I have difficulty dealing with many arguments in our team (D8 / G1-2, G4-5, G7-12).
‘Unhealthy’ group dynamics occur in any group, but particularly in closed groups (G2) working on one project. Basically unhealthy group dynamics is caused by a lack of communication or of non-constructive communication between the group members. In case you have applied the rules and tips contained in the preceding Skill Sheets, the change that your group ends up in disarray, decreases considerably.
In that case you should be able to deal with the following sources of potential conflict:
• Not listening to each other: can be due to a lack of constructive listening skills (D series), but is in group practice often strongly related to bad decision-making procedures (G5), including lack of brainstorming (G3) and lacking of feedback and coaching skills (G9).
• An unbalanced work distribution: is often caused by a lack of assertiveness of individual group members (B2), which in groups can cause an inappropriate assignment of roles and tasks (G4), in particular at the start of projects (participants not able to say ‘no’)
• Participants not keeping their promises: is very often due to good individual time management skills (B8), but in group practice often is caused by an unsophisticated group contract (G7). Two remaining dimensions of unhealthy group dynamics, however, remain that pop during the ‘performing’ stage of group work and that first need to be identified and understood as such before adequate action can be undertaken: (1) group think and (2) the changing causes of free-rider behavior.
