Session Flow

Check-in (20-30 mins)

•Top of heart/ mind

Group Dynamics Concept
•1 exciting insight Session (30-40 mins)
•1 further curiosity/ challenge

Group Discussion (45 mins) Closure (15 mins)

•2-4 self-selected presentations •Feelings
•Start with the creative expression •Thoughts
•Share experience and concept •Learning
•“Engaged” discussion •Furthering the learning
 GROUP DYNAMICS
Why look?
What to look for?
Jagad Mithya, Brahma Satya
~ Vedanta

Literal = World is a mirage and only divinity is real

Metaphorical ~ Material world is an incomplete reality,

made complete by imagination and language

(From My Gita, Devdutt Pattanaik)

Why focus on Group Dynamics as part of
OD learning?
• All organizations..
• …start out as small groups
• ...work in sub-groups (teams/ functions) and through their interplay
• …consciously or unconsciously develop and pass on their culture through
group dynamics

• All groups…
• …have an “originating event” (purpose, crisis, originator’s decision, common
interest)
• …have a said or yet-to-be discovered/ constructed agenda
• …an evolving life based on continual interaction of external and internal
dynamics

• All groups have Individuals

• …with specific needs, beliefs and assumptions
• …with diverse coping strategies (based on their beliefs and assumptions) to
meet their needs
• …whose coping behaviors interplay to create the group/ organization reality

Caution!
Building Blocks ….not the Building or ALL the blocks!
Elements of Group Dynamics
• Communication • Roles
• Content vs. Process • Membership
• Decisions • Feelings
• Influence • Norms
• Task vs. • Group Atmosphere
Relationships • Group Maturity
 Communication
The first signs…
• Who talks? For how long? How often?
• Who do people look at when they talk?
• a. Single others, possibly potential supporters
• b. Scanning the group
• c. No one
• Who talks after whom, or who interrupts whom?
• That style of communication is used (assertions, questions, tone of voice,
gestures, etc.?)
• Do people change their participation (become quiet or more talkative or
change tone of voice)? Why?
• How are silent people treated? Is silence due to consent, disagreement,
disinterest, fear, fatigue?

…. Of influence, leadership/ followership, unsaid norms,

personal positions
 Content vs. Process
The first peel…
Content Process

1. Talking about problems of authority back that there is a leadership struggle going on
home may mean . . . . . in the group.

2. Talking about how bad group meetings that members are dissatisfied with the
usually are at the plant may mean . . . performance of their own group.

3. Talking about staff who don't really help dissatisfaction with the leader of the group.
anybody may mean . . .

At a simpler level, looking at process really means to focus on what is going on in the
group and trying to understand it in terms of other things that have gone on in the group.

….gives clues to what may lie behind/ below the content and
open up self to looking beyond the obvious
 Decision Making
The first overt struggle…

• Does anyone make a decision and carry it out without checking with
other group members (self authorized decision)?
• Does the group drift from topic to topic with no decision? Who
supports other members' suggestions or decisions?
• Is there any evidence of a majority pushing a decision through over
other members' objections? Do they call for a vote (majority
decision)?
• Is there any attempt to get all members to agree before a decision is
made (consensus)?
• Does anyone make any contributions which do not receive any kind
of response or recognition (plop)? What effect does this have on the
member?

….is the start of the search for “groupness” (purpose, goals, task,
common ground vs. uniqueness, involvement)
 Influence
Looking below the struggle: Lens A…

•Which members are high in influence? That is, when they talk others
seem to listen.
•Which members are low in influence? Others do not listen to them or
follow them.
•Is there any shifting of influence over a period of time?
•Do you see any rivalry in the group? Is there a struggle for leadership?
What effect does it have on other group members?

….Starting to shift from “observer” to “hypothesizer”

 Task vs. Relationships Focus
Looking below the struggle: Lens B…
Task-focused people: Relationship-focused people:

• make suggestions as to the best •more concerned with how people

way to proceed or deal with a feel than how much they know;
problem; •help others get into the
• attempt to summarize what has discussion;
been covered or what has been •try to reconcile disagreements;
going on in the group; •encourage people with friendly
• give or ask for facts, ideas, remarks and gestures.
opinions, feelings, feedback, or
search for alternatives;
• keep the group on target;
prevent going off on tangents.
….Starting to shift from “observer” to “hypothesizer”
 Roles
Emerging Groupness in operation….

•Behavior in the group can be of 3 types:

• that which helps the group accomplish its task;
• that which helps group members get along better (relationships);
and
• self oriented behavior which contributes to neither group task nor
group relationships.

….The gradual shift of lens from individual to individual-FOR-

group
 Types of Roles
TASK ROLES RELATIONSHIP ROLES

•Initiating: proposing tasks or goals; defining •Harmonizing: attempting to reconcile

a group problem; suggesting ways to solve a disagreements; reducing tension; getting
problem. people to explore differences.
•Seeking information or opinions: •Gate keeping: helping to keep
requesting facts; asking for expressions of communication channels open; facilitating
feeling; requesting a statement or estimate;
seeking suggestions and ideas. the participation of others; suggesting
procedures that permit sharing remarks.
•Giving information or opinion: offering
•Encouraging: being friendly, warm, and
facts; providing relevant information; stating an
opinion; giving suggestions and ideas. responsive to others; indicating by facial
•Clarifying and elaborating: interpreting
expression or remarks the acceptance of
ideas or suggestions; clearing up confusion; others' contributions.
defining terms; indicating alternatives and •Compromising: when one's own idea or
issues before the group. status is involved in a conflict, offering a
•Summarizing: pulling together related ideas; compromise which yields status; admitting
restating suggestions after the group has error; modifying one's position in the
discussed them; offering a decision or interest of group cohesion or growth.
conclusion for the group to accept or reject.
•Consensus testing: asking if the group is
nearing a decision; taking a straw vote."
 Types of Roles
SELF-ORIENTED ROLES SELF-ORIENTED ROLES (CONTD)

•Dominator: interrupts others; launches •Storyteller: likes to tell long "fishing

on long monologues; is over-positive and stories" which are not relevant to the
over- dogmatic; tries to lead group and group; gets off on long tangents.
assert authority; is generally autocratic. •Interrupter: talks over others; engages in
•Negativist: rejects ideas suggested by side conversations; whispers to neighbor.
others; takes a negative attitude on issues; •Poor me: tries to get the group's attention
argues frequently and unnecessarily; is to deal with own personal concerns,
pessimistic, refuses to cooperate; pouts. discomfort, bad luck, etc
•Aggressor: tries to achieve importance in
group; boasts; criticizes or blames others;
tries to get attention; shows anger or
irritation against group or individuals;
deflates importance or position of others in
group.
A group member who can play a
•Playboy: is not interested in the group variety of task and relationship
except as it can help him or her to have a
good time. roles and can avoid self oriented
roles will be most helpful to the
group.
 Membership
Emerging Groupness in operation….

• Are there any sub-groupings? Sometimes two or three members

may consistently agree and support each other or consistently
disagree and oppose one another.
• Do some people seem to be outside the group? Do some
members seem to be "in"? How are those "outside" treated?
• Do some members move in and out of the group? Under what
conditions do they move in and out?

….The gradual shift of lens from individual to individual-IN

(OUT)-group
 Feelings
Looking below the Group Operation: Lens C….

• What signs of feelings do you observe in group members? Anger,

irritation, frustration, warmth, affection, excitement, boredom,
defensiveness, competitiveness, etc.
• Do you see any attempts by group members to block the expression
of feelings, particularly negative feelings? How is this done? Does
anyone do this consistently?

Feelings are seldom talked about. Observers make guesses (tone of

voice, facial expressions, gestures, body language)

….the doorway to unsaid, unarticulated, unheard

realities
 Norms
Looking below the Group Operation: Lens D…
• Are certain areas avoided by the group (eg., sex, religion, talk about present feelings,
about others in the group, discussion of leader's behavior, etc.)? Who seems to
reinforce this avoidance? How do they do it?
• Are the group members overly nice or polite to each other? Are only positive feelings
expressed? Do members agree with each other too readily? What happens when
members disagree?
• Do you see norms operating about participation or the kinds of questions that are
allowed? (e.g., "If I talk you must talk"; "If I tell my problems you have to tell your
problems").
• Do members feel free to probe each other about their feelings? Do questions tend to be
restricted to intellectual topics or events outside the group?

Standards or group rules to control the behavior of members

May be clear to all members (explicit), known or sensed by only a few (implicit),
or operating completely below the level of awareness

….the doorway to “brakes and accelerators”

 Group Atmosphere
Whole Weather Phenomena: Lens E…
• Is the atmosphere one of work, play, satisfaction, taking flight,
sluggish, tense, etc.?
• Who seems to prefer a friendly congenial atmosphere? Is there any
attempt to suppress conflict or unpleasant feelings?
• Who seems to prefer an atmosphere of conflict and disagreement?
Do any members provoke or annoy others?

….the whole is greater than sum of the parts

 Group Maturity

Group maturity is defined as the ability

and willingness of group members to
set goals and work toward their
accomplishment.
 Characteristics of a Mature Group
• An increasing ability to be self-directed (not dependent on the leader).
• An increased tolerance in accepting that progress takes time.
• An increasing sensitivity to their own feelings and those of others.
• Improvement in the ability to withstand tension, frustration and
disagreement.
• A perception of the common denominators which bind the group as well
as areas of individual difference.
• A better ability to anticipate realistic results of behavior and to channel
emotions into more socially acceptable ways of expressing these
emotions.
• An increased ability to change plans and methods as new situations
develop.
• A decrease in time needed to recover from threatening group situations.
Peaks and valleys of emotional group crises become less personal.
• Increased efficiency in locating problems, engaging in problem solving
and providing help to individuals as needed.
• A willingness to face one's own responsibilities and to assist others when
help is needed.
• An acceptance of the right of the other person to be different.

Don’t we wish for such groups/ organizations !