Leadership through Group Dynamics

A brief overview of theory and application

Group dynamics? I thought this was a leadership course?

AwarenessExpectations/CommitmentKnowledge

Why are you teaching this?

Academic interest

Adjunct for Central Community College - LIS program

BSA

NLLI, ARL/OLMS, etc.

I’m not a leader…..

Leaders aren’t always who we think they are.

Groups/Teams/Committees

Defining leadership broadly

Leadership v. Management

Opposing fields/Opposing terminology

Mostly semantics

A possible definition

Leadership v. management Inspiring peopleYou can be either or both!

No, really, you can be a leader!

•Formal and informal leadership roles.

•Defined Roles

•“Ad Hoc” Roles

Situational Leadership

No single "best" style of leadership.

Telling Selling Participating Delegating

Hersey, P. and Blanchard, K. H. (1969). Life cycle theory of leadership. Training and Development Journal, 23 (5), 26–34.

Tuckman’s Stages

First published in 1965 Forming Norming Storming Performing

Adjourning/Mourning

Tuckman, B. W. (1965). Development sequence in small groups. Psychological Bulletin, 63, 384-399Tuckman, B.W. & Jensen, M.A.C. (1977) Stages of small group development revisited. Group and Organizational Studies, 2, 419-427

Cog’s Ladder

Five Steps of Group Development Polite Why we’re here Bids for Power Cooperation/Constructive Esprit

Charrier, G. O. (1972). Cog's ladder: a model of group development. Advanced Management Journal, 37(1), 30–37.

Tubbs/FisherTubbs

Orientation Conflict Consensus Closure

Tubbs, Stewart. (1995). A systems approach to small group interaction. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1995.

Fisher Orientation Conflict Emergence Reinforcement

Fisher, B. Aubrey. (1970). Decision emergence: Phases in group decision making. Speech Monographs, 37, 53-66.

Which one should we choose?

Tuckman Forming Norming Storming Performing

Why?

Forming(or Orientation, or Familiarity etc.)

The Immature Group

High enthusiasm and motivation

Low in Skills

“Honeymoon Period”

Forming – Expectations

What to expect Responsibilities Lots of questions Processes or lack thereof Testing

How to Participate during Forming

Specific Group Member Responsibilities Accepting the new team identity Learn the group's mission Commitment to group goals Getting to know one another Friendliness and concern about

others. Participate in goal setting

Forming – Leadership Style

Leader Directed High taskLow relationship

Forming - Specific Actions

ListenIntroduceCommunicate

Forming requires Explaining

Storming(or Confrontive, or Power etc.)

The Fractionated Group

Low enthusiasm AND still low in skills

Decisions don't come easily within group

Storming – Expectations

What to expectEstablishment Challenges Uncertainties Cliques and factions

How to Participate during Storming

Specific Group Member Responsibilities Focus on commonalities, not the

differences Listen actively and attentively Support environment for expression

of ideas Manage disagreements

Storming – Leadership Style

Directed CoachingHigh taskHigh relationship

Storming- Specific Actions

Specific Leader Actions Provide Restate Create

Storming requires Demonstrating

Norming(or Constructive, or Resolution or Supporting etc.)

The Sharing Group

Rising enthusiasm/growing skills

Sense of identity

Cooperation and integration

Norming – Expectations

What to expect Agreement and consensus Delegation Commitment Shared Leadership

How to Participate during Norming

Specific Group Member Responsibilities Appreciation of differences Recognition of group success Use feedback Greater involvement

Norming – Leadership Style

Follower Directed/MotivatingLow TaskLow Relationship

Norming - Specific Actions

Specific Leader Actions

Solicit Encourage Provide

Norming requires Guiding

Performing(or Production, or Synergy etc.)

The Effective Team

High enthusiasm and high skills

Commitment within the group

Energized

Performing – Expectations

What to expect Shared vision Focus Autonomy Changing needs

How to Participate during Performing

Specific Group Member Responsibilities Take on more of the team's business Letting the team leader operate at

the boundaries of the team Share in group accomplishments and

productivity

Performing – Leadership Style

Directed Mentoring Low Task Low Relationship

Performing - Specific Actions

Specific Leader Actions Providing Rewarding Celebrating

Performing usually requires Enabling

Adjourning?

A closure of the group/team process. Personal relations may be

disengaged Job tasks might be terminated

But not always!

High-performingDeformingReformingMourning

Conclusion

Many theories, many similarities

Limitations

Strengths

Questions?

Sources

Charrier, G. O. (1972). Cog's ladder: a model of group development. Advanced Management Journal, 37(1), 30–37.

Chodash, S. & Ryan, R. (2012) The Leading EDGE/The Teaching EDGE. http://www.neic-woodbadge.org/ Accessed May 2012.

Hersey, P. and Blanchard, K. H. (1969). Life cycle theory of leadership. Training and Development Journal, 23 (5), 26–34.

Tuckman, B. W. (1965). Development sequence in small groups. Psychological Bulletin, 63, 384-399

Tuckman, B.W. & Jensen, M.A.C. (1977) Stages of small group development revisited. Group and Organizational Studies, 2, 419-427

University of Kentucky Office of Student Activities, Leadership, & Involvement (n.d.) Group Dynamics. www.uky.edu/GetInvolved/Leadership/pdf/Group%20Dynamics.pdf. Accessed May 2012.