Social Dynamics in People at Work | Part 2
Posted on by Brady Mick
Social Dynamics Project Approach:
Groups of people at work rarely benefit from a lack of social dynamics. In general, people strive to perform their functions well with others. Yet, inevitably, changes in the internal dynamics of a team occur. As well, the outside forces of business apply change pressures to the dynamics of a group. Groups at work often require the expertise of an extended team to deliver the process and results. Often the complexity of the system exceeds the ability of an individual to effectively manage the increasing quantity of work.
BHDP has created and implemented a three part approach to building strong social dynamics in a group at work.
Part One – Process Mapping:
BHDP implements a three part process designed to visually illustrate the functional work dynamics of the work process. The first part of the exercise begins with the core team. Using display thinking, the exercise concentrates on identifying approximately 50% of the typical activities that occur in every type of project, the timing of the activity, and the responsibility of the team of experts, etc.
The second part of the process mapping exercise expands the group to include the extended team. This team includes experts who supplement the skills and strengths of the core team. Each extended team member overlays their participation points in the process map today, also indicating where, in the future, they would see value in engaging in the process if different from today.
The result yields a process map defining the stages and the steps within the work process. The maps are complex and contain many variables that illustrate the complexity of today’s work process. The variables on the map indicated constant threats to the continuity and delivery of the work, and identify high potential opportunities to systematize and simplify the process. Each of these opportunities is captured for future process redesign and implementation.
Part Two – Team Social Dynamics:
Teams must work dynamically and with focus with each other for success. Each team member has unique strengths and weakness, creating opportunity and threats in the delivery of projects. These dynamics can be assessed and analyzed for increased team performance and social dynamics.
BHDP conducts a series of social dynamic diagnostic analysis tools on team members to build both individual knowledge of each team member’s dynamics, and overall team dynamic. These tools include simple, widely recognized diagnostic tools, including; Multiple Intelligence, Jung Typology Assessment, Conflict Analysis and Strengths Finder.
BHDP meets with each individual from the team in a 20 minute snap session to personally review their data and its potential meaning. Each participate is given a work sheet to aid them in developing their understanding of themselves. Then all participants in the process are brought together in a group analysis session. First BHDP describes in detail the history and focus of the four assessments. Second, the group is arranged into pre-assigned pairs and is given the assignment of finding a personal place in the office to present their unique findings to each other in 40 minutes. Third, the group returns to the full session for a facilitate discussion of the results of the social dynamic of the group.
The team gains deeper insights into individual and shared strengths, revealing areas of weakness requiring the expertise of others. Opportunities to realign the expertise of the group are identified and acted on to increase the performance of the team in delivering results for their customers and each other. As the group grows in the future, these baseline social dynamics results empower both existing and new team members to engage in positive relationships built on knowledge and communication.
Part Three – Professional Development:
Individuals in leadership positions are consistently delivering quality results and caring interaction with others. There are higher levels of success for every individual leader that can be limited by individual weakness. Within these are potential strengths developments that can be unlocked with a focus on professional development. BHDP utilizes a leadership development process to accentuate the inclusion of strengths and opportunities in an individual are realizing their leadership potential.
In order to discover the best path for an individual’s professional development, offers a professional leadership development psychologist. This coach provides personal diagnostics and leads leaders through a process of developing the next level of leadership and professional development specific to them.
This process results in a personal development plan with action steps for guidance. The psychologist will implement a quarterly call with the leader to advance behavioral change and make adjustments to the development plan over a period of time.
Designing space is directly connected to the social ability of the functioning of a team of people and their leadership. For comparison, the best teacher in the world can successfully teach the most ready students in the worst imaginable environment. However, the best teacher and the best students IN THE BEST SPACE are going to produce a higher degree of success and results. The same is true with people at work. Strong teams who are highly motivated and are led by the best leadership, are accentuated in their work process and social dynamics by the forms of the spaces in which they work. Developing people while designing their work place drive valuable results from each other when aligning the people with each other, and with the processes of what they do together. Space is the final catalyst for their successful futures in work together.