Steps in Creating an Effective Teams

• Group is defined as two or more persons engaged in social interaction
• The existence of any group depends on the participation and satisfaction of the individuals comprising it
• Each member of the group is aware of the other members and their influence
• Some psychologists define a group as a collection of individuals who find their association with one another rewarding
• Others say that a group exists only when the individual members have developed status and role relationships with respect to one another
• Others insist that individuals must have a common goal in order for them to be considered as a group
• Group dynamics is the social process by which people interact in a small group and in a face-to-face manner
• Group dynamics refers to the study of the forces operating within a group
• Forces found in small groups:

  • Elton Mayo's research in the 1920s and 1930s showed that workers tend to establish formal groups that affect job satisfaction and effectiveness
  • Kurt Lewin's experiments in the 1930s demonstrated that different kinds of leadership attitudes produce different responses in groups
• A group is composed of individuals who have come together to accomplish a particular task or goal
• Group dynamics refers to the attitudinal and behavioral characteristics of a group
• In a group, the members share consciousness of membership and interaction
• Classification of Groups:

  1. Primary Group:

  • Characterized by intimate face-to-face association and cooperation among its members
  • Involves sympathy and mutual identification

  2. Secondary Group:

  • Consists of members who are aware of personal relationships but do not feel their lives are bound with one another except in times of social crisis
• Characteristics of a Group (ISGPDM):

  • Interaction: pattern of mutual influence
  • Structure: stable pattern of relationships, roles, norms, inter-member relations
  • Goal: reason for existence
  • Perceived Groupness: extent in which members see themselves as one
  • Dynamic Interdependency: members are active, energized, vibrant, and changing
  • Motivation: focuses on personal needs which lead to satisfaction
• Group Types:

  • Formal Groups: established by an organization to achieve organizational goals (e.g., command groups, task groups, functional groups)
  • Informal Groups: formed naturally in response to common interests and shared values of individuals, not appointed by the organization
• Steps in Creating an Effective Team:

  1. Help the team define a vision and purpose

  2. Ensure a varied set of skills within the team

  3. Foster regular honest communication between teammates
• Maintaining an Effective Teamwork:

  1. Align personal development goals with the group's growth goals to maintain motivation

  2. Share weekly updates to recognize progress and keep everyone informed

  3. Nurture a sense of accountability among team members
• Key Characteristics of Effective Teams:

  • Clarity of purpose
  • Good communication
  • Positive role for conflict
  • Accountability and commitment
  • Shared leadership
  • Positive group dynamics
• Stages of Team Development:

  • Forming: orientation and getting acquainted
  • Storming: conflict and competition as individual personalities emerge
  • Norming: consensus develops, roles are established
  • Performing: consensus and cooperation are well-established, team is mature and well-functioning
  • Adjourning: team's goals have been accomplished, team disbands or may go back to forming or storming stage