Principles of Supervision 3

Group

two or more people who interact with one another, are aware of one another, and think of themselves as a group.

Status

A group member's position to relating to others in the group

Agenda

A list of the topics to be covered at a meeting

Teams

A small group whose members share goals, commitment, and accountability

Closeness

Being members of the same group builds ties among people. Friendships generally result from the shared experiences that come from membership in some kind of group, such as a class at school or a bowling team.

Team building

Developing the ability of team members to work together to achieve common objectives

Informal subgroups can develop among members of a formal group when the formal group fails to meet some personal needs

Example: when some group members feel angry at the group's leader or uncertain about whether they really belong, they may form a subgroup.

False

Formal groups are typically formed when individuals in the organization develop relationships to meet personal needs.

Five Stages of Team Development

Forming Storming Norming Performing

Two or more people who interact with one another, are aware of one another, and think of themselves as a unit are most appropriately referred to as a(n)

Group

Heterogeneous

Group members have many differences

Norms

Group standards for appropriate or acceptable behavior

Self-managing work teams

Groups of 5 to 15 members who work together to produce an entire product. The team rotates jobs, schedule work and vacations, and make other decisions affecting their area of responsibility.

Formal Groups

Groups set up by management to meet organizational objectives. Such as a customer service department and a committee charged with planning the company picnic.

Task Groups

Groups that are set up to carry out a specific activity and then disband when the activity is completed.

Informal Groups

Groups that form when individuals in the organization develop relationships to meet personal needs. Most will take part in this group because it satisfy the social need. Thus friendships are established to make work more enjoyable.

Functional Groups

Groups that fulfill ongoing needs in the organization by carrying out a particular function. Example: a hospital's accounting department has the ongoing responsibility for keeping accurate records of the flow of money into and out of the organization. This group appears on a company's organization chart.

Strength in Numbers

Having ties to others gives people confidence they may lack when they act alone. Their sense of confidence is well founded. In an organization a group of people tends to be more influential than one person acting alone.

Achievement of personal objectives

Membership in a group can help people achieve personal objectives in a variety of ways. The time spent with group members can be enjoyable. Membership in certain groups can enhance a person's prestige. In a related vein, group membership can satisfy people's desire to feel important

Roles

Patterns of behavior related to employees' positions in a group

Role Conflicts

Situations in which a person has two different roles that call for conflicting types of behavior

Common Goals

When people have a goal to meet, they can get moral and practical support by working with or alongside others who have similar goals

The basic benefit of using work teams is that they enable the organization to increase its usage of the insights and expertise of all its employees

Teams also serve as motivators. Employees who participate in teams are more likely to take responsibility for the quality of work. Responsible employees are more enthusiastic..

Homogeneity

The degree in which the members of a group are the same

Cohesiveness

The degree to which group members stick together

Homogeneous

group members have a lot in common

Adjourning

is the fifth stage of team development. Once a team has met the goals, it is appropriate for the team to disband. This stage is not always required, given that some teams meet for indefinite periods of time. It is normal for team members to feel a sense of loss as team members to make this transition as seamless as possible, and assure team members that new and exciting challenges await them in the future.

Forming

is the first stage of team development before it becomes fully productive in which team members become acquainted with one another and oriented to the idea that they are part of a team.

Performing

is the fourth stage of team development. It is characterized by solving organizational problems and meeting assigned challenges. Teams become productive, largely because it has developed through the previous three stages. Supervisors should focus on rewarding team members and encourage further team success

Storming

is the second stage of team development. It is a period of conflict in which group members assert their different roles on the teal. It is perceived as stressful, largely because group members try to delineate exactly what each member's specific role will be. It is important that the supervisors highlight the long-term goal of the team in order to be most effective

Norming

is the third stage of team development. It is characterized by agreement among team members. During this state, there is understanding of what each person's role in the team is, and team members generally feel as thought their voices have been heart by the other members. There is little conflict in this stage. Supervisors are encouraged to help their teams develop effective norms and values that will help the team ultimately meet its goal.