Case 7

1. How could an understanding of the stages of group development assist Christine in leadership situations such as this one?

A: If Christine had known of the stages of group development, she would have realized that most of the team had already gone from the norming stage to the performing stage. However, Mike had not successfully made it through the norming stage. He was unable to build relationships or work together with the team and the team as well did not make any effort to try and make sure he caught up with the group in their development. By knowing the stages, Christine could have made the rest of the group aware of the issue, and attempt to get them to accommodate their schedules to include Mike more. She could have also been able to address the issue with Mike and motivate or resolve the conflict to make Mike feel more valuable or important to the group.

2. What should Christine understand about individual membership in groups in order to build group processes that are supportive of her work group’s performance?

A: In order to improve group performance, each member has to feel like they are needed and what they are contributing or doing is extremely important for the group’s success. Christine is aware that Mike can contribute to the group, but fails to understand how individual membership in groups work. Christine really needed to focus on making him feel important in the group, as having the feeling of being valuable makes individuals work harder and provide quality performance.

3. Is Christine an effective group leader in this case? Why or why not?

A: Personally, I believe Christine is an ineffective group leader. Christine failed to communicate effectively with each group member. She did not set goals collaboratively with the team, or divide up the tasks and responsibilities among the group. Because of this, no one in the group had a clearly defined role and the importance placed on those roles. She was also inefficient in the...