Group Dynamics and Management

GROUP DYNAMICS AND MANAGEMENT Module objectives At the end of the session, participants should be able to: – diagnose group problems early and deal with them; – handle difficult members of the work group; and – identify factors contributing to effective group work. Group: • A number of people who have common objective and interact with one another to accomplish their objectives. • An aggregation of people pooling their resources and abilities in a common pursuit. – togetherness, combined effort, organized cooperation and interdependence. Purpose of forming groups • To facilitate decision-making and problem solving; • To perform some specific tasks;

• To promote increased involvement and participation in communal activities; • To resolve conflict; and • To secure external assistance. Group development process • Forming – proximity, homogeneity and shared interest; • Storming – members struggling for power, conflict occurring ; • Norming – clarification of objectives, rules and procedures; and • Performing – function as a team to achieve common goals. Stages of group formation • Identification of potential members; • Inaugural meeting of potential members; • Objectives of the group; • Selection procedure and group composition; • First formal meeting Identification of potential members • Membership mobilization by a few individuals; • Shared ideas or objectives; • common problems or potentials that exist within the community such as: – poverty status, absence of social amenities, lack of access to credit or loan, abundant and untapped raw materials and knowledge of avenues for functional/technical assistance. Inaugural meeting of members • Initiators meet to deliberate on problems, goals and potentials of the group and equally to explore ways and means of solving the problems and achieving set goals. • When basis is established for common goals, then the members start to prepare for group’s objectives. Objectives of the group: • targets or aspirations people seek to achieve over a time periods. • Questions that must be answered by members in order to clearly define the objectives: – What type of group will it be? – What category of persons is the group meant for? – What are the goals of the group? Selection and group composition. • What method will be used to select members and why that method? • How many members will be in the group? • What qualifies individual for membership? • How often will the group hold meetings? • What is the life span of the group? • What will be the set up of executives? First general meeting • The initial members mobilizes community members; • A general meeting is convened; • A caretaker executive committee should be elected to oversee the affairs of the group; • Draft constitution/by-law – You may engage the services of a consultant. Team building: • an organized effort to improve team effectiveness; • a process of helping a group of diverse individuals to work together effectively and efficiently. Group dynamics: • is concerned with what is happening among; and to group members; – Interactions among members; – decision making process in groups; – Communication processes within the group. • Group dynamics can either make or mar a group. Positive roles played in groups. • Tasks performance – – initiator, opinion giver, elaborator and clarifier • Maintenance roles – – tension reliever, harmonizer, encourager and gate keeper. Building blocks of teamwork • Balanced roles; • Clear objectives and goals; • Openness and confrontation; • Support and trust; • Cooperation and conflict; • Sound procedures and good leadership; • Regular review; • Individual development; and • Good communications. Guidelines for teamwork • Understand the nature of task; • Everybody contributes to discussions; • All are equal but, established leadership; • Share responsibility; • Offer assistance to members in difficulty; • Analysis of situation; – Highlight possible alternatives/courses of action; • Time frame for completion of task; and • Evaluation from time to time.