Communication Techniques

Communication in the workplace is critical to success. Success for you as an

individual and success for the company. Teams work so much better with clear,
consistent communication. Your ability to communicate well directly impacts your
success, your teams success, and therefore the companies success.

7 Important Communication Techniques in the Workplace

Let’s take a look at some of the communication techniques that can super charge your
success in the workplace.

1. Be Available
One of the easiest ways to have good communication at work is to simply be available.
I’ve worked for bosses that were always available to talk to and willing to jump in and
help. I’ve worked with fellow coworkers who always had a shut door to their office and
took 4 days to return an email.

Guess which scenario creates the better working environment? Not too difficult to figure
that one out.

By simply being available you help create a comfortable atmosphere of communication

in the workplace.

2. Be Friendly
Being friendly to the people you work with is another fairly easy way to have good
communication skills at work. Having a positive attitude and caring about the folks you
work with goes a long way.

When you have a friendly, engaging attitude, the people you work with will naturally flow
towards you. They will see you as approachable and have an easy time opening up to
you.

This type of communication leads to groups that work well together and enjoy being
around each other. It helps to develop a good sense of team in the workplace.

3. Be a Good Listener
I’ve covered this in another article but it certainly bears repeating. Good communication
isn’t just about conveying information. It’s also about being a good listener in order to
fully understand what someone is saying.

When you have well developed listening skills, you are able to fully process what
someone is saying. This is mission critical for working closely with someone.
You have to be able to get what they are saying and what they are communicating to
you. When you fully understand someone, you are able to have good back and forth
communication dialogue, and create a great sense of team and balance!

You can learn how to be a better listener in this guide: How to Practice Active

Listening (A Step-By-Step Guide)

4. Be Clear
Sharing information clearly is one of the most important communication techniques in
the workplace. Being clear is one of the 7Cs of communication — an essential
framework to prevent miscommunication.

I have worked with people who can talk for 30 minutes and I am more confused about
the question I asked at the beginning than when they answered it.

I’m sure we all know someone who can generate a lot of words coming out of their
mouth but really not say anything. Don’t be this person. All it does is hinder
communication.

While it’s great to have small talk when you share important information, be very clear
about it. Make the points that are needed and don’t build in a lot of fluff around it. Say
what is needed in a clear manner. Add more information if needed. Clarity is key.

5. Be Aware of Non Verbal Communication

Remember, non verbal communication is just as important as verbal communication.
Watch other people’s body language when you are interacting with them.

Things like crossed arms and frowns should be big signals that someone either doesn’t
agree with you or doesn’t understand. It’s just as important to be aware of your own non
verbal communication.

Look at other people in the eye when speaking to them. Have an open posture when
someone is speaking to you. This reflects that you are open to what they are saying.

Watch yours and other people’s non verbal communication cues.

6. Be Open to Feedback
Think of this as being someone who is able to be coached. It’s incredibly important
towards the beginning of your career but also throughout your career.

Everyone has a boss. Even if you are the president of a company, you have a boss –
your customers. Be open to the feedback of your boss, colleagues, and customers.
Many people have an issue with constructive criticism.
I find this is the best way to learn about yourself and more importantly, improve yourself.
If you aren’t willing to listen to feedback, you’ll never change how you are doing
something which means you’ll never improve your results.

7. Be Open Minded
Think about this. If you aren’t open minded while having a conversation with someone,
chances are you won’t be listening very well. You’ll be too busy formulating a response
to think objectively about what is being said.

Having an open mind will allow you to have a strong dialogue with others that leads to
working together to solve problems.

Final Thoughts

Strong communication skills are a wonderful skill to have in your arsenal. Great
communication skills will help you in every phase of your life. This goes for all of your
personal relationships as well as your work partnerships. You will be able to get more of
what you want when you communicate well. The listening side of communication helps
you understands others needs as well.
15 Simple But Effective Communication Techniques

Do you struggle to communicate effectively with others — either verbally or in writing?

You may need some effective communication techniques at work and in your personal
life.
Your words come out easily enough, but the consequences of those words are
sometimes far from what you intended.

Communication sounds so easy. Words come out of your mouth. Someone hears them
and reacts with more words and then boom — you’ve had a conversation.
Or perhaps you had a monologue or an incoherent prattle, and you're just not aware of
it and how it impacts the other person.

Maybe one of your word exchanges didn’t go as well as you’d hoped — either because
one (or both) of you didn’t understand the other’s message or because something else
got in the way.

This confusion is particularly embarrassing or uncomfortable when you're in a work

setting.

 So, how do you make sure to communicate your meaning more effectively next
time?

 How do you recognize when your communication style is off-putting?

 What are positive communication techniques you need to learn to make your
next conversation or meeting more fruitful and enjoyable?

Quick note: Having good communication on a date and in a relationship is an

important skill to develop. To learn more, check out this course that is helping
couples learn healthy communication skills.

What is Effective Communication?

For communication to be effective, both parties need to clearly understand the other’s
meaning.

Learning strategies for positive communication can make a huge difference both in the
workplace and in your personal life.

Three Types of Communication

An effective communicator consciously develops fluency in all three types of

communication:
  Verbal — using the spoken word (face to face or over the phone)

 Nonverbal – using body language and facial expressions

 Written — using the written word

Learning these three types of communication is particularly important for your career.
Let's take a look at why this is so.

Effective Communication Techniques in the Workplace

Your work is your livelihood, and it plays a role in your overall well-being and happiness.
One of the most valuable skills you can have in any job is your ability to communicate
clearly, confidently, and with the right demeanor.

Exactly how important is communication in the workplace? According to Gilbert Amelio,

President and CEO of of National Semiconductor Corp.,
“Developing excellent communication skills is absolutely essential to effective
leadership. The leader must be able to share knowledge and ideas to transmit a sense
of urgency and enthusiasm to others. If a leader can't get a message across clearly and
motivate others to act on it, then having a message doesn't even matter.”
But the value of clear communication isn't reserved just for leaders. All levels of
employees need to learn these skills. And here's why.

Effective communication skills . . .

 Help resolve problems.

 Lead to solutions.

 Mitigate misunderstandings and conflict.

 Boost productivity.

 Increase engagement with others.

 Improve overall confidence.

 Provide career growth opportunities and financial rewards.

Studies have proven that your overall happiness, career and life success, and income
improve when you're an effective communicator. Ready to learn how to communicate
more effectively? Let's get started.
15 Effective Communication Techniques to Improve Your Skills

1. Offer a genuine smile.

The presence or absence of a smile isn’t the only thing that matters here.

While a genuine smile can immediately convey warmth and openness, another smile
might communicate arrogance and contempt.

Smiles that don’t reach the eyes look either forced (to be polite) or manipulative. A
genuine smile is felt as well as seen, and so is a fake one.

To communicate effectively, it’s important that you respect the other person enough to
be real with him or her. If they detect falsity in your smile, that lie speaks louder than
anything that comes out of your mouth.

If you want to earn the other’s trust, better not to smile than to lie with one.

2. Ask the right questions.

To better understand the other’s thoughts and their meaning, ask questions — either to
learn something new about that person or to clarify something the other has said.

Closed-ended questions are those that can be answered with a simple yes or no. Think
of the questions asked in a courtroom: “Is it true that…?” We ask these to get the
information we need quickly and with minimal word padding.

Open-ended questions are those the other person can’t answer with a simple yes or no.
Answers to these questions take longer and provide more detailed information.

We ask questions out of curiosity and to engage the other person. We also ask to keep
a conversation going and to give us another opportunity to pick up on both verbal and
nonverbal cues — which leads us to the next communication technique.
3. Practice active listening.

Notice the body language of someone listening carefully. They are turned toward the
speaker, looking directly at him or her, and fully engaged in what's being said.

Effective communicators practice active listening: they attend to everything the other is
saying and doing during the conversation.

They pay close attention to how the other person is saying the words and what the
other’s body language might also be saying.
They do this so they can then respond in a way that shows they understand what the
person is saying or that shows the desire to understand it more fully.

4. Observe good communicators.

How better to learn effective communication skills than to observe skillful

communicators and note how they succeed in conveying their message?
If you can place yourself near a group of people engrossed in a conversation, pay
attention to what they say and do that conveys meaning and strengthens their
connection with the others.

Learn from the best of them the tactics they use for strong communication. And practice
using those tactics yourself.

5. Give (and receive) feedback.

Respond in a way that shows the speaker you’ve been listening and that you
understand what they’re saying — whether you agree or not.

Your feedback should tell them you take their words seriously and consider them worthy
of a thoughtful answer.

It works both ways, too. It’s just as important to thoughtfully consider the feedback from
others and ask direct questions to ensure you understand their message.

Once you decide to take something personally (whether it’s intended to be taken so or
not), you stop listening, and communication becomes more difficult.

6. Destress and calm down.

If necessary — and if possible — walk away and take a moment to breathe and
recollect yourself during heated conversations. Better to do this than to vent your
anxiety and frustration on others — particularly in the workplace.

If you’re in danger of losing your temper or falling apart emotionally, it’s best to remove
yourself from the situation and give yourself (and others) the time to recover.

This is just as important when communicating online with someone whose words have
offended you. And it’s generally easier to step away from the computer than to leave a
meeting or escape from a crowded room.

Give yourself and the others involved in a heated conversation a chance to step away
from the conflict. If they continue the conflict, it’s probably best to delete whatever they
write in your absence without reading it.
In some cases, depending on whom you’re talking to, it’s perfectly all right to tell them
what you’re feeling and to ask their patience as you take a deep breath and calm
yourself.

7. Empathize with others.

To empathize, you need to be aware of the other’s emotions (most likely revealed in

their body language and nonverbal cues) and to feel those emotions as if they were
your own.
When they’re happy and excited, so are you; if they’re grieving (silently or otherwise),
you grieve with them.

If they’re angry about something, your genuine empathy can help them feel less alone
and defensive, making it easier for you both to understand and appreciate each other’s
meaning.

Empathy doesn’t always involve a conscious awareness of those nonverbal cues. Just
because you can’t identify the exact cues and what they mean, it doesn’t follow that
you’re not able to empathize with them.

If you’re an empath, you might feel what the other person feels before you can even
begin to explain how you picked that up.

8. Read regularly.

If you want to develop your written communication skills, or you’re interested in learning
from books written by effective communicators, reading is a powerful way to cultivate
your skills in this area.

Reading is also a good way to stay informed and to learn interesting news and facts that
you can then work into a conversation. You'll also improve your vocabulary which helps
make you a better communicator.

Whatever your immediate goal, good reading is a potent catalyst for personal growth.

9. Choose your words carefully.

Your choice of words can convey empathy and solidarity or the lack of both. It reflects
the difference between just talking and communicating thoughtfully.

Never underestimate the power of word choice in communication; one word, used in a
particular context, can trigger a response that is the opposite of what you intended.
The words you use to describe yourself and others can either foster a sense of fellow-
feeling and camaraderie (“we,” “us”) or alienate others with a focus on yourself as one
set apart from the rest of them (“I,” “me”).

In some situations, it makes sense to do the latter – particularly when you’re accepting
responsibility for something.

10. Show keen interest.

Let your verbal and nonverbal (or written) communication convey an interest in the
other’s words.

Active listening is part of this, but you also convey interest with your body language,
with a comfortable degree of eye contact, and with relevant, thoughtful questions.

People want to be around those who share their enthusiasm for something. Showing
positive interest in something that matters to someone else is essential to building a
connection with them, and that connection makes effective communication between you
more likely.

Your positive engagement creates an environment where every message you send has
its own ambassador.

None of this guarantees you’ll get everything you want, but if your main intention when
entering into a conversation is to get something from the other person, you’re not likely
to make a convincing show of genuine interest in the other person’s concerns.

Make the connection and effective communication the primary goal rather than the
means to something else.

11. Keep your sense of humor.

Humor can be part of your arsenal of verbal communication skills. It can diffuse a
volatile situation and give the other person the space needed to see the situation from
another perspective and to calm down.
Laughter isn’t always appropriate, though. (Note: Never laugh at your boss's expense.)
It’s never appropriate to use humor as a weapon to dehumanize others or to dismiss
their words.

Humor is best used as a way to build (and maintain) rapport or to lighten the mood and
encourage others to relax. Read the room, though. If it’s not a good time for laughter,
avoid it. And leave the dirty jokes in the sewer (where they belong).

12. Notice your body language.

It's one thing to pay attention to what others are communicating non-verbally, but are
you doing the same for yourself?

 If your arms are crossed in a defensive posture, what are you communicating?
 When you don't make eye contact, what are you revealing about your
confidence?
 If you loom over someone while talking, how comfortable does that make the
other person?
Your body language should reflect the intent of your communication just as well as your
words do. If you want to be heard, respected, and understood, match your non-verbal
communication to your words.

13. Reflect and affirm.

When another person is speaking to you, you still have responsibility for the success of
the interaction. It's not all about the speaker.

Most people use the time when another person is speaking to mentally rehearse a
response or defense. We don't hear half of what the other person is saying because we
are too busy in our own heads.

For communication to be successful, both parties need to feel heard and understood.
As a listener, you can show you've been listening by reflecting what you heard the
speaker say and affirming that you understood it, even if you disagree.

14. Be concise and clear.

Have you ever been around someone who is enamored with the sound of his or her
own voice? They talk and talk, taking forever to get to the point — if there is one.

Once they do make a point, you're so brain dead you can't register it. Over-talkers don't
seem to realize how infuriating they can be. And how rude it is to assume others have
the time to listen to their ramblings.

If you notice you tend to be a rambler, work on being more concise in presenting your
information and clear in the point you want to make. This is a skill that takes practice,
but those around you will see you as a strong communicator if you learn it.

15. Remember the Golden Rule.

And now, we come full circle. We already discussed your smile (or lack of it) and how
others can often pick up from that whether you’re being honest with them. If you want
honesty from others, you need to be upfront with them, too.

So, be authentic. And be kind. Treat others with the same respect you want for yourself.
Good communicators know the value of a real connection to the communication of their
message. It’s the magic wormhole that speeds the transfer of ideas from one head to
another.

 Communicate for the good of others as well as for yourself.

 Communicate in the other’s love language to build or improve a relationship.
 Communicate great ideas to make the world better for more people.
Effective communication should be about building trust and strengthening relationships.
Yes, sometimes, it’s about less elevated things like haggling over fish and buying movie
tickets. And that’s okay. Even mundane conversations can build connections.

If you apply the strategies in this article, not only will you communicate your ideas and
convictions more effectively, but you’ll also know how to help others do the same.

It’s all in a day’s work for an effective communicator.

GROUP DYNAMICS
"The greater the loyalty of a group toward the group, the greater is the motivation
among the members to achieve the goals of the group, and the greater the probability
that the group will achieve its goal (Rensis Likert)."

Group dynamics can be used as a means for problem-solving, team work, and to
become more innovative and productive as an organisation as whole. The
concept will provide you with the strengths, success factors and measures of
group dynamics, along with other professional tools.

Group dynamics is a set of behavioural and psychological processes that occur within a
social group or between groups. It refers to the "nature of groups, the laws of their
development, and their interrelations with individuals, other groups, and larger
institutions" (Cartwright and Zander, 1968).

Group Dynamics Description *

* The full technique overview will be available soon. Contact us to register your interest
in our business management platform, and learn all about Group Dynamics.

Meaning and Definitions of Group Dynamics

The term ‘group dynamics’ means the study of forces within a group. Since human beings
have an innate desire for belonging to a group, group dynamism is bound to occur. In an
organization or in a society, we can see groups, small or large, working for the well-being.

The social process by which people interact with one another in small groups can be
called group dynamism. A group has certain common objectives & goals. Because of
which members are bound together with certain values and culture.

Importance of Group Dynamism

1. Firstly, a group can influence the way the members think. The members are
always influenced by the interactions of other members in the group. A group with a
good leader performs better as compared to a group with a weak leader.
2. The group can give the effect of synergy, that is, if the group consists of positive
thinkers then its output is more than double every time.

3. Group dynamism can furthermore give job satisfaction to the members.

4. The group can also infuse the team spirit among the members.

5. Even the attitude, insights & ideas of members depend on group dynamism. For
example, negative thinkers convert to positive thinkers with the help of the facilitator.

6. Also, if the group works as a cohesive group, the cooperation and convergence
can result in maximization of productivity

7. Furthermore, group dynamism can reduce labor unrest. Lastly, it reduces labor
turnover due to emotional attachment among the group members.

Stages of Group Development

The following are the five stages of group development

1. Forming

2. Storming

3. Norming

4. Performing

5. Adjourning

 Little Agreement
Forming
 Unclear Purpose

 Guidance & Direction

 Conflict

Storming  Increased clarity of Purpose

 Power Struggles
  Agreement & Consensus

 Clear Roles and

Norming
Responsibility

 Facilitation

 Clear Vision and Purpose

Performing  Focus on Goal Achievement

 Delegation

  Task Completion

 Good feeling about

Adjourning
Achievement

 Recognition

Group: Definition, Functions, Types of Groups

 A group is a collection of individuals who interact with each other such that one person’s
actions have an impact on the others. In other words, a group is defined as two or more
individuals, interacting and interdependent, who have come together to achieve
particular objectives.

In organizations, most work is done within groups.

What is a Group?

Groups where people get along, feel die desire to contribute to the team, and are
capable of coordinating their efforts may have high-performance levels. Group can be
defined as a collection of individuals who have regular contact and frequent interaction,
mutual influence, the common feeling of camaraderie, and who work together to
achieve a common set of goals.

The definition of a group can be given by some other simple ways like:

 Several people or things that are together or in the same place.

 Several people who are connected by some shared activity, interest, or quality.

 Several individuals assembled or having some unifying relationship.

 A set of people who meet or do something together because they share the
same purpose or ideas.

The term group can be defined in several different ways, depending on the perspective
that is taken.

A comprehensive definition would say that is a group exists in an organization, its

members:

 Are motivated to join.

 Perceive the group as a unified unit of interacting with people.

 Contribute in various amounts to the group processes (that is, some people
contribute more time or energy to the group than do Others).

 Reach agreements and have disagreements through various forms of interaction.

Functions of Groups

The organizational functions of groups help to realize an organization’s goals.

 Such functions include the following:

 Working on a complex and independent task that is too complex for an individual
to perform and that cannot be easily broken down into independent tasks.

 Generating new ideas or creative solutions to solve problems that require inputs
from several people.

 Serving liaison or coordinating functions among several workgroups whose work

is to some extent independent.

 Facilitating the implementation of complex decisions. A group composed of

representatives from various working groups can coordinate the activities of these
interrelated groups.

 Serving as a vehicle for training new employees, groups teach new members
methods of operations and group norms.

The list is not comprehensive. The importance of groups in organizations cannot be

overemphasized because most of the organizational activities are carried out by groups.

Since jobs in organizations are becoming more complex and interdependent, the use of
groups in performing task functions will become increasingly important.

One of the most common findings from the research on groups in organizations is that
most groups turn out to have both formal and informal functions, they serve the needs
of both organizational and individual members.

Types of Groups

Groups may be classified according to many dimensions, including function, the degree
of personal involvement and degree of organization.

Types of Groups are;

 Formal Group.

 Informal Group.

 Managed Group.

 Process Group.

 Semi-Formal Groups.
 Goal Group.

 Learning Group.

 Problem-Solving Group

 Friendship Group.

 Interest Group.

Let’s look at the

Formal Groups

Formal groups are created to achieve specific organizational objectives. Usually, they
are concerned with the coordination of work activities.

People are brought together based on different roles within the structure of the
organization. The nature of the task to be undertaken is a predominant feature of the
formal groups.

Goals are identified by management and short and rules relationships and norms of
behavior established. Formal groups chain to be related to permanent although there
may be changes in actual membership.

However temporary formal groups may also be created by management, for example,
the use of project teams in a matrix organization.

Informal Groups

Within the formal structure of the organization, there will always be an informal
structure.

The formal structure of the organization and system of role relationship, rule, and
procedures, will be augmented by interpretation and development at the informal level.

Informal groups are based more on personal relationships and agreement of group’s
members than on defined role relationships. They serve to Satisfy psychological and
social needs not related necessarily to the tasks to be undertaken.

Groups may devise ways of attempting to satisfy members’ affiliations and other social
motivations that are lacing in the work situation, especially in industrial organizations.

Managed Group
Groups may be formed under a named manager, even though they may not necessarily
work together with a great deal. The main thing they have in common, at least the
manager and perhaps a similar type of work.

Process Group

The process group acts together to enact a process, going through a relatively fixed set
of instructions. The classic environment is a manufacturing production line, where every
movement is prescribed.

There may either be little interaction within process groups or else it’ is largely
prescribed, for example where one person hands something over to another.

Semi-Formal Groups

Many groups act with less formality, in particular where power is distributed across the
group, forcing a more collaborative approach that includes- negotiation rather than
command and control.

Families, communities and tribal groups often act as semi-formal ways as they both
have nominal leaders yet members can have a high degree of autonomy.

Goal Group

The goal group acts together to achieve a shared objective or desired outcome. Unlike
the process groups, there is no clear instruction on how they should achieve this,
although they may use some processes and methods along the way.

As there is no detailed instruction, the members of the goal group need to bring more
intelligence, knowledge, and experience to the task.

Learning Group

The learning group comes together to increase their net knowledge. They may act
collaboratively with discussion and exploration, or they may be a taught class, with a
teacher and a syllabus.

Problem-Solving Group

Problem-solving groups come together to address issues that have arisen. They have a
common purpose in understanding and resolving their issue, although their different
perspectives can lead to particular disagreements.
Problem-solving may range along a spectrum from highly logical and deterministic, to
uncertain and dynamic situations there creativity and instinct may be better ways of
resolving the situation.

Friendship Group

Groups often develop because individual members have one or more common
characteristics. We call these formations of friendship groups.

Social alliances, which frequently extend outside the work situation, can be based on
similar age or ethnic heritage, support for Kolkata Knight Riders cricket, or the holding of
similar political views, to name just a few such characteristics.

Interest Group

People who may or may not be aligned into a common command or task groups may
affiliate to attain a specific objective with which each is concerned. This is an interest
group.

Employees who band together to have their vacation schedules altered, to support a
peer who has been fired, or to seek improved working conditions represent the
formation of a united body to further their common interest.

Differences between Formal Group and Informal Group

Basis for Comparison Formal Group Informal Group

Meaning Groups created by the Groups created by the

organization, to accomplish a employees themselves, for
specific task, are known as their own sake are known as
Formal Groups. Informal Groups.

Formation Deliberately. Voluntarily

Size Large. Comparatively small.

Life It depends on the type of It depends on the members.

group.

Structure Well Defined. Not well defined.

 The importance is given to Position. Person.

Relationship Professional. Personal.

Communication Moves in a defined direction. Stretches in all the directions.

Skills for a Healthy Group Climate

To work together successfully, group members must demonstrate a sense of cohesion.

Cohesion emerges as group members exhibit the following skills:

 Openness.

 Trust and Self-Disclosure.

 Support.

 Respect.

 Individual Responsibility and Accountability.

 Constructive Feedback.

Openness

Group members are willing to get to know one another, particularly those with different
interests and backgrounds. They are open to new ideas, diverse viewpoints, and the
variety of individuals present within the group.

They listen to others and elicit their ideas. They know how to balance the need for
cohesion within a group with the need for individual expression.

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Trust and Self-Disclosure

Group members trust one another enough to share their ideas and feelings.
A sense of mutual trust develops only to the extent that everyone is willing to self-
disclose and be honest yet respectful. Trust also grows as a group the members
demonstrate personal accountability for the tasks they have been assigned.

Support

Group members demonstrate support for one another as they accomplish their goals.
They exemplify a sense of team loyalty and both cheer on the group as a whole and
help members who are experiencing difficulties.

They view one another not as competitors (which is common within a typically
individualistic educational system) but as collaborators.

Respect

Group members communicate their opinions in a way that respects others, focusing on
“What can we learn?” rather than “Who is to blame?”

Individual Responsibility and Accountability

All group members agree on what needs to be done and by whom. Each member
determines what he or she needs to do and takes responsibility to complete the task(s).

They can be held accountable for their tasks, and they hold others accountable for
theirs.

Constructive Feedback

Group members can give and receive feedback about group ideas. Giving constructive
feedback requires focusing on ideas and behaviors, instead of individuals, being as
positive as possible and offering suggestions for improvement.

Receiving feedback requires listening well, asking for clarification if the comment is
unclear, and being open to change and other ideas.

6 Reasons Why Individuals Join Groups

A small group is a combination of more than two people who are interdependent on one
another.

So communication among the members of a group consisting of a small number of

members is known as small group communication.

Every organization employs small groups to collect, process, and produce information,
solve problems and make decisions.

Group communication helps to get a synergistic benefit. Synergy means combined

efforts of a group result in greater output than the sum of the individual output.

That is, groups can do more for individuals than individuals can do for themselves.
People join groups for many reasons.

Some group members are motivated by working in a group and others are motivated by
creating interpersonal relationships with other members of the group.

Great OB scholar K. Aswathappa said there is no single reason why individuals join
groups.

Since most people belong to many groups, it is obvious that different groups offer
different attractions and benefits to their members.

The most popular reasons for joining a group are related to our needs for security,
esteem, affiliation, power, identity, huddling, and task functions.
1. Security.

2. Esteem.

3. Affiliation.

4. Power.

5. Identity.

6. Huddling.

Security

Probably the strongest reason for group formation is the people’s need for security. By
joining a group we can reduce our insecurity – we feel stronger, have fewer self-doubts,
and are more resistant to threats.

Security

Probably the strongest reason for group formation is the people’s need for security. By
joining a group we can reduce our insecurity – we feel stronger, have fewer self-doubts,
and are more resistant to threats.

Esteem

An individual can increase his self-esteem through group membership.

First, one may gain esteem by becoming a member of a high-status group. Associating
with high-status people is reinforcing, and one who belongs to such a group is usually
accorded a high status by outsiders.

Second, the close relationship an individual can develop as a group member provides
opportunities for recognition and praise that are not available outside of the group.

Affiliation

Another reason why people join groups is that they enjoy the regular company of other
people, particularly those who possess common interests. Individuals may seek out
others at work who shares common hobbies or common backgrounds.

Power

Membership of groups offers power to members in at least two ways.

First, there are sayings such as “united we stand, divided we fall” and there is strength
in numbers.” These are driving forces behind unionizations. Workers enjoy much
greater power collectively than they do as individuals.

Second, the leadership of an informal group enables an individual to exercise power

over group members, even if he does not enjoy the formal position of authority in the
organization.

Identity

Group membership contributes to the individual’s eternal quest for an answer to the
question “who am I”. It is common knowledge that’ tries to understand ourselves
through the behavior of others towards us.

If others praise us, we feel we are great, if others enjoy our jokes, we see ourselves as
funny persons, and so on. Groups provide several “others” who will laugh, praise or
admire us.

Huddling

One more reason why individuals want to join groups is for huddling.

Because of the way bureaucracies work, individuals, particularly executives, make use
of informal get-togethers called huddles. There are intimate task-oriented encounters of
executives trying to get something done. Huddling enables executives to deal with
emerging matters and minimize the amount of surprise.

It also serves to reduce red tape by cutting through hierarchical channels of

communication and minimizing misunderstandings.

Because organization charts represent real duties, huddling can compensate for a lack
of leadership by taking collective and unofficial responsibility for getting things done.