Group Dynamics
Example: Alpha Commerce is looking to hire four individuals who can work together to clean up the company facility before a scheduled audit is performed. The team of four will communicate effectively, organize, keep up to date records, and perform tasks as necessary.
Tuckman Model
Upon hire, the group is formed although Tuckman's Model acknowledges that groups do not start. The individuals will have to adjust to one another to see where each fit in the scheme of the group. Who has more leadership qualities and who is more of a follower? By assessing everyone's skills and on the job performance it will see where everyone best fit. After a couple of weeks working on the assignment, each person will have a clear understanding of the roles, and if needed, adjustments can be made.
Tuckman's Model is as follows:
Forming – Group members become familiar with one another, they learn their strengths and weaknesses and determine how each one can best meet the common goal of the group. At this stage, there may be unclear roles, miscommunication, disagreement on characters, lack of awareness of group attributes, lack of initiative, poor communication, lack of cohesion.
Storming is the second phase in this group development. Storming denotes a group is asking questions such as what the group's main aim is, how they can go about performing the goal with little problems. This step is a time when there may be conflict in deciding how to go about completing group aims, and there may be challenges saw in how activities will be addressed.
Norming is the third phase where we see the beginning of group cohesion, rules are set, and roles are more clearly defined. The individuals see themselves pulling together to achieve a goal, and there is a clearer understanding of the needs to be met.
Lastly, performing is seen in Tuckman's Model of group development. Performing includes meeting group goals, getting the job done; emphasis is placed on the focus of tasks, and people working together.
Tubbs' System Model.
Within Tubbs' system model, the group can meet demands by formulating a clear path of communication between group members.
Orientation- group members become familiar with group goals, and the company as well as getting to know one another.
Conflict – the needs of the company are discussed, and ideas are brought forth in discussion to make work performance suitable to the client's needs.
Consensus – Group members weigh the pros and cons of the ideas that were presented in the earlier step agreeing upon the best steps to take.
Closure – group members make formal decisions on how to go about tackling the tasks at hand.
References
Tubbs' Theory - Small Group Communication. Communication Theory, Retrieved from https://www.communicationtheory.org/tubbs-theory-small-group-communication/.
Stein, J. Using the Stages of Team Development. Human Resources, Retrieved from http://hrweb.mit.edu/learning-development/learning-topics/teams/articles/stages-development.
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