by EK Wills
“…. every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.” – Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina
All groups work in different ways and everyone has their own perspective within that group whether it is a family or at work. But when things get difficult it can often be traced back to the dynamics in the way the people relate to each other.
I joined a team recently where I experienced issues in group dynamics and become one of the contributors myself. It made going to work stressful and I felt railroaded while decisions were reached that were inconsistent and detrimental to the people that were affected.
Kurt Lewin, a social psychologist and change management expert from as early as the 1940s, is credited with coining the term "group dynamics". It can be defined as the unconscious, psychological forces that influence the direction of a team's behaviour and performance. These dynamics can be viewed like undercurrents in the sea, which can carry boats in a different direction to the one they intend to sail.
If the team doesn't function cohesively then this can impact on the overall performance and ability to meet goals. It leads to the team making less than ideal decisions when group members are unable to explore options effectively.
Group leaders and team members alike can contribute to negative group dynamics. Some of the most common problems that can occur include leadership difficulties, groupthink, evaluation apprehension and blocking.
These are all technical terms that describe ways a group can fail to function in a united way so let’s look at one in particular, namely blocking.
Blocking happens when team members behave in a way that disrupts the flow of information in the group. People can adopt blocking roles such as:
The aggressor: this person often disagrees with others, or is inappropriately outspoken.
The negator: this group member is often critical of others' ideas.
The withdrawer: this person doesn't participate in the discussion.
The recognition seeker: this group member is boastful, or dominates the session.
The joker: this person introduces humour at inappropriate times.
From my perspective in my team, we had four of the five blocking actions occurring. Their was a readership struggle which created an aggressor and a negator and the two new members became part of the problem by reacting with recognition seeking and withdrawing in order to try to establish themselves in the team.
To determine what is happening in your group, observe and evaluate the following factors that collectively contribute to team success: cohesion, communication, groupthink, homogeny, role identity, stability, and team size.
1. Group cohesion affects how well members get along with each other, and trust and respect one another’s abilities and opinions.
Effective team communication includes mellow conversation tones, willingness to consider all opinions, desire to facilitate communication, effective conflict resolution, and efficient decision-making processes.
To foster team cohesion, satisfaction and motivation, a formal conflict resolution process can be helpful in cases where a team cannot effectively resolve conflict internally.
2. Groupthink is where opposing viewpoints are suppressed in order to preserve group harmony. This can happen when individual team members have an overwhelming desire to be accepted and to minimize conflict. Signs of groupthink include conformity, apathy toward team goals and outcomes, peer-pressure from leaders within the team, and discussions that tend to be one-sided.
3. Role identity is the extent to which members are capable of assuming different roles throughout the team structure, thus diversifying efforts and developing subject matter experts.
4.Teams that have lower turnover rates experience higher levels of group cohesion, better communication methods, and more effective role identity.
However when new members join the group, this can also be a barrier to integration.
5. It can be true that the greater the number of members within a team the more resources available to achieve a goal. However, as team size increases, so does the number of conflicts resulting in decreased levels of cohesion and inefficient outcomes.
If you notice that a member of your team has adopted a behaviour that's affecting the group unhelpfully, the general advice is to act quickly to address it. Sometimes that can be easier to say than to action. For instance, if you find yourself withdrawing, how do you then address the issue, particularly if there is a fear of evaluation?
Looking for someone that is also participating in one of the roles and is on the same level of the hierarchy can be a helpful start point. If you can openly discuss what you perceive as the situation, then the awareness itself can lead to change.
The very act of bringing this to light may change the direction of the group dynamic. However, it is important to recognise established political positions within the group and if you are relatively new to the team this can be challenging.
This is exactly the position I found myself in so spent days mulling over what I was feeling before I could pinpoint it. I felt railroaded by the other members of the team: I was disregarded, drowned out and usurped in conversations. I was no longer able to express my opinion and feel heard. I knew it wasn't right but initially put it down to my own insecurity about being new to the group.
I recently heard a phrase that rang true for me that is applicable here.
“We don’t blame a bank when it gets robbed so don't blame yourself when something like this happens.”
It’s not anyone’s fault in a group situation but the dynamics of the individuals need to be channeled for common goals rather than working against each other. Ultimately open communication is central to good team dynamics, so be sure that everyone is communicating clearly.
If you are experiencing these issues at work or in any group and can’t find a way to bring it out into the open or if there are no formal channels for resolution, consider talking to a professional. Your feelings are very real and ultimately the success of the team as well as individuals will suffer if nothing is addressed.
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