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Connecting how groups work to output and performance
Leaders work with groups all the time, but how many
understand the hidden dynamics that impact group process and effectiveness?
Frequently, group dynamics is an unrecognized reason for lack of productivity
in organizations. Because groups are the building blocks of organizations, being
able to work effectively is essential to organizational performance.
Chaos Management, Ltd. provides leadership skills
to those who work with groups in organizations so they can achieve the highest
levels of input and productivity from group members. We call these “everyday
leadership skills”—skills in communication, conflict management,
how to contribute effectively, giving and receiving feedback, and managing differences.
Our work in this area produces
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More effective, productive work groups |
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More competent group members |
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Expanded leadership skills to all members in the organization |
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More sophisticated trainers and consultants |
How we do it
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Leadership development workshops for entry-
and mid-level supervisors and managers.
We concentrate
on interpersonal skills: communication, giving and receiving feedback, speaking
with clarity, facilitating meetings, managing differences, managing conflict,
and attending to group dynamics. We use peer feedback and exercises to increase
awareness of one’s own leadership style. |
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Training trainers and consultants on group diagnosis
and intervention.
This program builds skills by using models of group dynamics to diagnose
the stages of group development, facilitate difficult situations, manage
difficult members in groups, and create optimal learning environments. |
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The Problematic Moment Approach (PMA) to team building.
Using video feedback, the
PMA enables a team to identify and address issues hindering performance
and task completion. Team members learn how to intervene “in the moment,”
increasing group effectiveness and creating a safe climate in which to work,
with structures that establish boundaries to focus individual and group
energy on accomplishing team goals. |
What’s unique about our approach
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Key to our approach is a combination of theory and practice,
providing models for understanding groups and practical experience in observing,
diagnosing, and intervening in groups; connecting how groups work to what
they are able to produce. |
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We combine two important theories of group work: the NTL
tradition, which addresses group function and roles, and the Tavistock
approach with its concepts of boundaries, authority, roles, and tasks. We
have distilled the essence of these two approaches into easily-applied principles
and strategies that can be used by trainers, consultants, group leaders,
and group members alike. |
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We have an organizational and systems perspective that connects the group
and its work to the larger purpose of the organization. |
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We recognize the importance of receiving feedback—and practice it—so
people understand how they behave in groups, how others see their behavior,
how it affects the group, and what they can do to be more effective. |
Workshops
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