Working in Groups

If you are interested in group behavior, I recommend that you read the article about Social Facilitation at Psyblog first.

Below is my story, it tells you how I became interested in group behavior, especially in work environments.

I was at work on a day when things weren't going well, people weren't co-operating and the problems were getting bigger. It started me thinking about team work. One of the questions that popped in my head and stuck was; is it better to work in a team or by yourself? I don't imagine their is a universal answer to this question. e.g two heads are better then one vs too many cooks spoil the broth.
Lets explore..
Many small things can affect how the team performs, from personalities, moods to styles of communication.

At some point during my contemplation I started to think about chess and compared two games

1. team chess, a group of people playing another group of people.
   
2. regular chess, one against one

It was at that moment the light bulb turned on in my head. I came to understand how important the context of a question is.

1. The game of chess is simpler one against one.
   
2. Team chess is complicated, because now everyone's opinions had to be considered. Who would make the move? Who had the power?
3. On the other hand if I had to do all the tasks at my job it would be impossible because there is no way I could fill all the rolls. It would mean having to learn more and spend more time to complete all the tasks, in fact I could not imagine doing everything.

This brings to attention the importance of roles. Clearly defined roles means people know their responsibility. In the real world defining roles and responsibility isn't easy.

Just remember this, in chess there isn't just one winning strategy. To win at chess you need to make moves that plan for the future. A winning strategy in group chess would have to be followed by all the members in the group.

How and where can you find the right person?
I'm not in the position of hiring people, but it would be my guess that successful businesses don't depend on hiring the best people in low level positions. Big businesses depend on systems moulding employees into effective workers.
How would the game be played?
What would the team structure be?
How would the team decide the next move?
Who would they decide the best move to make?
How much time would it take to decide on a move?
Could a team of equally skilled players beat a single player of equal skill?
When is it better to work alone?
When is it better to work in a group?
When do you ask for help?
When should you ask for help?
How do you ask for help?
Do you accept help if you ask for help?
Do you accept help if you haven't asked for it?
When don't you want help?
How do the pieces compare with status in life?
How does the movement compare with power?
What is significant about the rules of the game?
Controlling pieces vs controlling people?
What is the value of a piece/ person?
Sacrifice?
What pieces are needed to when?
Promoting the pawn?