GROUP DYNAMICS:

A. GROUP FORMATION
A group is able to share experiences, to provide feedback, to pool ideas,
to generate insights, and provide an arena for analysis of experiences.
The group provides a measure of support and reassurance. Moreover, as
a group, learners may also plan collectively for change action. Group
discussion is a very effective learning method.
i Participation
Participation is a fundamental process within a group, because many of
the other processes depend upon participation of the various members.
Levels and degrees of participation vary. Some members are active
participants while others are more withdrawn and passive. In essence,
participation means involvement, concern for the task, and direct or
indirect contribution to the group goal. If members do not participate,
the group ceases to exist.
Factors which affect members participation
- The content or task of the group- is it of interest, importance and
relevance?
- The physical atmosphere - is it comfortable physically, socially and
psychologically?
- The psychological atmosphere - is it accepting, non-threatening?
- Member’s personal preoccupations - are there any distracting
thoughts in their mind?
- The level of interaction and discussions - is adequate information
provided for everyone to understand? - is it at a level everyone
understands?
- Familiarity - between group members- do members know each other
from before?
ii Communication
Communication within a group deals with the spoken and the unspoken,
the verbal and the non-verbal, the explicit and the implied messages that
are conveyed and exchanged relating to information and ideas, and
feelings. 2
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Two-way communication implies a situation where not only the two
parties talk to each other, but that they are listening to each other as
well. It helps in
- Clarification of doubts, confusions and misconceptions
- Both parties understanding each other
- Receiving and giving of feedback

It indicates the degree of respect between the two parties

Helpful hints for effective communication
1. Have a circular seating arrangement so that everyone can see and
interact with everyone else
2. If there are two facilitators, they should sit apart so that
communication flow is not in one direction
3. Respect individuals- let everyone call everyone else by name
respectfully
4. Encourage and support the quiet members to voice their opinions
5. Try and persuade the people who speak too much to give others a
chance
6. Ensure that only one person speaks at a time or no one else will be
heard
7. Discourage sub groups from indulging in side talk
iii Problem solving
Most groups find themselves unable to solve problems because they
address the problem at a superficial level. After that they find themselves
blocked because they cannot figure out why the problem occurred and
how they can tackle it. Therefore an effective problem solving procedure
would be to:
1. Clearly define the problem: Is it what appears on the surface or are
there deep hidden aspects?
2. Try to thoroughly explore and understand the causes behind the
problem
3. Collect additional information, from elsewhere if necessary, and
analyze it to understand the problem further
4. The group should suspend criticism and judgment for a while and try
to combine each other's ideas or add on improvements. The objectives
should be to generate as many ideas and suggestions as possible.
This is called "brainstorming" in a group, when individuals try lateral
thinking. 3
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iv Leadership
Leadership involves focussing the efforts of the people towards a common
goal and to enable them to work together as one. In general we designate
one individual as a leader. This individual may be chosen from within or
appointed from outside. Thus, one member may provide leadership with
respect to achieving the goal while a different individual may be providing
leadership in maintaining the group as a group. These roles can switch
and change.
B. DEVELOPMENT OF GROUPS
The developmental process of small groups can be viewed in several
ways. Firstly, it is useful to know the persons who compose a particular
small group.
• People bring their past experiences
• People come with their personalities (their perceptions, attitudes and
values)
• People also come with a particular set of expectations
The priorities and expectations of persons comprising a group can
influence the manner in which the group develops over a period of time
Stages
Viewing the group as a whole we observe definite patterns of behaviour
occurring within a group. These can be grouped into stages.
FIRST STAGE
The initial stage in the life of a group is concerned with forming a group.
This stage is characterized by members seeking safety and protection,
tentativeness of response, seeking superficial contact with others,
demonstrating dependency on existing authority figures. Members at this
stage either engage in busy type of activity or show apathy.
SECOND STAGE
The second stage in this group is marked by the formation of dyads and
triads. Members seek out familiar or similar individuals and begin a
deeper sharing of self. Continued attention to the subgroup creates a 4
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26Apr2004
differentiation in the group and tensions across the dyads /triads may
appear. Pairing is a common phenomenon.
THIRD STAGE
The third developmental stage is marked by a more serious concern
about task performance. The dyads/triads begin to open up and seek out
other members in the group. Efforts are made to establish various norms
for task performance. Members begin to take greater responsibility for
their own group and relationship while the authority figure becomes
relaxed.
FOURTH STAGE
This is a stage of a fully functional group where members see themselves
as a group and get involved in the task. Each person makes a
contribution and the authority figure is also seen as a part of the group.
Group norms are followed and collective pressure is exerted to ensure
the effectiveness of the group. The group redefines its goals in the light of
information from the outside environment and shows an autonomous
will to pursue those goals. The long-term viability of the group is
established and nurtured.
C. FACILITATING A GROUP
A group cannot automatically function effectively, it needs to be
facilitated. Facilitation can be described as a conscious process of
assisting a group to successfully achieve its task while functioning as a
group. Facilitation can be performed by members themselves, or with the
help of an outsider.
To facilitate effectively the facilitator needs to
• Understand what is happening within the group
• Be aware of his/her own personality
• And know how to facilitate
GROUP DIAGNOSIS
The process of finding out what is going on in a group may be called
diagnosing. It is an essential skill of a facilitator. Diagnosis involves
understanding the causes after looking for clues within the group and
outside the group. Some examples follow to illustrate the point. 5
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Problem Not everyone participates or shows interest and a few
remain silent
Possible causes Perhaps the goal or task is not relevant to some of the
participants. Some of the members may feel insecure
or dominant on the basis of caste, class, education or
gender.
Problem Some members ignore or disregard contributions from
other members
Possible causes Members of the group may be nervous and unaware of
others’ needs.
Problem The group is not able to come to consensus or are
unable to devise a plan to implement the decision.
Possible causes Perhaps the group lacks adequate information or skills
to solve the problem. Perhaps the decision is
threatening to some of the group members. Perhaps
the group fears failure.

Stages of group
Most group management experts come to a conclusion that working team moves through five different stages before it
achieves the state of efficient group collaboration . The duration of each stage and group's whole life-cycle depends on
the team members, their individual skills, their duties, and the type of leadership. There are classical names for these
stages: 1) Forming 2) Storming 3) Norming 4) Performing 5) Adjourning.

Group task management software can influence the group development process positively. It will facilitate process of
delegating tasks and performance monitoring.

Let's describe the 5 stages of group development:

Stage 1 (Forming) - Team is just formed and members

see each other for the first time. They study the team
objectives and tasks. Individual members should
clearly understand their parts and comprehend the
requirements of the team.

Team members accept basic rules of the group, agree on team targets and get their first tasks; however group
collaboration is not effective on this stage because team members' awareness about project objectives is insufficient yet,
they are not accustomed enough to their roles and they are not well acquainted with each other, so often team members
work independently. In order to build proper group collaboration, team leader should perform directive style of leadership,
do his/her best to integrate the team and develop trust among members. Usage of group task management software can
help team members to get into the swing of the work . Distinct task planning will help employees to understand their duties
and to focus on work.

Stage 2 (Storming) - Project group obtains more stability. But interpersonal questions and conflicts may prevent the
effective work. Team members demonstrate their characters as they enter disputes or conflicts with each other because of
different ideas and viewpoints. People may openly express their disappointment or discord regarding their roles, charges,
tasks, goals, etc. The team needs to elaborate the decision-making methodology and choose appropriate leadership style.
Team leader should perform coaching style of leadership and make accent on tolerance concerning each team member
and his/her opinion, elaborate acceptable behavior and help people to find common language.

Team coordinator should find the right group task managementstyle to

understand what tasks can be done on this troublesome stage
successfully without being blocked by interpersonal conflicts and what
tasks need a discussion and can be postponed for the future. For this
purpose group scheduling software can be used as a tool for task
planning by dates and time, which can help team managers to observe
the whole project in calendar view.

Stage 3 (Norming) - Establishing of rules, values, habits, methods, instruments. Team members correct their behavior to fit
these rules and values. Interaction between people gets right. Effectiveness of project group collaboration is increasing,
because of individuals' conscious efforts to solve issues and to reach coordination within the team. People identify
themselves according to team roles. Arousal level and mutual trust is increasing. The team leader permits more autonomy
for team members and continues to develop partnership and professionalism among the team.

Group scheduling software with capabilities of tasks tracking and reporting would be very useful for this stage. It will
facilitate monitoring of tasks execution, so team manager will be able to find out and solve issues and defects in team
members' work.

Stage 4 (Performing) - Team members' roles become flexible and functional, team focus on tasks. People collaborate
efficiently, without inappropriate conflicts. Team members clearly understand their duties, tasks, possess autonomy,
competence and possibility to make decisions without direct intervention of supervisor, team requires less control, people
co-work and provide mutual help. Project manager allows team to take majority of decisions. Team leader facilitates
working process and prevents regress to previous stages.

The effectiveness of group task management on this stage can be maximized by using of special software that allows
team members to collaborate. Group task management software should make project performance visible for team
members and allow employees to share their job results, documents, to consult each other regarding tasks and so on.

Stage 5 (Adjourning) - Goals are reached, tasks are done, and the group can be dismissed. For the groups that are created
for one project it is the final stage, stage of results celebrating and analyzing. For continuously working teams this stage is
the highest level of development, now the team has experience and ready for new projects. If new people are added to
such team it may revert to previous stages, however they will be overcome faster.

Importance of Group Development and Team Functioning

IMPORTANCE OF GROUP DEVELOPMENT AND TEAM FUNCTIONINGImportance of Group

Development and Team FunctioningTeamwork has become a major focus in the business world.
Organizations have realized that the transition from individual to team management approach is a
priority. Today’s businesses would rather train a team to do the decision making, instead of just
one individual. Many organizations are implementing teams as a means of increasing
effectiveness and efficiency. Group processes and conflicts directly impact the choice of team
member selection and required results. The psychology of the teamwork and management and
how they can be applied in the business environment are subjects that need to be explored
before a team can function. Importance of Group Development and Team FunctioningTeams
what does it all mean? Creating an effective team is an art and a science. Any organization is
constantly changing and evolving. “Change is good and the ability of an organization to adapt and
be flexible helps stimulate the organizations growth” (Mukherjee and Mukherjee, 2001)
Organizations increasingly use teams to oversee various undertakings and projects in the hopes
that the creativity and performance of th

Types of Groups
There can be different types of groups that might exist, which have been depicted in
Figure 1
below. The most common way of distinguishing between groups is to categorizing the
groups
into formal or informal groups. Formal groups are deliberately created by the
organization in
order to help the organizational members achieve some of the important the
organizational goals.
The informal groups, in contrast, develop rather spontaneously among an organization’s
members
without any direction from the organizational authorities. There are various types of
formal groups that are found in an organization. These are:
™ Command group which is determined by the organizational chart depicting the
approved
formal connections between individuals in an organization. Examples of command group
are
Director and the faculty members in a business school, school principal and teachers,
production manager and supervisors, etc.
™ Task groups, comprising some individuals with special interest or expertise, are
created by
the organizational authorities to work together in order to complete a specific task. Task
groups are often not restricted to the organizational hierarchy and can be cross functional
in
nature. Examples of task group might be people working on a particular project.
™ Standing committee is a permanent committee in an organization to deal with some
specific
types of problems that may arise more or less on a regular basis. Examples of standing
committees include the standing committee in a university to discuss various academic
and
administrative issues.
™ Task force / ad hoc committee, in contrast, is a temporary committee formed by
organizational members from across various functional areas for a special purpose.
Meetings
can also come under this category.
Various types of informal groups are:
™ Interest groups are formed when a group of employees band together to seek some
common
objectives, like protesting some organizational policy or joining the union to achieve a
higher
amount of bonus.
™ Friendship groups develop among the organizational members when they share some
common interest like participating in some sports activities or staging the office drama,
etc.
™ Reference groups are the groups, with which individuals identify and compare
themselves.
These could be within the organization when a middle level executive compares himself
with
the higher level executive and longs for the perks and benefits enjoyed by the latter. The
reference group might exist outside the organization as well when an individual
compares
himself with his batch mates working in other organizations or an ideal group of people
he
likes to become.
FORMAL
GROUPS
COMMAN TASK COMMITTE INTERST FRIENDSHI REFERENC

• External Conditions affecting group functioning: Authority, Structure, Org. Resources, Organizational Practical None
policies etc. • Internal conditions affecting group functioning: Roles, Norms, Conformity, Status,
Cohesiveness, Size, Inter group conflict. • Group Cohesiveness and Group Conflict • Adjustment in Groups

3 Module III • Meaning and

Teams nature of tea

So students "Why do groups form?", There are a number of general tendencies within us
such as:
The similarity-attraction effect: we like people who are similar to us in some way
Exposure: we like people whom we have been exposed to repeatedly
Reciprocity: we like people who like us
Basking in reflected glory: we seek to associate with successful, prestigious groups
Furthermore, we also tend to avoid individuals who possess objectionable characteristics.
Further more there are number of reasons why people join groups which are as follows;

The power to empower

Power is a significant component of organizational life. Its acquisition, use, and abuse occupy a
great deal of time among people working together.

The ongoing legal battle between healthcare management and labor unions over proposed
National Labor Relations Board rules, for instance, is essentially a struggle over the power to
control working conditions, wages, benefits, and more.

Many managers do not view themselves in terms of their power. For them, power carries a
negative connotation. All managers, however, posses some degree of power by virtue of the
positions they hold in their organizations. What they do with this hierarchical form of power will
make the difference between successful and unsuccessful managers in the 1990s.

Healthcare managers who use their power to dominate and control people will fail. Those who
use their power to empower others will achieve success personally and help their institutions
to survive and thrive.

Successful managers empower their employees in a number of ways. At a minimum,

empowering managers do the following:

Trust people. Empowering employees requires a fundamental belief that people want to do the
right thing on the job. Strong managers believe that people are not lazy and constantly looking
for ways to take advantage of management. In short, managers must trust people to empower
them.

Let go. Most managers were promoted because of their abilities and effort as line employees.
Letting go of the tasks and activities that made them successful requires additional effort. But
that is precisely what must be done to empower others.

A manager must give others the opportunity to be successful. This requires more than simply
following the rules of delegation. Letting go requires a commitment to another's success.

Accept mistakes. It has become a cliche to say that employees must be allowed to make
mistakes and that they learn from those errors. Managers who empower others take the fear
out of the workplace by not punishing employees who take risks and make mistakes.

The healthcare industry needs innovations and solutions from its workers. Mistakes are a
natural by-product of innovative, changing organizations.

Avoid dependency. Management's job is to assist or serve those doing the work, facilitating
their success. Empowering managers take care not to cross the line with their assistance and
unwittingly make employees dependent on them. Responding to requests for help rather than
imposing help is a good rule to follow.

Talk straight. Empowering others demands honest communication. Frequent and frank
discussions about employee performance are critical to the employee's development.

To gloss over performance problems or fail to praise effective performance ultimately

demotivates and debilitates employees. Empowering managers seize opportunities to engage
in performance related conversations with employees.

Become vulnerable. Managers who use their power to empower others accept that their
success largely depends on those who report to them. They learn to live with the uncertainty
and anxiety coming with vulnerable situations.

In becoming vulnerable, managers transfer or share power with their employees. This is the
ultimate expression of true participative management and empowerment.

Power is a dirty word to many. Nevertheless, it is integral to management and the sociology of
organizations.

Power can be used in negative and positive ways. Using it to empower others is most effective
for the organization, management, and employees. Interestingly, managers who use their
power to empower others usually become more powerful in the process and end up emerging
as leaders in their organizations. And organizations led by empowering managers are more apt
to meet with success in the 1990s.

Edward A. Kazemek is a partner and national director of the Organizational Consulting Division
at Laventhol & Horwath in Chicago, Ill. Readers' comments and questions are encouraged, and
whenever possible, will be addressed in future articles. Address to Edward Kazemek, Laventhol
& Horwath, 300 S. Riverside Plaza, Chicago, IL 60606.

COPYRIGHT 1989 Healthcare Financial Management Association

Types of power

Coercive power is associated with people who are in a position to punish others. People fear the
consequences of not doing what has been asked of them.
 Connection power is based upon who you know. This person knows, and has the ear of, other
powerful people within the organization.
 Expert power comes from a person’s expertise (duh!). This is commonly a person with an
acclaimed skill or accomplishment.
 A person who has access to valuable or important information possesses informational power.
 Legitimate power comes from the position a person holds. This is related to a person’s title
and job responsibilities. You might also hear this referred to as positional power.
 People who are well-liked and respected can have referent power.
 Reward power is based upon a person’s ability to bestow rewards. Those rewards might come
in the form of job assignments, schedules, pay or benefits.

eng

Course Contents:
Module I: Social Communication Skills
Small Talk
Conversational English
Appropriateness
Building rapport
Module II: Context Based Speaking
In general situations
In specific professional situations
Discussion and associated vocabulary
Simulations/Role Play
Module III: Professional Skills
Presentations
Negotiations
Meetings
Telephony Skills
Examination Scheme: