Team Building - Dynamics
Every team has its own unique attributes. From the size of the team,
the personalities within the group, the ages and experiences of the
participants – these dynamics will all contribute to create the
‘corporation’ that makes your team special.
Each and every team has their weaknesses and strengths that are best
identified so that the full potential of your group can be harnessed.
In choosing the right team building activities for your group, your
team’s dynamics should be assessed, at least generally, before
considering what activities are best suited.
What are My Team’s Dynamics?
Things to consider include:
- The size of your group
- Perceived leaders of the group – official
- Perceived leaders - non-official
- Age differences and gender mix
- Personalities
Group Size
The most obvious factor affecting team dynamics is the size of your
group. A five person team will work together differently than a team of
twenty.
Official leaders of the group
The official leaders will be those who have positions of authority
within the group. Consider how much these people are respected in their
roles, how they get along with other staff, how they handle
communication.
Perceived leaders - non-official
Typically in any group there will be a ‘natural leader’. Someone who
usually is perceived as the automatic spokesperson, or the person to
make decisions for the group. This person may not actually hold an
official position of authority, but are well respected by their peers.
It is important to consider these people and the affect that their
opinions and actions have on the rest of the group.
Group Ages and Gender Mix
Difference in age can lead to such differences in viewpoints, regard
to authority, and general personal interests. Similarly a group of men
interact very differently to a group of women! A group of predominantly
young people will definitely work differently to an older workforce. A
mix of ages can be a great asset to any company.
Personalities
A man or woman’s personality affects the way they perceive and react
to situations, thus affecting group dynamics. Over the years there have
been numerous personality tests and descriptors that can be useful in
helping to better understand the worker as the individual, and thus lead
to better outcomes for the group at work and team activities. A popular
test is the Myers Briggs test which provides a series of classifiers
such as Extraversion / Introversion, Sensing / Intuition, Thinking /
Feeling, Judging /Perceiving. |
