How Do Highly Functional Groups Emerge?
It’s a privilege to witness a group of 24 people move from a disjointed collection of individuals to a high functioning team. Nearly each time we run the JOFC workshop, this is exactly what happens. I want to share with you some of the insights and lessons we’ve gleaned from facilitating groups through this experience that might help you help groups reach this state. We share our suggestions for how facilitators and participants can show up to facilitate the emergence of a high functioning team, and how to recognize its emergence. This week, I want to share with you some of the insights and lessons we gleaned from this experience that might help you help groups reach this state in How Do Highly Functional Groups Emerge?
The group I was part of was sort of a sub-group, as we were actually a project team, but it was the best job I have ever had, and I’d do it again in a heartbeat. I think the reason we functioned so well was two-fold – everyone in the group was playing to their strengths, and the project manager was top knotch. She had an understanding of the jobs each person on the team did without getting involved in the nit and grit. She took charge when she needed to and defended decisions that we made as a team to the powers that be. She treated everyone on the team with respect, regardless of their position, and she was friendly without having to be anyone’s bosom buddy or showing favouritism. We took time out to celebrate milestones along the way, and to this day we still get together from time to time to reminisce. It was great working on this project, but it has spoiled me ever after, as now I know that good working conditions are possible. I went to work everyday looking forward to the job, and I hadn’t done that before nor have I done it since.