, the group leader or facilitator will record the ideas presented. Once the ideas of the group members have been exhausted, the group members then begin the process of evaluating the utility of the different suggestions presented.
Brainstorming is a useful means by which to generate alternatives, but does not offer much in the way of process for the evaluation of alternatives or the selection of a proposed course of action. One of the difficulties with brainstorming is that despite the prohibition against judging ideas until all group members have had their say, some individuals are hesitant to propose ideas because they fear the judgment or ridicule of other group members.
NOMINAL GROUP TECHNIQUE
the nominal group technique is a structured decision making process in which group members are required to compose a comprehensive list of their ideas or proposed alternatives in writing. The group members usually record their ideas privately. Once finished, each group member is asked, in turn, to provide one item from their list until all ideas or alternatives have been publicly recorded on a flip chart or marker board. Usually, at this stage of the process verbal exchanges are limited to requests for clarification. Once all proposals are listed publicly, the group engages in a discussion of the listed alternatives, which ends in some form of ranking or rating in order of preference. Research conducted on group decision-making offers some evidence that the nominal group technique succeeds in generating a greater number of decision alternatives that are of relatively high quality.
DELPHI TECHNIQUE
the Delphi technique is a group decision-making process that can be used by decision-making groups when the individual members are in different physical locations. The technique was developed at the Rand Corporation. The individuals in the Delphi "group" are usually selected because of the specific knowledge or expertise of the problem they possess. In the Delphi technique, each group member is asked to independently provide ideas, input, and/or alternative solutions to the decision problem in successive stages. These inputs may be provided in a variety of ways. After each stage in the process, other group members ask questions and alternatives are ranked or rated in some fashion. After an indefinite number of rounds, the group eventually arrives at a consensus decision on the best course of action.
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