May

28

What Makes Great Groups Tick?

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I stumbled across an article written by one of my favorite authors, Warren Bennis titled “The Secrets of Great Groups” like much of his work it was interesting reading. Warren mentions 10 principles common to all great groups, being:

  • At the heart of every Great Group is a shared dream.
  • They manage conflict by abandoning individual egos to the pursuit of the dream.
  • They are protected from the “suits.” All Great Groups seem to have disdain for their corporate overseers and all are protected from them by a leader.
  • They have a real or invented enemy. Even the most noble mission can be helped by an onerous opponent.
  • They view themselves as winning underdogs.
  • Members pay a personal price. Membership in a Great Group isn’t a day job; it is a night and day job.
  • Great Groups make strong leaders. On one hand, they’re all nonhierarchical, open, and very egalitarian. Yet they all have strong leaders. That’s the paradox of group leadership. You cannot have a great leader without a Great Group — and vice versa. In an important way, these groups made the leaders great.
  • Great Groups are the product of meticulous recruiting.
  • Great Groups are usually young.
  • Real artists ship.

Warren goes on to describe the leaders of great groups as people who:

  • Provide direction and meaning. They remind people of what’s important and why their work makes a difference.
  • Generate and sustain trust. The group’s trust in itself — and its leadership — allows members to accept dissent and ride through the turbulence of the group process.
  • Display a bias toward action, risk taking, and curiosity. A sense of urgency — and a willingness to risk failure to achieve results — is at the heart of every Great Group.
  • Are purveyors of hope. Effective team leaders find both tangible and symbolic ways to demonstrate that the group can overcome the odds.

Successful organisations are built on great groups, however too often we look for the great leader to step up and accomplish something. It seems to me that we have too few great group experiences in organisatoins today. How many great groups have you worked in?

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