Group Dynamics - Literature review Example

Group Dynamics Task: Group Dynamics A group can be simply defined as, a large number of individuals who engage in a particular task together as a team who work together and guided by the same principle, in working on either the same or a similar goal. According to Daniel (2001), this is done in order to achieve a larger over role production, outcome or even output, because of the synergy developed by a group of individuals. When we were told that we were going to form groups, I was a little excited about the whole activity as well as what it entailed. According to Daniel (2001), we were supposed to be very systematic on what we did. In the beginning, everyone was confused and could not understand, as there was a procedure to be followed in the formation of the group. The first thing we were supposed to do as the first procedure was formation. According to Donelson (2005), formation is intended to ensure that everyone participated in a proactive manner. Each one of us was required to ask himself/herself several questions. The questions included, ‘what am I here for?’’ ‘‘who else is here?’’ Another aspect to mull over, as the following procedure, is called storming. This is an intergroup conflict stage. According to Donelson (2005), the members of the group accept the existence of the group, but try to resist the control that the group imposes on them. The members experience conflict over who will control the group. The next procedure is called homing. This stage develops a close relationship, and the group begins to demonstrate cohesiveness. A sense of group identity develops. Performing is the concluding phase. At this stage, the structure of the group is complete, functional and accepted. Depending on Blainey (2005), the group members move from getting to know each other to a better understanding of one another. As a result, the members concentrate on the task. This improves on their efficiency and productivity. As we got along with our duties, it becomes quite complicated to move on, as most of the time, there was a conflict between members. Some members like in Blainey (2005) would argue over the assignment that they were supposed to do, this occurred due to a lack of a clear definition of work. Others would argue due to the changes they experienced. Most of us are used to working alone, and now they had to accommodate other people in their schedules. Time passed by and it become more and more difficult to carry on our duties, and we had to do something. As a result, we had a meeting. According to Heidi (2009), the meeting involved all the members of the group, as conflicts seemed to arise from all sides of the group. In the meeting, everyone was encouraged to participate. This aimed at building up on the team spirit of all the individuals through democracy and collective decision-making. During the meeting everyone was allowed to participate, this brought about a form of democracy in the leadership of the group. After lengthy conversations, it was agreed that we had to form some rules and regulations that would guide us in our activities. This would give the whole group a sense of direction, as everything would be planned. This step alone was an initiative enough to cut down on the level of conflict in the group with a great margin. The first thing we decided as a group was to elect a leader in a democratic way. For some of us, in the group, a firsthand experience seemed too good to be true. According to Arnold (1995), this experience came with a great deal of authority and power as my best friend was elected the group leader. My friend was given his position because he has always had a strong personality. He always seems to get along with almost everyone in class due to his good interpersonal skills. Furthermore, depending on Roger (1999), he was able to communicate with everyone very easily. He would do this so well that there was no complains concerning any instructions. Every time he was given an opportunity to speak to his fellow students, he would portray a strong determination; one could even mistake him for a teacher. He always had a sense of responsibility and was never late in handing in class assignments. To say the list, my friend was such a dedicated person in what he deed. His decisions were always final, and he, at other times, would motivate other students who seemed to give up. According to Roger (1999), these qualities made him a truly exceptional and great leader. Some rules were formed immediately, and they included delegation of duties and responsibilities, it was decided that, each one of us in the group would be given a specific assignment. This was intended to align with the task that we were to carry out collectively. Secondly, communication was to be given maximum consideration. According to Arnold (1995), this was to be achieved through constant meetings, use of circulars, email and short message texts send through phones. There was also a need to increase group activities. This would be done by including extracurricular activities such as mountain climbing. This would help to bring about a bond between the group members. On the other hand, the members would be able to learn even more from each other through constant interaction. After making all this plans and preparations, my friend who was at this point our group leader had to sit down to prepare the groups strategic plan. This is according to Arnold (1995) document, which has all the operational plans of the group on what was to be achieved and how this was to be achieved. It also has all the deadlines the group has to meet in terms of their own scheduled work and the assignment. At this moment, I had to come in handy, to help the group leader, as the work was too overwhelming for one person. I was at that moment appointed as the assistant group leader; this was a completely new experience for me. Although it made me to feel a lot of gratitude for my fellow group members, it also came with many challenges. For instance, I had to take on a more participative role in the group. During some of those group activities when the group leader was not present, I had to sand in for him. As the assistant group leader, when the group leader was not present in some of the group activities I had to take on the role of the group leader. Depending on Christina (2004), my first assignment was to ensure that all the strategic plans were put in place through all the relevant operational activities. At first, I thought this would be effortless, but my familiarity proved otherwise. At one moment, I almost gave up, but my friend was always there to support and encourage me. Working with the stubborn and uncooperative members was a challenge, but I managed to turn them around through meetings. I would encourage them through a constant reminder of our final objectives and how high-status it would seem to be mentioned as the best group. According to Christina (2004), this would help in improving the level of commitment among the group members. To improve on the efficiency of the whole group I had to provide support to other members by making them understand their roles properly. Depending on Christina (2004), I had to ensure that I monitored their work constantly while evaluating the progress and suggesting changes where necessary. I had also to be in constant communication with almost all the group members. This helped a lot in ensuring that the group goals were meet in time. These efforts brought very positive changes that had a very overwhelming impact on the group. In some instances, everything seemed to be completely out of place, and I had to call on the help of the group leader. Everyone seemed to be completely tied with the group activities; our progress was sharply falling back. It felt, as if this was the end; however, after a consultation with all the other group members we discovered the problem. Most of the members were tied and were having exams this was a source of stress. According to Christina (2004), we decided to have a recess by going for a trip during that specific weekend. This rejuvenated the members as after the weekend the members completely improved. At this point, the group leader pointed out that what we had achieved was not enough. We had not achieved our long run goals of being the best group during that period. To rectify on that, we as a group had to sit down in a meeting. In the meeting, we strategically devised new ways of performing. We had systematic plans that would replace our initial plan. This was to act as a control measure on the original plan. In the new strategic plan, the group leader decided that he would improve his style of leadership. He would achieve this by including the charismatic form of leadership; this is where, the leader constantly tries to ensure that, he is in constant communication to the group members. As a result, he can easily improve any section that requires some kind of change. He also promised to include the participative leadership; this is where the leader gets involved in some of the tasks carried out by his subordinates. As a result, Barbara (1998) advises the subordinates to encourage, and in the process, motivated to work harder improving output and participation. Another way, to improve on the performance of our group was to ensure that we motivate each other. Through constant communication and listening to each other, we observed a remarkable improvement in our performance. To add on this, we would be clearly assigned duties with minimum ambiguity by the group leader. This helped the group a great deal in performing even better. As all this took place, the group commitment level by each member also improved. In the end, there was constant support by members to each other and mutual understanding. The results were amazing as our group was pronounced the best group during that semester. Although we really achieved a great deal, there was some challenges that we experienced in the group. To be able to achieve its maximum potential, the group leader must be positive and ready to work with the other group members. This is because the group leader cannot do all the work of the other group members alone. Therefore, there must be maximum cooperation from the other group members. In the beginning, we did not have a leader, and as a result, we did not have any direction. At this time, we did waste allot of time. According to Don (1996), this proved quite a challenge as most of the tasks were poorly carried out or completely left unattended. Poor communication can also weigh negatively on the performance of a group. This is because, if not corrected in time, it may lead to frustration and confusion among group members. On another perspective, it may turn out to be a challenge if the members in the group are too many (beyond eight people). When this is the case, it becomes very hard for the group leader to manage this entire people while he/she is alone. This may also give room to the formation of informal groups; they come up in the form of subgroups. Thus In the end if this is not looked in to it may lead to a completely disorganized group. Generally, people have different ideologies when it comes to different topics of discussion. However, in groups it becomes a very big challenge when the group members stick to their different ideas. This may have the effect of wasting the groups’ time as most if not all the time will be lost on arguments that may at times be irrelevant. Lack of planning is also something that can seriously challenge the working of a group. When we first formed our group, we would not plan our work prior to our meetings. According to Ronald (1994), because of this, we had no capacity to conduct various duties in depth; this is because most of the time was wasted on debating things that should have been planned earlier. Above all the mentioned factors, there is also something known as the mission statement, the goals and objectives of the group. This are statements that define what the group wishes to achieve both in the end and in the short run. For these statements to be effective, the group leader must ensure that they are well defined and well known by his members. Furthermore, the members have to, completely, understand what role or roles they have to play in order for these targets to be achieved. If the group mission and objectives are absent, it becomes very difficult for the group to benchmark their work. This is so because it is hard for someone to measure his progress, if he has not set any targets for himself. Depending on Ronald (1994), there will be simply nothing to compare your efforts with; in the process, progress will only remain as a dream instead of being a reality. I learned a lot from the above experience, things that I do not think could be learned from other places other than that exact context. To begin with, I was able to develop on my interpersonal skills, from that experience I was able to know how to work with other people. This greatly improved how I interact with other people. According to Ronald (1994), I learned how to be patient with others as well as how to respect other people’s wishes. From the whole experience, I improved on my level of Understanding. I was also able to discover my potential; I was able to have a better understanding of myself. I realized from that time how I could work so well in a group. I was able to improve on my leadership skills such that, I could convince the group and influence them to work towards achieving group goals. This also boosted my self-confidence a great deal. I could now stand before a bigger audience than the group. I employed every of my theoretical ideologies in a practical context. In class, we learn many theories, which can at times be hard to understand. When these are practiced in reality, one gets to understand those group dynamics better. According to Ronald (1994), for instance, when there is a better understanding among group members there is a higher efficiency and synergy observed from the group. There was also the element of change in a group. I learned that to initiate change one has to ensure that he prepares the group for the changes to be expected. This can easily be achieved through good communication among the group members. This is key for any change activity because otherwise the whole change idea will face resistance from most of the group members. At the end of the whole assignment, I dedicated my appreciation to the group members and thanked them for the opportunity. According to Starhawk (1998), I was able to have an in depth understanding of management, as well as human resource. According to Starhawk (1998), it was also very important to stick to the initial plans because they will always determine the end. In management, one has to, always, be ready to implement the necessary activities monitor the progress and control were necessary. References Daniel, J, Lev, I 2001, Group Dynamics for Teams, Paperback, Minneapolis. Gill, R 2002, Leading Organizations: Perspectives for a New Era, Paperback, Minneapolis Roger, F 1999, Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In, Paperback publishers, Minneapolis. Donelson, R 2005, Group Dynamics, Hardcover, Mumbai. Blainey, G 2003, Black kettle and full moon: daily life in a vanished Australia, Penguin/Viking, Camberwell, Victoria. Lord of the Flies, Paperback publishers, Minneapolis. José, S 2003, Blindness, Paperback publishers, Minneapolis. Heidi, L 2009, Yksilöksi ryhmässä, Paperback, Minneapolis. Mihaly, C 2003, Good Business: Leadership, Flow, and the Making of Meaning, Minneapolis, Paperback. Kwame, A A 2010, the Honor Code: How Moral Revolutions Happen, Hardcover, Mumbai. Ronald, H 1994, Leadership without Easy Answers, Hardcover, Mumbai. Christopher, A 1977, a Pattern Language: Towns, Buildings, Construction, Hardcover, Mumbai. Robert, C 2005, a Sourcebook of 21 Sets of Ideas and Activities, Paperback, Minneapolis. Manitonquat 2009, the Original Instructions: Reflections of an Elder on the Teachings of the Elders, Adapting Ancient Wisdom to the Twenty-First Century, Paperback, Minneapolis. Starhawk 1987, Truth or Dare: Encounters with Power, Authority, and Mystery, Paperback, Minneapolis. Don, E B 1996, Spiral Dynamics: Mastering Values, Leadership and Change, Paperback, Minneapolis. Barbara Marx Hubbard 1998, Conscious Evolution: Awakening Our Social Potential, Paperback, Minneapolis. John, B 2007, We the People, Paperback, Minneapolis. Arnold, M 1995, Sitting in the Fire: Large Group Transformation Using Conflict and Diversity, Paperback, Minneapolis. Manitonquat 2009, Return to Creation, Paperback, Minneapolis. Christina, B 2004, Calling the Circle: The First and Future Culture, Paperback, Minneapolis. Conrad, C 2001, Religion on Campus, Paperback, Minneapolis. Charles, A 1977, A Pattern of Language: Towns, Buildings, Construction, Hardcover, Mumbai. Read More