Taking on Task and Maintenance Roles

Another dialectic is important in group life: the tension between task and main?tenance goals. Most groups exist for a reason. Often they form to solve a prob?lem or to reach a decision. This dimension of group behavior is called its task dimension, and the output of this dimension is called productivity. We expect groups to produce results.

At the same time, groups must also fulfill social functions. Croups must devote some of their efforts to creating a positive group climate. This dimension of a group?s behavior is called its maintenance or social dimension, and its out?put is called group cohesiveness. Although productivity and cohesiveness are sometimes in conflict, they are closely related. Successful groups must achieve both. A group that works so hard on its task that it neglects member feelings eventually dissolves. Cohesiveness is the glue that holds a group together. Similarly, a group that avoids work to focus entirely on maintenance ends up losing members, for no one wants to be part of an unproductive group. One of the keys to managing group communication is to behave in ways that advance both productivity and cohesion.

The key to being an effective group mem?ber lies in being able to take on both kinds of behaviors, depending on the needs of the group. Behaviors that help the group accomplish its task are called task roles. They include acting as information giver, information seeker, evaluator-critic and so on. Behaviors that enhance the social climate of the group are called maintenance roles. Roles such as encourager, standard setter, or harmonizer are examples. Finally, personal goals that do not help the group reach either of its basic goals are called negative roles. Negative roles are gener?ally dysfunctional and indicate that a member is having trouble balancing group and individual needs. Table 7.2 lists some of the roles necessary for group productivity and cohesiveness, and Table 7.3 outlines negative, dysfunctional roles.

Table 7.2 ? Roles Necessary for Group Productivity

Task Roles

Maintenance Roles

Table 7.3 ?Negative Roles

How can one person increase group effectiveness? First, it is important to become as flexible as possible in both task and maintenance roles. The best group member is the one who can recognize and provide whatever the group needs at a particular time. Such a member must watch the group process carefully, realiz?ing that what the group needs may not necessarily be what the member likes to do best.

In addition, it is important to avoid disruptive individual roles. We all bring our own hidden agendas to the groups we belong to. A hidden agenda is a per?sonal goal that lies below the surface and that can get in the way of group per?formance. Sometimes hidden agendas are compatible with group goals (for ex?ample, when a group member channels a need for recognition into effective task leadership), and sometimes they are incompatible (as when a team member grandstands or hogs the ball instead of passing it off). Members should examine their own agendas and guard against dysfunctional behavior. At the same time, the group should be aware of member needs and try to satisfy them. If this is im?possible, the group should discuss members? dysfunctional behaviors with those members, pointing out the effects of the behaviors on the group as a whole.

Date: 2016-06-12; view: 99