Group Dynamics

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Group Dynamics
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Group Development

• Bruce Tuckman is credited with creating one of
  the most studied model of group development in
  1965
• He broke the formation of groups into 4 basic
  stages

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Forming

• Group is just coming together
• Characterised by shyness, uncertainty and
  diffidence among members
• Members test the boundaries of the group

4
Storming

• Period of jockeying for position, authority and
  influence
• Disagreements appear or manufactured and roles
  allocated
• Initial leaders may not survive this period
• Uncomfortable feelings

5
Norming

• Having sorted out internal structure begin to
  look at what group stands for
• From group identity
• Have more cohesiveness and new standards and new
  roles

6
Performing

• Relatively stable structure
• Roles become flexible and functional
• Group energy is channeled into tasks

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Later Stage

• A later stage was introduced by Tuckman in 1977

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Adjourning

• Also labeled mourning
• Involves dissolution
• Termination of roles, completion of tasks
• Members sometimes feel loss

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Roles in Groups

• Leader
• Recorder (note taker)
• Facilitator
• Members

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Questions of How Groups Work

• What forces bind members to their groups
• Primarily types of cohesion
• Task and social cohesion
• Vertical and horizontal cohesion
• Belongingness and morale
• Personal versus social attraction

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Questions continued

• Who will lead and who will follow?
• Personality traits form early leaders
• Prior expectations
• Bias (female)
• Cultural differences

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Questions continued

• How do groups influence their members?
• Social influence and persuasion
• Social identity
• Attitude changes

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Questions continued

• Do groups influence their members
  self-conceptions?
• Groups make people behave and think about
  themselves and others characteristically common
  to group
• Social identity theory

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Questions continued

• How can relationships between groups be improved?
• Reducing intergroup conflict
• Decategorize, recategorize, mutual group
  differentiation processes
• Facilitate each others importance

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Questions continued

• How can groups be used to enhance psychological
  adjustment and well-being?
• Member to member
• Leader to member
• Member to leader

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Brainstorming

• An important part of group dynamics is
  brainstorming
• Brainstorming is a conference technique by which
  a group attempts to find a solution for a
  specific problem by amassing all the ideas
  spontaneously by its members (Osborn)

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Brainstorming Rules

• Postpone and withhold judgment of ideas
• Encourage wild and exaggerated ideas
• Quantity counts at this stage, not quality
• Build on the ides put forward by others
• Every person and every idea has equal worth

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Participant Rules

• Follow general brainstorming rules
• Suggest ideas which wil work as solutions
• Suggest ideas which will stimulate solutions in
  others

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Process

• Know why you want to run a brainstorming session
• Should be used to generate lots of new ideas and
  solutions
• NOT used for analysis or for decision making
• Targeted to specific topic

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Process continued

• Decide how you will run the session and who will
  take part
• Who will lead facilitator
• Introduce the session
• Keeps an eye on time
• Makes sure rules are obeyed
• Decide group members large/small

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Process continued

• Prepare the room and materials
• For group of approximately 12 people
• Arrange people in circle with no head
• Have flip charts for writing down ideas
• Each person pad and paper
• Select a secretary to write down ideas

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Process continued

• Prepare the participants and issue invites
• Send out invites by post or email with time and
  place and how long
• Remind people right before meeting

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Process continued

• After brainstorming meeting send out information
  to everyone
• Share ideas and brainstorming solutions, etc.
  with members
• Thank everyone for participating
• Talk about next steps