This document provides guidance on how to work efficiently in new groups without conflicts. It recommends that new groups discuss and establish:
1. Group members' expectations, abilities, preferences and time availability.
2. Rules for group behavior and norms.
3. An initial distribution of tasks and responsibilities among group members.
Establishing these foundational elements at the start of a new group project through open dialogue is suggested to lead to faster and less contradictory progress compared to letting matters develop spontaneously.
This document provides guidance on how to work efficiently in new groups without conflicts. It recommends that new groups discuss and establish:
1. Group members' expectations, abilities, preferences and time availability.
2. Rules for group behavior and norms.
3. An initial distribution of tasks and responsibilities among group members.
Establishing these foundational elements at the start of a new group project through open dialogue is suggested to lead to faster and less contradictory progress compared to letting matters develop spontaneously.
This document provides guidance on how to work efficiently in new groups without conflicts. It recommends that new groups discuss and establish:
1. Group members' expectations, abilities, preferences and time availability.
2. Rules for group behavior and norms.
3. An initial distribution of tasks and responsibilities among group members.
Establishing these foundational elements at the start of a new group project through open dialogue is suggested to lead to faster and less contradictory progress compared to letting matters develop spontaneously.
This document provides guidance on how to work efficiently in new groups without conflicts. It recommends that new groups discuss and establish:
1. Group members' expectations, abilities, preferences and time availability.
2. Rules for group behavior and norms.
3. An initial distribution of tasks and responsibilities among group members.
Establishing these foundational elements at the start of a new group project through open dialogue is suggested to lead to faster and less contradictory progress compared to letting matters develop spontaneously.
Group Projects How to work efficiently without conflicts The first time in a new group is the most important. You need to
learn to know each other
decide on the target decide how to work set time schedule set rules for behavior
These things will occur spontaneously, but much faster and with less conflict if you discuss them. The following pages tell you how to do it.
Development phases in new groups
Based on the FIRO theory five phases can be described when new groups form (Will Schutz 1925 – 2002, creator of the Fundamental Interpersonal Relationship Orientation theory). They are shown in the figure below.
You can let all this happen spontaneously or choose the faster and safer dialog way with fewer contradictions developing into conflicts. Logistics and Quality Management Department of Management and Engineering Linköping University 2 (8) The Dialog Way Who are we? Step 1 Present yourself, not only your names, but also a short background. Repeat this every time a new member joins the group.
Step 2 Tell each other about expectations around the forthcoming group work. How much does it interest you? What do you expect to learn from it? What objectives do you want the group to have? How ambitious do you want to be?
My expectations
My needs
My suggested objectives Logistics and Quality Management Department of Management and Engineering Linköping University
Step 3 3 (8) Answer the questions below individually. Then discuss your answers to one question at a time.
1. When I join a new group I feel …
2. I feel comfortable in a group when …
3. When things go wrong I react in this way …
4. My feelings about planning …
5. My strongest ability in group work is …
Logistics and Quality Management Department of Management and Engineering Linköping University 4 (8) 6. My weakest ability in group work is …
7. I prefer to work with persons who …
8. The advantage with group work is …
9. The disadvantage with group work is …
Logistics and Quality Management Department of Management and Engineering Linköping University 5 (8) What else consumes our time? To set correct expectations on available time, you need to tell each other about other things that you are doing.
Activity or responsibility Impact on this project Ways to reduce time conflicts
You must take action if you find that total available work time is not enough. There are several possibilities, for example:
Change priorities to free up more work time
Lower your target Add group members or other resources Logistics and Quality Management Department of Management and Engineering Linköping University 6 (8) How will we work together? Which rules for behavior shall we have? Discuss and decide on norms, so that they are clear to every member. No unspoken expectations! Below are a few examples. Ignore them and add your own, as you like.
Group norms Yes or No
Those who remain silent agree. If you do not understand what someone says, you must ask immediately. Consider what your opinion really is, before you let the group hear it. No small talk during group meetings. It is preferred to criticize each other openly, rather than in private. Criticism must be given in a way that encourages the victim to improve, not decrease his/her self-esteem. We speak to each other, not about each other. Meetings must always be booked in advance. No spontaneous meeting between a few members. Meetings always start on the booked time. We do not wait for late members.
Booked meetings can always take decisions (form a quorum). Absent members have to accept decisions made on those meetings.
Discuss what to do if some member breaks your rules. Act on violations!
Logistics and Quality Management Department of Management and Engineering Linköping University 7 (8) Our competences Find out everyone’s strengths and weaknesses, before you decide on who will do what.
Name Good at Need to develop
Logistics and Quality Management Department of Management and Engineering Linköping University 8 (8) Preliminary distribution of tasks This list need to be updated during the project, because it is difficult to know in advance exactly how much workload there is in different tasks.
Task Dependent on Planned Responsible Finished
(task) finish (name) (tick √)
Group agreement Summarize your decisions in a document. Let every group member sign it. Then distribute a copy to everyone. You now have a good start for an effective and interesting group project!
