As part of your class, you have been asked to work in
small groups. Before you get started, I want to say a few words about the
nature of groups. This might help ease the angst and trepidation you might be
feeling right about now.
Studies have shown that there are five phases of groups.
These include: forming, storming, norming, performing and then disbanding. Not
all groups achieve each of the stages and even if your group does manage to
move through each stage, there is no guarantee that the transitions will be a
smooth one. That is the purpose of this note, e.g. to shed some light on the
natural functioning of groups.
Each of you has selected a topic area, Training and
Development, Staffing, or Recruitment and Compensation.Ý (Youíre off to a good start in that the
topic is of interest to you!)Ý Now,
given the hints below, you will need to move your group through the phases.
Forming:
Not to put you off, but I think this is the most difficult
of stages. Group participants can easily feel frustrated especially in the
virtual environment. During the earliest days of this period, take time to
introduce yourselves again. Share a note about your experience in the area of
Human Resources. Be specific about the time commitments you can make to our
group.
Your first task is to elect a "team leader." How
you do this is strictly up to you. If one of you wants to volunteer, that's
great! Just make sure the person your team elects understands the nature and
amount of work involved in leading a group. There are extra points awarded for
being a team leader - but they are hard-earned.
During the forming stage, participants can get frustrated
as I said earlier, tempers can flare and before you know it, you are in the
second stage: storming. If you are very lucky or very astute, you can keep your
fellow team participants on task and help move the group to the third stage of
group week - performing.Ý
Storming:
Sometimes, group participants have a difficult time
establishing a rapport and identifying the tasks at hand. They can't agree on
critical items for the time line that is the first required deliverable. This
is where your skills as a mediator come to bear. It is the team leader's
responsibility to work behind the scenes to resolve conflicts and bring the
other students to consensus.
Sometimes, groups pass right through from the forming to
performing stage. Other times, there are just minimal issues that need to be
resolved. But I have seen classes where students vehemently disagree to such an
extent that they cannot get past the storming stage. (This should not come as
surprise! We are all working adults and at one point or the other have
witnessed outbursts.)
The problem in the
classroom in general, and in the online environment in particular, is that the
timeframe is so compressed. By the time you post your question, a response
might not be posted under the day after. Time is of the essence.Ý I strongly suggest you work diligently to
develop a timeline and stick to it.
Norming:
In this phase everyone begins to feel ìat home.îÝ Each member knows and understands the part
they will play and the contribution they will make in making the group
successful.
Performing:
This stage is the goal for small group work. Participants
are each contributing, the team leader is working well with team leaders from
the other groups and a real sense of cohesion has developed in the group. Your
deliverables are being met on time. Not that there are bumps. There are. But
these are easily overcome with compromise. I strongly suggest working privately
in email to bring consensus. And always remember an opposing point of view can
make the team position stronger.
Disbanding:
Disbanding the group saying goodbye, could be as easy as
writing ìGood job!î to your fellow team members to meeting one or all of your
team members for lunch. Itís natural to want closure especially after working
hard on a project, for two months. Take the time to appreciate your fellow
teammatesí work.
Summary:
Needed for success: sensitivity to nature of groups; great
mediation skills; ability to identify required tasks; Whew! No wonder we
sometimes balk at working with groups. Until we stop to think about what's in
it for us. Which is? A greater sense of accomplishment that we were able to produce,
with our classmates and colleagues, a viable product. Knowing that these
collaborative skills can then be directly transferred to our workplace.ÝÝÝ