Understanding Group Dynamics

Group Dynamics Objectives

• Attendees will be able to identify group dynamics processes, concepts, and their organizational applications.
• Attendees will be able to describe techniques for handling group meetings effectively.

Agenda Topics

• Group Development: A dynamic process
• Influencing Factors
• Leader as Facilitator
• The Recorder
• Consensus Decision Making
• Personality Styles: Identification and Management
• Group Conflict: Analysis and Diagnosis
• Summary and Evaluation

Group Development: Purpose

• Identify the purpose as perceived by each individual member.
  • Purpose of the Group
  • Reason for membership
• Identify the purpose as conceived by program plan:
  • Purpose of the Group
  • Relationship to other Groups
• Identify outcomes expected as a result of each individual group meeting:
  • As effecting individual members
  • As effecting the organization
• Identify outcomes expected as a result of the implementation of the program plan.
  • As effecting individual members
  • As effecting the organization

Group Development: Contributions

• Perform the bulk of the organization's work, defined by a purpose/goal statement.
• Provide opportunities for specific individuals, suited to their work.
• Offer excellent training for new leaders.
• Draw from a wider range of training and experience.
• Permit wider participation of members within the organization.
• Members collectively provide greater access to accomplish group goals.
• Channel direct communication and reporting to decision makers.

Group Development: Member Selection Criteria

• Members must have an interest in the group's purpose.
• Members must have relevant knowledge or skills.
• Members should be able to benefit.
• Members should develop a greater identity with the organization.
• Members should have access to resources.
• Members should be largely compatible with each other and the leaders.
• Members could be selected as representatives of different opinions, departments, or geographic locations.

Factors Influencing Group Development

• Group Size should vary per need:
  • Decision-making ideal maximum is 7.
  • Fact-finding ideal maximum is 14.
• Even number groups make more accurate decisions.
  • They are less likely to resort to voting.
• Odd numbered groups work faster.

Group Space Considerations

• Seating arrangements and comfort
• Floor plan arrangement (furniture/equipment)
• Group member flow patterns
• Natural or electrical light
• Window (amount and location)
• Color and interior design
• Acoustics and sound/noise
• Temperature and humidity
• Location in relation to other member activities

Group Time Factors

• Consistency of schedule
• Time of day
• Day of week
• Duration of meeting, formal segments, and entire sessions
• Duration of component parts and member contributions

Group Cohesiveness

• The degree to which group members are of one mind and can act as one body
• Often thought of as group loyalty, solidarity, or group pride
• Homogeneity of membership, stability of membership over time, and high status can form cohesiveness
• Leads to more effective and cohesive groups
• Influenced by selection, transfer, location, and other factors
• Can be enhanced by threats directed aimed from "the outside"

Group Culture, Influence, and Control

• A developed group becomes its own society, with its own language, customs, rituals and ways of doing things
• Group conversations often center around themes, these are part of group culture
• A group can and will be influenced by power from group members and organizations
• A developed group can and will exercise power over group members and organizations

Common Group Problems

• Multi-headed animal syndrome: Members going in different directions
• Confusion between process and content: Unclear topic/discussion process
• Personal Attacks: Attacking individuals
• Traffic problem: Difficulty participating in the conversational flow
• Unclear roles and responsibilities: Unclear task assignments
• Manipulation by group leader: Abuse of power to achieve personal objectives
• Data Overload: Holding too many ideas at once
• Repetition and Wheel Spinning: Repeatedly rehashing same old ideas
• Win/Lose approaches: Yielding Partial solutions, compromises, polarization and low commitment
• Confused Objective and Expectations: Lack of Clarity in the Meeting's Purpose, along with possible Hidden Agendas
• Unresolved questions of power and authority
• Problem avoidance
• General negativity and lack of challenge
• Communication Problems: Occurs due to participants failing to listen or understand and making faculty assumptions
• Poor meeting environments
• Personality conflicts: Racism and sexism

Lead

• To Guide on Away
• To Run in a Specified Direction
• To Direct The Operations, Activity or Performance
• To Tend Toward a Definite Result

Facilitate

• To make Easier

Leader Responsibilities

• Call and conduct meetings
• Give leadership to the group
• Stimulate the group to its highest productivity
• Organize the group to get things done

Facilitator Role

• Is a neutral servant of the group
• Does not evaluate or contribute ideas
• Focuses energy of group on a common task
• Suggests alternative methods & procedures
• Protects individuals and their ideas form attack
• Encourages to participate
• Helps the group find win/win solutions and coordinates pre-and post-meeting logistics
• Seeks to make everybody be a winner

Aggressive, Assertive and Passive Approaches

• Aggressive: You -, Me +
• Assertive: You +, Me +
• Passive: You +, Me -

Specific Techniques

• Clearly define you role
• Get agreement on a common problem & process before beginning
• Boomerang questions back to group members
• Be positive and compliment the group
• Don’t talk too much
• Support the recorder
• Don’t be afraid to make mistakes / Help to educate the group

Group Memory/Agenda: Sample Format

• Title of Group Date and Time Location

Agenda Items

• Call to order and Attendance
• Review of last Meeting
• Topics and Processes
• Outcomes to Date
• Unfinished and New business
• Topics for Next Meeting
• Processes
• Planned outcomes and Adjournment

The Recorder Role

• Listen for key words
• Try to capture Basic Ideas, The essence
• Don’t write down every word/Write legibly
• Don’t be afraid to misspell/Abbreviate words
• Circle key ideas, statements, or decisions
• Vary color; use colors to highlight and divide ideas
• Underline
• Use stars, Arrow, Numbers, Etc.
• Number All the Sheets

Group Memory Benefits

• Helps focus with a physical point of attention
• Provides an instant record, informing participants of decisions and processes
• Guards against data overload, acting as short term memory
• Remembers ideas, giving psychic release
• Frees participants from taking notes
• Assures ideas are heard by the group
• Enables checking for accurate recording
• Prevents endless repetition

Group Memory Proof

• Is graphic display which is essential for presenting visual information, drawing diagrams, and working with spatial relationships
• Makes sophisticated problem-solving methods possible by holding on to information developed
• Encourages participation and respects individuals
• Records ideas anonymously, depersonalizing them
• Transfers ownership to the group and gets a better perspective
• Increases sense of accomplishment with visible work
• Offers meeting continuity
• Eases catching up for latecomers
• Reduces accountability problems
• Is low-cost, easy to use, and increases group effectiveness

Results of Group Process

• Ideas are accepted, implemented, or rejected
• Actions are postponed
• Ideas may be returned for more work or referred elsewhere

Decision Making Options

• Riot
• Strike
• Protest
• Majority vote
• Arbitration
• Jury trial
• Collective Bargaining with Mediation
• Collaborative Problem-Solving/win win
• Consensus Decision Making Quality + Acceptance = Effectiveness of the Decision

Causes of Indecision in Groups

• Fear of consequences
• Who carries the responsibility
• What would be the result to the group
• Is there Fear of not being able to live up to a defined expectation
• Is there Fear of change for members

Decision Making Obstacles

• Conflicting Loyalties must be resolved, which rarely effects many members at the same time
• Interpersonal Conflict
• Poor operating procedures, voting prior to full exposure of differences
• Poor Leadership, where there is a Restriction of group thinking to personal ideas

Strategies for Dealing with Hidden Agendas

• Look for Hidden Agendas that are Present.
• This diagnosis is the necessary first step before intelligent action can be taken.
• Unless everyone is willing to admit that hidden agendas are present, they cannot be handled effectively
• Group is continuously working on two levels At Once on surface and with hidden agendas
• Encourage the group to bring its hidden agendas to the surface
• Handling hidden agendas is easier when open
• Consider that some hidden agendas would hurt the group more if they were discussed openly and be sensitive
• Don't Scold or Pressure the Group, as they are present and can be important
• Help The Group to remove Feelings of Guilt about Hidden Agendas
• Aid Group in working out methods of Solving Their Hidden Agendas
• Help Group to Evaluate Progress in Handling Hidden Agendas