Three Characteristics of Effective Work Groups

Buchanan, A. H. (2001). Organizational Behaviour:An Introductory Text (4 ed.). (F. T. Hall, Ed.) Pearson Education.

At this stage, the group begins to realize the more positive points of individuals within the group, which promotes the development of trust and respect which begins to build group cohesion. The next stage is the performing stage, which is typical of high-performing teams that are able to function as a group and figure out various options to get the job done smoothly and effectively without supervision. The final stage is the adjourning phase, which is the final step in completing tasks and breaking up the team.

While finding a good balance, conflicts will most certainly arise. Conflict resolution strategies must be utilized, for the team to be effective and meet the goals and objective of their assignment. These conflicts may be more evident in certain types of teams more so than in others. Conflict is common when working in teams. Its is important to have team meeting in order to lay out potential problems and disagreements and prepare to support the teams final decision. (Weinstein, 2007)

(Robbins and Millet and Cacioppe and Waters-Marsh, 1998, p.10). An important area within organisational behaviour is motivation.

Kreitner, R., & Kinicki, A. (2013). Organizational behavior (10th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill/Irwin. Retrieved from

Robbins, S. P., & Judge, T. A. (2015). Organizational behavior (16th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. (Note: Refer to Chapter 3)

Norming – during this stage the trust and respect is developing amongst the members of the group, since it becomes clear that each member has a role and they are aware of what

Throughout the readings communication was identified as a vital component for establishing and maintaining relationships. Porter-O Grady sanctioned for leaders to establish firm rules of engagement to help support a positive group dynamic (2013). While Kelly & Tazbir explained that friction and conflict were a normal part of group development and were representative of the Storming stage of group process (2014). Moreover, they explained that with assistance from the team leader the team can overcome these obstacles, strengthen inter-professional relationships, and enter into the Norming stage (Kelly & Tazbir, 2014). Here the team is able to participate in the effective exchange of communication and begin making progress toward goals. This represents progression into the Performing stage of group process (Kelly & Tazbir, 2014). When the team has met its intended target they are ready to anylze the outcomes of their work and enter the final stage of group process—Adjourning (Kelly & Tazbir,

Kreitner, R., & Kinicki, A. (2013). Organizational behavior (10 ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill/ Irwin. .). Retrieved from http://gcumedia.com/digital-resources/mcgraw-hill/2013/organizational behavior_ebook_10e.php

Norming - this is the stage “it can be done”. Group cohesion takes place. Ref: Ann Gravells as above.

This stage sees group members begin to confront each other as they begin to vie for roles within the group that will help them to belong and to feel valued. Thus as members begin to assert their individual personalities, the comfort of the forming stage begins to come under siege. Members experience personal, intra and inter group conflicts. Aggression and resentment may manifest in this stage and thus if strong personalities emerge and leadership is unresponsive to group and individual needs, the situation may become destructive to the

Robbins & Judge. (2013). Organizational Behavior, Fifteenth Edition, eBook Collection, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey; Published by Prentice Hall.

Effective work groups must have honest, open lines of communication that flow between all members equally. Members who understand each other's unique communication styles are very likely to move the group in a direction that would be productive. Members should never hesitate to communicate to other members about issues and concerns, as well as share new ideas (Ingram, 2017). Having a group that consists of a variety of professional competencies can help the organization meet a variety of challenges. This is known as diversity of capabilities, another element that is needed. When building an effective work group, it is essential to make sure that each selected team member has the skills and strengths that would complement the skills, strengths and weaknesses of the other members. The group leader must make sure that each member has a unique specialty would allow them to trust each other while understanding what their own contribution is (Ingram, 2017). Adaptability is another element that is needed. The work group would need to be flexible and adaptable, since strategies, goals, tasks, workflows and even members can change. Members should be able to get together and meet new challenges directly, rather than resist change

Robbins, S. P., & Judge, T. A. (2011). Organizational Behavior (14th Edition). Boston, MA: Prentice Hall.

References:Huczynski, A. A. and Buchanan, D. A. (2007) Organizational behaviour: An introductory text. 6th ed., Harlow: Financial Times Prentice Hall.