People join a group for many different reasons. Motivation, excitement, appropriate skill level, cooperative attitude, and desire to participate, may be lacking. Some people join a group to "look good," to add it to their resume, because someone coerced them and they just could not say no, or because they're curious but don't intend to contribute much. Others join a group with the intention of being a star, the boss, leading others to their own self-serving goals, or just controlling others to boost their own morale. Some people join a group because they want to receive what that group has to offer - education, advice, money, prestige, or a sense of belonging. Then there are the rare few who join a group to discover what they can contribute, how they can help the group to improve and expand.
Not only do people join groups for diverse and completely different reasons, they also arrive with completely different personality types and styles. Some are outgoing, friendly and express their desires openly. Others are shy, quiet, indirect, unassertive, and maybe even unaware of what they really want. Then there are those who manipulate others, create dissention, crave attention, divert others from the task at hand, or attempt to sabatoge the work of certain individuals or the entire group.
How does a group become a team, given that people join a group for different reasons, with different personal agendas, different participation and communication styles, different personal sensitivities, varying levels of tolerance for disagreements, different capacity to cooperate with others, and different levels of skill.
Every group goes through its own group process. It begins as people meet, talk, share ideas, and focus on the specific group goals. Then, gradually, if not already determined in advance, one person somehow comes forward and assumes to leadership role.
A team is only as good as its leader. The leader needs to set the tone, encourage members to become involved and enthusiastic about the group, to sometimes put the welfare of the group before their own needs and desires, assist the group members to be supportive and helpful to each other, and to gradually build a sense of group cohesiveness.
Leaders are often too dogmatic, autocratic, controlling and self-serving or at the opposite extreme, they are too laisez-faire, too easy going, too accepting of behaviors amoung members that do not enhance the group's goals. Not every person is a natural born leader, but leadership skills can be taught and learned and developed.
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