Group Dynamics
A team is more than just a group of individuals . Those individuals have to work together to achieve a goal and make the team unit complete
Characteristics of a group
- a collective identity
- interaction
- communication
- shared goal or purpose
Collective identity
- A team can be recognised easily as they are usually wearing the same colour kit
- develops a strong affiliation to the team and gain a sense of pride
- This affiliation is important as it creates motivation and belonging to the team
Interaction
The way team players work together to complete a task
e.g. are they loud or quiet , playful or serious
Communication
To help with interaction, the players should communicate with each other verbally and non-verbally. e.g. non-verbal could be used for coded calls or hand signals
Shared goal or purpose
achieving a shared goal/target helps to bind people together so they commit to each other and work hard to achieve the goals , this raises motivation
Four stages of group formation according to Tuckman (1965)
- forming
- storming
- norming
- performing
Group Formation - Forming
- Group comes together and get to know each other
- individuals finding how they feel and if they will fit in
- An assessment is made on the strengths of the individual compared to the strengths of others
Group Formation - Storming
- stage of potential conflict when individuals compete with others to establish roles or positions
- Coach or captain should resolve such issues asap e.g. two players competing for the same position
ext: in 2015 Rooney accepted the role of playing midfield to help new strikers play in their preferred position
Group Formation - Norming
- once conflicts have been resolved, teams begins to co-operate. With intention of achieving their goals
- Group standards are accepted and cohesion of the team develops
- motivation and success rise
Group Formation - Performing
In this stage:
- all the players are now interactive and working together
- team members support each other and understand their role
- motivation and enjoyment is high
How long does it take to complete the Group Formation process suggested by Tuckman ?
It can vary , depending on the size of the group, difficulty of the task and experience of the players
For example, some teams are established and can welcome new players quickly, going though the stages quickly. Whereas representative teams (a player represents his country or area) may take longer since players have to learn unfamiliar tactics and roles.
ext example: England football team underperforms as team doesn’t bond whereas Irish rugby team always performs well above its resources as it bonds exceptionally well. It is down to the cohesion of the group
