Group Dynamics
A training session presentation
Forethought
‘Coming together is
a beginning.
Keeping together is
progress.
Working together is
success.’
- Henry Ford
OUR primitive learning !
Wisdom of Goose
Security
SelfEsteem
Power
Status
What
Makes
People
Join
Groups?
Affiliation
Goal
Achievement
Gholipour A. 2006. Organizational Behavior. University of Tehran
When teamwork is required?
Highly
complex
task
Work done by dynamic cross
functional or cross
organizational team.
Leadership and team make
up is constantly adopting to
needs of the project in line
with desired results
Level of
task
complexity
Work done by team
or work group
Depending upon
length of project, team
building may or may
not required
Simple &
straight
forward
task
Work done by
single individual
or work group
Stable &
predictable
Team
building is
critical for
the quality of
work
No need for team
building or team
work
Nature of environment
Highly complex &
dynamic
Stages of team building
The team performance curve
Performance
Impact
High-Performance
Team
Real
Team
Working
Group
Potential
Team
Pseudo-Team
Team Effectiveness
Assessing team maturity
Tower Game
 Work in your group
 Build a tower with the help of given
resources (flip chart, meta card and cello
tape)
 The tallest tower making team will win
(doesn’t mean that other lose)
 Reflect upon your learning from the game
 TIME: 5 minutes
Role of team members
Team Effectiveness Model
Organizational and
Team Environment
Team Design
• Reward systems
•Task characteristics
• Communication
systems
•Team size
•Team composition
• Physical space
• Organizational
environment
• Organizational
structure
• Organizational
leadership
Team Processes
•Team development
•Team norms
•Team roles
•Team cohesiveness
Team
Effectiveness
• Achieve
organizational
goals
• Satisfy member
needs
• Maintain team
survival
Group Dynamics
 The social process by which people
interact in a group environment
 The influences of personality, power and
behavior on the group process
 Associated with the size, structure,
norms, values, role etc. of the group
 Group dynamics affects group
cohesiveness and performance
Functional dynamics
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Synergy
More resources for problem solving
Improved creativity and innovation
Improved quality of decision making
Greater commitments to tasks
Increased motivation of members
Better control and work discipline
More individual need satisfaction
Synchronization of efforts
Dysfunctional dynamics
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Conformity
Groupthink
Social loafing
Risky shift
Preventing groupthink
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Every group member a critical evaluator
Avoid rubber-stamp decisions
Different groups explore same problems
Rely on subgroup debates and outside
experts
 Assign role of devil’s advocate
 Rethink a consensus
Conditions for Social Loafing
 Low task interdependence
 Individual output not visible
 Routine, uninteresting tasks
 Low task significance
 Low collectivist values
Group cohesiveness
Member
Similarity
Member
Interaction
External
Challenges
Group
Cohesiveness
Team
Success
Team
Size
Somewhat
Difficult Entry
Cohesiveness outcomes
Members of cohesive teams
 Want to remain members
 Willing to share information
 Strong interpersonal bonds
 Want to support each other
 Resolve conflict effectively
 More satisfied and experience less stress
.
Cohesiveness-Productivity Relationship
Cohesiveness
Alignment of group and
organizational goals
High
Low
High
Strong Increase
In Productivity
Moderate Increase
In Productivity
Low
Decrease in
Productivity
No Significant Effect
On Productivity
High performing team has…
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Clear, elevating goals
Results-driven structure
Competent team members
Unified commitments
Collaborative climate
Standards of excellence
External support and
recognition
 Principled leadership
For effective teamwork…
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Be realistic and prepared
Appropriate individual workload
Clear expectations
Communication of short/long-term goals
Enthusiasm builds commitment
Confidence in the team
Open-minded and mutual respect
Spirit of Cooperation is must
Learn key skills to be a good team player
We are Team Leaders
 MODEL the behavior you want to see
 CONNECT with the people you lead
 INVOLVE them wherever you can
Concluding thought
Jack Welch,
Former CEO of General Electric
 "We've developed an
incredibly talented team of
people running our major
businesses, and, perhaps
more important, there's a
healthy sense of collegiality,
mutual trust, and respect for
performance that pervades
this organization.”
3
things we learned together
Basanta Raj Sigdel
Nepal Administrative Staff College
Cell 9841310840, Email: brsigdel@gmail.com