reply number 3

Pamela Freeman

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One may automatically think of therapy or support when the subject of groups comes up, yet there are a variety of groups. Tasks, projects and teams are all considered groups (Forsyth, 2019). Forsyth (2019) uses a cardiac surgery team for an example of a group. Teams can work together by bringing many different skill sets to a group such as a surgeon who heads the operation  and a scrub nurse who monitors the vitals (Forsyth, 2019).  There is also an element of diversity when working in teams, which brings a broader range of expertise and ideas (Forsyth, 2019).

Along with a skill set, there can be age and ethnic differences.  A baseball team is another example of a team group. The first base player has a different skill set then the catcher, but all work together for a win. The Pitcher may be young, bringing newness to the team, while the outfielder may be much older, bringing wisdom to the team. The objective is a win for the team.

            To begin a round, one question a coach could ask the team is, “A win looks like”…. The members are all encouraged to share their thoughts on a win, and the answer cannot be just a winning score. This discussion will challenge the team to think deeper about becoming a winning team. After the round, while everyone is thinking about a win, the coach could begin a discussion using the nominal group technique. The coach may write down on a white board “Reasons our team falls short.” The members will use a round-robin stating one idea at a time as the coach writes them down. After clarifying the ideas, the team will write down the top five solutions they like best. The coach collects the choices then makes the best decision possible (Jacobs, Schimmel, Masson, & Harvill, 2016).

As for the cardiac team, they could break into dyads to discuss a group decision. Assuming the team had to decide on a new process for an emergency procedure, breaking into dyads could shorten discussion times. After the team talks in pairs, they come back to the group to share their one idea. If the group contained ten members rather than hear ten ideas, now they only hear five. Another use for dyads includes pairing members who may differ on views, and interaction with each other could foster a more positive alliance (Jacobs et al. 2016).

            I am the group life pastor at our church and oversee many different small groups, and although we have many small groups under the umbrella of group life, we also call our serving teams a group. Many different teams meet as groups, such as the welcome team, the usher team, and the production team. The teams are encouraged to spend time together outside of serving.  Working in teams and groups can be very effective if our teams are working on reliability, interdependence, a compelling purpose, and working in cohesion (Forsyth, 2019).

References

Forsyth, D. R. (2019). Group dynamics (7th ed.). Boston, MA: Cengage.

Jacobs, E. E., Schimmel, C. J., Masson, R. L., & Harvill, R. L. (2016). Group counseling: Strategies and skills (8th ed.). Boston, MA: Cengage.

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