The most important role in a group is the leadership role.
Leaders are appointed for most formal groups, such as command groups, teams, committees, or task forces. Leaders in informal groups tend to emerge over time and in relation to the task to be performed. Some of the factors contributing to the emergence of leadership in small groups include the ability to accomplish the group’s goals, sociability, good communication skills, self-confidence, and a desire for recognition. Guidelines for performing this leadership role are discussed later in this chapter.
Building Teams Team building focuses on both task and relationship aspects of a group’s functioning and is intended to increase efficiency and productivity. The group’s work and problem-solving proce- dures, member–member relations, and leadership are analyzed, and exercises are prescribed to help members modify their patterns of interaction or processes of decision making.
Assessment The most important initial activities in team building are data gathering and diagnosis. Questions must be asked about the group’s context (organizational structure, climate, culture, mission, and goals); characteristics of the group’s work, including group members’ roles, styles, procedures, job complexity; and the team, its problem-solving style, interpersonal relationships, and relations with other groups.