Work Group Dynamic Activation Guide
Your pillar activation guide keeps you connected beyond your Groops sessions with key group connection concepts to review, discussion questions to continue to reflect on or talk about, and takeaways or things to try to apply new skills and knowledge together.
Groop 1: Stages and Processes of a Work Group
Group Connection Concept
Key Aspects of a Work Group
Communication Patterns: How information flows within the group, including formal and informal channels, and the impact of communication styles on collaboration and decision-making.
Roles and Responsibilities: The distribution of tasks and roles within the team, including leadership dynamics, role clarity, and the balance between individual contributions and collective goals.
Conflict Resolution: How the team addresses disagreements, manages conflicts constructively, and fosters a culture of open dialogue and problem-solving.
Trust and Psychological Safety: The level of trust among team members, including psychological safety—the belief that one can express ideas, take risks, and be vulnerable without fear of reprisal.
Decision-making Processes: How decisions are made within the team, considering factors such as inclusivity, consensus-building, and the balance between efficiency and thoroughness.
Group Discussion Questions
Continue the Conversation
Strengths: What are 3 strengths in your current work group dynamics?
Development: What are 3 areas that could use more development?
Goals: What is your biggest goal for this series?
Takeaways or Things to Try
Take Action Together
Set clear expectations for communication, collaboration, and decision-making processes. Defining ground rules at the beginning helps prevent misunderstandings later.
Periodically assess the team’s workflows and look for bottlenecks or inefficiencies. Be open to changing processes if it improves overall productivity and collaboration.
Ensure that team members are not just focused on completing tasks but also on how they are working together. A good balance between "what" is being done and "how" it’s being done improves group dynamics.
Groop 2: Content and Process in the Work Group
Group Connection Concept
The What and How in The Work Group
Content dynamics focus on the "what"—the tangible aspects of a work group, including the tasks, goals, and what is being said during meetings and discussions.
Key Elements of Content Dynamics:
Tasks & Responsibilities
Goals & Objectives
Ideas & Information Exchange
Process dynamics refer to the "how"—the underlying, often unspoken mechanisms that influence how work gets done, including group behaviors, communication styles, and interpersonal dynamics.
Key Elements of Process Dynamics:
Communication Patterns
Decision-Making Processes
Group Norms & Roles
Emotional Climate
Group Discussion Questions
Continue the Conversation
How well do we separate our focus on content (tasks, goals) from the process (how we work together) during our meetings and projects?
When conflicts arise, do they tend to be about the content (tasks, decisions) or the process (how we communicate, make decisions, or collaborate)?
What steps can we take to improve our process so that it better supports our content goals?
Takeaways or Things to Try
Take Action Together
Ask team members to share their understanding of the group’s content (tasks, goals) and process (how things get done). Encourage them to differentiate between the two by giving examples.
Designate one part of meetings to focus on content (what needs to be done) and another part to focus on process (how you’ll work together to achieve it). This structure makes it easier to see the distinction between the two.
Groop 3: Thoughts, Feelings, and Behaviors
Group Connection Concept
Impact on Leadership
Thoughts, feelings, and behaviors significantly impact leadership by influencing how leaders perceive situations, manage emotions, and respond to challenges. Understanding this enhances self-awareness and decision-making. This results in positive business and cultural outcomes.
Thoughts:
Shape decision-making and problem-solving approaches.
Influence perceptions of team potential and overall mindset.
Positive thinking fosters a supportive and empowering environment.
Feelings:
Directly affect leader behavior and team perceptions.
Emotional awareness leads to better self-regulation and consistent leadership.
Emotional intelligence is key to effective leadership.
Behaviors:
Actions influenced by thoughts and feelings impact team morale and productivity.
Positive behaviors, like encouraging open communication, build trust and collaboration.
Effective behavior management strengthens organizational culture.
Group Discussion Questions
Continue the Conversation
Think back to a recent time when you were angry, anxious, or frustrated. Now, describe the situation.
What were you thinking?
What were you feeling?
What were you doing?
Are these thoughts / feelings / behaviors common for you?
Are these thoughts / feelings / behaviors aligned with the type of leader you want to be?
What is a replacement thought that is both realistic and in alignment with the leader you want to be?
Takeaways or Things to Try
Take Action Together
Use a Thought Record Worksheet:
Reflect: Think back to a recent time when you were angry, frustrated, or any other strong emotion (7 or above).
Situation: Describe what happened.
Thoughts: List the thoughts that occurred to you during the situation.
Feelings: Identify and rate your emotions.
Evidence: Challenge your thoughts by writing evidence for and against them.
Alternative Thoughts: Replace unhelpful thoughts with more balanced or realistic ones.
Outcome: Reflect on how changing your thoughts could impact your feelings and behaviors.
Groop 4: Roles and Dynamics
Group Connection Concept
Key Aspects of Roles and Dynamics
Action-Oriented Roles:
Shaper: Drives the team forward, thrives on challenges, and keeps momentum going. They can be dynamic but may sometimes provoke others.
Implementer: Turns ideas into practical actions. They are reliable and disciplined but may resist change.
Completer/Finisher: Ensures accuracy, focuses on detail, and meets deadlines. They may be perfectionists but can be overly critical.
People-Oriented Roles:
Coordinator: Guides team members to focus on shared goals. Great at delegation, but may be seen as manipulative.
Teamworker: Encourages team cohesion and harmony. They are diplomatic but may avoid confrontation.
Resource Investigator: Explores opportunities and builds external relationships. They are enthusiastic but can lose interest after the initial excitement.
Thought-Oriented Roles:
Plant: The creative thinker who provides innovative ideas. They are imaginative but may ignore practical details.
Monitor/Evaluator: Analyzes ideas and ensures decisions are logical. They are objective but can be overly critical.
Specialist: Brings in-depth knowledge in specific areas. They are dedicated but may become isolated from the bigger picture.
Group Discussion Questions
Continue the Conversation
Which roles are well-represented on your team, and where might there be gaps?
Which team roles do you think are most critical for our success?
How can we optimize everyone’s strengths to enhance team dynamics?
How can we ensure everyone feels valued for their unique contributions?
Takeaways or Things to Try
Take Action Together
Conduct a team role assessment to identify the preferred roles of each team member. Try this one for free.
Hold a Team Reflection Session where team members share how they perceive their roles and the dynamics of the group. Encourage open dialogue about how well current roles align with individual strengths and team needs.
Watch how the team functions in both routine meetings and high-pressure situations. Note who takes the lead, who supports, and how decisions are made. Different roles may emerge in varied contexts.
Groop 5: Managing Difficult Situations
Group Connection Concept
How to Collaborate When in Conflict
Assume Best Intentions: Assume everyone has positive intentions and the conflict is over best approach (not negative intentions).
Notice and Name the Conflict: Use noticing and wondering. “I notice that we see this differently and wonder if we should slow down and try to solve this together?”
What is the Shared Goal of Both / All Parties?: Ask both / all parties what the shared goal is or what success looks like for them.
Practice Active Listening: Use OARS (open ended questions, empathizing / validating, reflections, summarization) to understand the other’s perspective before your own.
Agree on a Shared Goal: Pick one shared goal with a focus on what has to be solved now vs. later.
Evaluate Options: Lay out all the ways to potentially achieve the shared goal. Rate probability of success of each.
Pick One: Pick one solution to try. Remind the group, you can always try another if this one is not successful.
Follow-up: Check-in with each other later to see how successful the solution was.
Group Discussion Questions
Continue the Conversation
What is your relationship with conflict?
What is your usual way of dealing with conflict?
What was a recent conflict on your team? Please share the story.
As a group, let’s brainstorm ways to resolve this conflict using the mode we learned (SWAPS).
Takeaways or Things to Try
Take Action Together
Use SWAPS:
S: Stop.
W: What is the conflict?
A: What are the alternatives / possible options to solve it? Rate each on the probability of success with evidence.
P: Pick a solution to try.
S: Revisit the solution at a later date and ask, “How satisfied are we with the solution?”
Groop 6: Building the Action Plan
Group Connection Concept
Plan = Action.
Create a concrete action plan for your team by identifying key goals, assigning roles, setting deadlines, and implementing regular check-ins. Ensure that both task achievement and team dynamics are prioritized for long-term success.
Reflect on Group Stages and Processes:
Start by revisiting the Stages of a Work Group (forming, storming, norming, performing). Assess where your group is in this process and tailor your action plan to support the current stage while preparing for the next.
Address Content and Process Dynamics:
Balance the Content (tasks, goals) with the Process (communication, collaboration). Make sure your action plan includes both task-oriented goals and process-driven steps to maintain healthy group interactions.
Consider Thoughts, Feelings, and Behaviors:
Leverage insights into the group’s Thoughts, Feelings, and Behaviors to create action steps that align with your team’s emotional and psychological needs. This ensures that the plan is people-focused and takes into account individual and collective mindsets.
Utilize Roles and Dynamics:
Ensure that roles within the team are clear and that each member’s strengths are being utilized. Use your knowledge of Roles and Dynamics to delegate tasks that align with each member’s abilities, promoting both productivity and team cohesion.
Navigate Difficult Situations Proactively:
Incorporate strategies from Managing Difficult Situations into your action plan. Anticipate potential challenges and conflicts, and outline steps for addressing them constructively when they arise.
Group Discussion Questions
Continue the Conversation
Strengths: What are 3 strengths in your Action Plan?
Development: What are 3 areas that could use more development?
Takeaways: What is your biggest takeaway from this series?
Takeaways or Things to Try
Take Action Together
Post your Action Plan somewhere you can see it every day.
Share your Action Plan with your team to ensure that both task achievement and team dynamics are prioritized for long-term success.
Be flexible and edit your Action Plan as you go.