Group Dynamics: Understanding and Improving Team Performance
Group Dynamics
To form a team, one must pass through the following steps: orientation, defining goals and setting standards, consolidation, conflict resolution. If these steps are not followed, there will be obstacles that prevent the team from working effectively and achieving its intended purpose.
• In all individual specialization teams, individuals are linked to a function that describes the primary responsibilities of the person in the position they hold. This correlation exists between person – role – task – results.
• In the management function, during the practical exercise and the actual accomplishment of daily tasks, the role function becomes more prominent.
• The role is how the person performs their functions.
• The role is not predetermined and depends on the situational characteristics of the person, where there are both:
Personal: Knowledge, Experience, History, Attitudes, Roles to Play and Other Team:
The group structures can be summarized as follows:
- Cooperative: The goals of the separate individuals are united. There is a positive correlation between the achievement of their objectives. An individual reaches their goal if the other participants reach theirs. Individual rewards are directly proportional to the quality of group work.
- Competitive: The goals of the participants are separately interrelated. There is a negative correlation between the consequences of their objectives. An individual reaches their goal only if others do not reach theirs. This increases competitive ties among participants. Individuals are rewarded so that one receives the highest reward and the other the least.
- Individualistic: There is no correlation between the objectives of the participants. Each individual seeks their own benefit without regard for the other participants. Individuals are rewarded based on the quality of their work independently of the work of other participants.
“The dynamics of groups seeks to achieve a working and healthy group rate,” based on:
- Discussion: Tolerance and acceptance.
- Decision: Objective and progressive.
- Action: Creativity and respect for others.
“All depends on the leadership role: The atmosphere generated in the work. The group participation. Achieving objectives. The organization and planning of the group.
“The leader of a group or monitor of a dynamic, besides transmitting guidelines, organizes and directs everything that happens.”
PROBLEMS IN THE OPERATION OF A TASK
Orientation Relationships Problems
- Lack of integration and/or knowledge among members.
- Ignorance on the task of the task to be developed (content, methodology, etc.).
Defining Objectives and Establishment of Standards
- Lack of definition of objectives or definition imposed from outside the team.
- Crossover between individual goals and group objectives. A better match between the two, the greater team cohesion and the interest of participants. Excessive regulations impede the functioning and impair group spirit. It is preferable to resolve cases as they arise in advance to set standards for all circumstances.
Consolidation
- Increase of hostility between members of the group.
- Leadership struggle among the various participants.
- The allocation of roles does not have to do with personality, interest, or the member’s professional capacity.
- Absence of a leader who acts as driver of the sessions.
- Conflicting views among members.
- Lack of cooperation between members.
- Lack of consensus in decision making.
Conflict Resolution
- Tensions in personal relationships and intolerance without facing them.
- Absence of mechanisms to address the lack of participation and communication.
- Lack of established work or techniques that have been established are not effective.
- Lack of evaluation of objectives.
Group dynamics: a discipline that studies the forces acting on a group and make it behave a certain way.
Group dynamics techniques: a set of means, tools, or procedures that, when applied to teamwork, effectively develop and facilitate the achievement of objectives.
Characteristics:
- Tools for the team to function effectively.
- Techniques with a certain playfulness. They encourage learning, behavior, and attitudes.
Objectives:
- To learn concepts, procedures, and attitudes.
- Analyze and solve problems relating to:
- Task: Identify the main obstacles to be overcome, develop better working methods.
- The operation of the team: Identifying the group’s expectations, establish standards, processes to overcome stagnation and tiredness.
- Optimizing the relationships between team members.
- Evaluate the team and the work done.