Balancing Group Conflict with Group Think Carla Dye

Transcription

1 Balancing Group Conflict with Group Think Carla Dye 1

2 Introduction Have you ever led, participated in or watched the dynamics of a group in your personal or professional life? Do you see groups with a lot of conflict, where no one is getting along, and nothing is getting done; or where there is no conflict, with everyone getting along but again nothing is getting done? If you are thinking about leading or joining a group one where everyone gets along, and things get done there are three fundamentals to creating this win-win situation. It s understanding the similarities and differences between: Group Conflict Groupthink and Cohesive Groups Collaboration plays a role in all three groups and is a key driver for cohesiveness and productivity. The level of collaboration is determined by how input and feedback is given and received for decision-making to occur. Groups that have no cohesiveness are unproductive; however, groups that are too cohesive, believe it or not, are also unproductive. Factors that influence whether groups gravitate towards one or the other are people and resources. 2

3 Group Conflict Indira Gandhi said, You can t shake hands with a clenched fist. A group that has low cohesiveness has a lot of conflict and no one is getting along. There are disagreements or arguments of opposing views; this type of behavior is common. Members are very assertive and non-cooperative. Members are competing to meet their own goals and objectives. There is only one winner and everyone else is a loser. The lack of cohesiveness occurs when there are no group norms how a group operates. You know you are in this group when: Members don t trust one another Morale is low and everyone knows it Members state opposing views in a dis-respectful way Critical thinking and innovation are non-existent and Productivity is low 3

4 Decisions, if made, may be risky or poor because input and feedback are given but no one receives the message. It would be like talking to a brick wall. There is no two-way communication. There is no intent to collaborate or cooperate with each other because of opposing views and the level of dissatisfaction and frustration can be seen and heard by members but is ignored. Other risks that this group may bring which can be both tangible and intangible: There is no focus on efficiency and time, whether it s personal or professional time The quality of the group output doesn t meet standards and Satisfaction is impacted because of the poor output There is a disconnect with this group because there is no effort for collaboration and the conflict is making the group dysfunctional. It s dysfunctional because its unproductive and not operating effectively. The group members are not dealing with or managing conflict in a rationale way which can result in increased levels of hostility. Groupthink Walter Lippman said Where all think alike, no one thinks very much. The opposite of group conflict is groupthink. A social psychologist named Janis Irving coined this term. This is a group that has too much cohesiveness or has the appearance of cohesiveness and no conflict. There is a perception that everyone is getting along, however, group norms are created from peer pressure, manipulation and coercion. Group members 4

5 are highly cooperative and non-assertive. Members are very accommodating to preserve relationships even if their goals are different from others in the group. Knowledge is power, and the rule is to follow the leader no matter what. It s the corporate nod syndrome because no one is brave enough to say anything contrary. Group members spend their time and energy on being liked and are insulated from others. Opposing views or the level of dissatisfaction and frustration can t be seen or heard by members. Conflict appears nonexistent because it s swept under the rug. The difference with this group compared to group conflict is that members are focused too much on fitting in. Harmony and conforming are at an extreme. It s like being at a tea party. Everyone is on their best behavior. You know you are in this group when: 5

6 There is a lack of diversity in appearance and thought Members avoid conflict like the plague Morale is low but appears high Critical thinking and innovation are non-existent and Productivity is low Decisions may be risky or poor because only positive input and feedback is given and received. In addition, critical information may be missed that may impact the quality of a decision. Other risks that this group may bring to the table may include the same things as group conflict. These again can be both tangible and intangible. The group is disconnected because it s too cohesive so conflict isn t addressed. It s suppressed. This group is also dysfunctional because it s unproductive and not operating effectively. So, think twice the next time someone says it s all about getting along with people. How far are you willing to go to fit in? A word of caution! Groupthink often gets identified by leaders as a cohesive group especially when there are no performance standards in place. The appearance of the two groups may look the same at a distance; however, the way the groups are managed internally, and the output/results are totally different. Cohesive Groups Helen Keller said, Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much. The solution lies in between group conflict and groupthink which is called a cohesive group. This approach encourages two-way communication. There 6

7 is collaboration because members are communicating with each other and work is getting done! Cohesiveness occurs because group norms are established together to include how to handle conflict. Members have a clear sense of direction because they are connected. This is a win-win situation for them because they know where each other stands whether they are satisfied or dissatisfied with something. Members are cohesive, productive, assertive, and co-operative. You know you are in this group when: Members trust each other Morale is high and members know it Members state opposing views in a respectful way Critical thinking and innovation are recognized and rewarded and Productivity is high 7

8 Decisions are improved because better judgement is used, and it may minimize risk to the group because both positive and negative input and feedback is given and received. There may be other risks that this group may bring to the table; however, those are fewer than those arising from group conflict or groupthink because the group is focused on common goals. There is more focus on: Efficiency and productivity Quality of the group out-put and Satisfaction is higher However, one risk is an increase in time if it s not managed because it takes longer to gather input and feedback. There is a price to collaboration whether it s personal time or professional time. Time is money, said Benjamin Franklin. This group is connected even though it may have some conflict. Conflict may not be resolved completely but it is managed through collaboration. Members are free to be highly productive. This is a high-functioning group because members are dealing with conflict in a rationale way. 8

9 Summary In summary, there are three fundamentals to creating a group in which members get along and are productive. These fundamentals are understanding the similarities and differences between: Group Conflict Groupthink and Cohesive Groups Remember that collaboration is the key driver to cohesive and productive groups. The level of collaboration is determined by how input and feedback are given and received for decision-making to occur. Groups that have no 9

10 cohesiveness are unproductive. Groups that are too cohesive are also unproductive. Groupthink often gets identified as a cohesive group so it s important to know the difference About the Author: Carla Dye is a Human Capital Management Consultant focused on Connecting People, Technology and Business minimizing risk and maximizing organizational performance. She has 20 years of Human Resources experience managing the full scope of HR strategy and operational programs working in Fortune 500 companies such as Boeing, Northrop Grumman and Raytheon. She holds a BS in Business Management, BA in Organizational Communications, six certifications and has received two national awards. Copyright cds Human Capital Consulting LLC. All rights reserved. 10