They must write or speak clearly, emphasize important information, make information accessible to one another, ask for specific actions from specific individuals, and follow through with phone calls, E-mail, or visits when necessary. Even when a task is a group project, each person must be conscientious. If you are working in a culture that depends on a shared knowledge of background rules, you may be less explicit, but in US business environments clarity and directness are the rule. Back to top Phases of Group Development Group interactions change over time, as industrial and organizational psychologists have shown. First impressions Group gets together and learn one another's identities.
People try to figure out how to get along with one another.
First attempts to define project goals, interests, tasks. Members exchange communication information such as telephone numbers, E-mail addresses, and possible times for meetings. Organizing period As goals are defined and tasks identified, people begin to assume roles, either by mutual consent or by individual choice. The group develops an approach to the project and a schedule, it and defines implicit or explicit rules and procedures. Operating period Group is now coordinated.