Teams and Group Dynamics

What the page covers

The unit looks at how people work together in groups and teams. Much of it is mind maps, which sit alongside flashcard decks, quizzes, flowcharts, notes and a slide set. Most of the material is aimed at university level.

Team roles

Start with the Belbin Team Role Model flashcard deck. It runs through the Implementer, Resource Investigator, Plant, Monitor, Shaper, Coordinator, Completer Finisher, Teamworker and Specialist. Then open the Belbin Roles mind map, which sorts the roles into action, people and thought orientated groups. The TEAM ROLES mind map adds short descriptions, such as the creative, imaginative Plant.

How teams develop and perform

Several maps and decks cover Tuckman's stages, including Tuckman's five stage model and Gersick's punctuated equilibrium model, which gives you a second view of how teams change over time. For performance, the High Performance Teams mind map explains autonomous teams working toward a common goal. The maps on leading high-performance teams and decision making in teams cover team building and brainstorming guidelines, such as ruling out criticism and welcoming quantity of ideas.

Using quizzes and maps together

Read a mind map first, then take a quiz to see what stuck. The quiz on collaboration, teamworking and responsibility to others is a good place to begin. Go back to the map for any answer you missed, then test yourself with a flashcard deck such as Work Team vs Workgroup or Types of teams.

Where it fits

This unit belongs to the People, Organisation and Leadership strand of Business administration and management (incl. project management). Teachers can use the maps and decks as ready-made material for a class discussion.

Choose one map that matches your current topic, work through it, and then see how much you can recall.