7)+Group+Cohesiveness

Group CohesivenessTask Document


Groups almost always differ in their cohesiveness or the degree to which individual members are attached to a group as well as the motivation to remain in that group. Cohesiveness is an important concept because it has been linked to the group's overall productivity.

A team leader is advised to consider implementing the following recommendations to develop group cohesiveness:
 * Keep your group at a manageable size
 * Try to increase the time team members spend together
 * Invite and encourage team members to "buy into the group's goals
 * Physically isolate the group as much as possible
 * Impress upon the team members the valued status of the group and the difficulty
 * of gaining membership in that group
 * Try to reward the group members equally rather than individually.
 * Encourage competition with other work groups or work teams.

**Making Teams**
Leaders often have the job of dividing a large group into smaller ones to form teams for games, sports or relays. Avoid setting up negative scenario in which captains selected and they take turns choosing team members. No one wants to be the last one picked. Here are some options:

When it is important that the teams be balanced in skill:
 * Set the teams up ahead of time based on your observations of members' skills, strength, size or speed
 * Select team captains and have them divide up the group members between them privately so that the teams are balanced.

When size or skill matters:
 * Line participants up by height and nuber off (i.e. 1,2,1,2,)
 * Ask participants to pair up with someone who is the same size and strength, or who runs about the same
 * speed and split the pairs up to form 2 teams.

When the groups may be heter-ogenous (diverse):
 * Divide on the basis of favourite food, sock or shoe colour, birth dates, brand of toothpaste.
 * Line up randomly and number off.