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“THE ART AND PSYCHOLOGY OF
CREATIVE COLLABORATION” Compiled by Richard Loveless
and Mel Roman THE GROUP MIND An
Overview Characteristics of Group Mind
---Intelligence multiple forms of intelligence/ visual,
oral, spatial, linguistic, kinesthetic, etc. ---Creativity innovation, imagination, risk taking, tolerance
for ambiguity, tolerance for chaos ---Personality multiple personalities that contribute
to group personality The Group as Emergent
---the
image of a garden with individual seeds, each genetically altered by
different origins, each with a root that grows away from the light,
attached to a stem with leaves and flowers that grows toward the light;
a single cell becomes the “crossing point,” where the opposite qualities
and characteristics become one. (image from M.C. Richards, “The Crossing
Point.” ---so
to in the group emergent individuals, each with distinct origins take
root in the group, with root experiences that are encoded in their unique
life experience, collide with the other members in the process of becoming
one (group mind)…How do we find the “crossing point” where individual
minds become group mind? Phases of Development
---choosing
the right people ---tolerance
for diversity of intelligence’s, personalities, process styles, values ---defining
responsibility based on openness to one’s ability to respond ---evaluating
progress Conflict
---cause-effect-cause-effect-cause-effect ---when
is conflict useful? Relationship of chaos to conflict ---when
is conflict counter-productive? TEAM TOPOLOGY
Problem Resolution
Teams
(Executive
Management Teams) ---focus
on getting things done ---conceptual—looking
for relationships—human (baggage) associated fears and/or fantasies ---analytical-variables
in process options to get to an acceptable solution ---issues
of primary import—real issues versus secondary issues Creative
Teams
(Arts
and Sciences) ---like
management but are more independent and creative ---conflict
is ok, chaos is natural aspect of dreaming, envisioning, and risk taking ---long
term vision—less concerned with the immediate details, more for the
long term big picture ---value
exploration of options, flexible processes, no rush to consensus ---flexible
roles—multiple tasks are normal, less need for linear progression of
tasks to closure Tactical
Teams
(Surgical
Teams/Sports Teams-Military Teams) ---highly
structured—comfortable with details, strategic plans, procedures and
defined outcomes ---directed—specificity
is important to staying on the prescribed course ---clear
goals—low tolerance for confusion or ambiguity, where we do we want
to be? ---roles
well defined—what do you want me to do to get where we want to go? ---familiar
process—comfortable with repetition, knowing requirements and expectations
for success ---standards
of operation—wants to see measurable outcomes based on standards that
have been set and agreed upon for successful achievement PHASES OF
GROUP DEVELOPMENT
Inclusion
---composition—choosing the right mix of
individual talents and skills ---who is in, who is out—perceptions of inclusiveness
or exclusion based on historical patterns of decision making balanced
with individual goals and expectations ---boundaries—what are the group parameters?
How far can we go? What are the limits? When is it best to define limits? Dependency
---focus—how is the focus determined?
What is the role of the group in determining a shared focus versus the
vision of the team leader? ---roles—choosing roles, and act of
faith, a group process, or a act of self-determinacy ---trust—psychological safety, what
are the risks and what are the potential consequences? Control
---power—real or imagined, individual
or cliques, overt or quietly manipulative, how is power distributed
to create a feeling of empowerment? ---up/down—the roots of power, who is
up and who is down is normative or contextual at best based on each
group participants need or disdain for dependency ---conflict—how to spot them, how to respond
with sensitivity and courage Affection
---cohesiveness—moving toward group mind,
healthy dependency based on mutual respect and trust ---near/far—clarity of immediate goals
and responsibilities are they relate to the long term STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT Stage 1:
Inclusion/Orientation/Dependency
What
is the mission?(static versus dynamic vision) Who’s
in and who’s out? (relatively based on what aspect of performance is
required) Where
do I fit in? (to the whole, to smaller parts, to the short term, to
the long term What is expected of me? (depending on roles…planning,
managing, executing) High
dependency on leader for focus and structure (is this real or perceived) Loosely
organized psychological group (intentional or just poor leadership) Stage 2:
Control
Experiencing
polarities of dependency and counter-dependency (tendencies allow for
inclusion and/or execution) Competition
for power and attention (how to establish sense of ownership without
total control) Formation
of subgroups (when is it an asset, when a liability) Feeling
frustrated and dissatisfied (root of feeling, dealing with associated
anger, solutions) Stage 3:
Resolution
Resolution
of major conflicts (who is responsible and what are the likely consequences?) Consensus
of roles and expectations (agreement that nourishes expectations and
participation) Team
language develops (cohesiveness is expressed in common linguistic environment) Environment
of cohesion and trust grows (vulnerability is a privilege, not a weakness) Stage 4:
Cohesion/Production
High
morale and enthusiasm (the sense of the team is empowering the individual) Collaboration
flowing in whole group and subgroups (sub-groups are extensions not
aberrations of the whole group—all in a condition of “flow” Sharing
leadership (leadership is diversified among tasks not autocratic and
centralized) Positive
feeling about team and effectiveness (a feeling that in success everyone
wins-winning is not predicated on someone’s failure, particularly the
competition) CREATIVE
LEADERSHIP
---leaders
and managers distinctions in planning, managing and
being a creative leader ---leaders
and leadership multiple roles for leadership in a multi-faceted
organization ---small
group vs. large group similarities and differences in developing
group effectiveness based on group scale CREATIVE
LEADERSHIP
---Management
of Attention personal attention vs. professional attention attending to priorities orchestrating the poetry of variables in
the individuals you manage ---Management
of Meaning identifying and nurturing personal meaning
in self and others management vs. participation in processes
that demonstrate standards of meaning recognition of multiple meanings as useful
in achieving group meaning ---Management
of Trust ---the
role of motivation and leadership in moving potential resources to actual ---The
invention of a group mind that sees beyond consensus to reveal multiple
potentials ---developing
a diversity of options to make possible multiple outcomes (actual’s) The degree to which the team
facilitates the growth and development of its members ---mutual
reinforcement and support for risk
taking, chance, not knowing, the absence of the right answer, a tolerance
for vulnerability, recognition and praise The degree
to which the team grow over time
---individual
growth and its relationship to team maturity ---changing
chemistry effected by the introduction of new members, the loss of others ---the
assets and liabilities of term continuity—maintaining trust through
changing dynamics within the group PROCESS/PRODUCT
Assess actual
vs. potential
---sometimes
models of process yield something other than the desired product --outcome
may confirm the quality of the process, or may suggest discrepancies Understand
basis for discrepancy
---the
presence or discrepancy may be turned into an advantage when viewed
with fresh eyes ---discrete
solutions may be a by-product of a high tolerance for ambiguity ---multiple
indiscretions need not lead to paralysis, they could create a new paradigm QUALITIES
OF HIGH PERFORMANCE TEAMS
---modeling
your actions to instill trust through consistent forms of action ---fashioning
personal and professional relationships that depend on mutual trust
with a healthy respect of differences ---Management
of Self ---managing
time effectively to make decisive yet quality-based decisions, with
particular attention to those who are impacted by those decisions and
how you would like to be treated if you were on the other end ---have
clear separation between making a living and making a life…they may
be connected but one not need to be sacrificed for the other EVALUATING TEAM EFFECTIVENESS SPECIFIC Qualities
and innovation in realizing the product ---relationship
of process to the quality of the product ---summoning
innovative solutions as a group process to facilitate quality of product Does
it work? ---what
are some summative criteria for assessing whether something works or
not? ---qualitative
vs. quantitative criteria for assessing the product ---variables
in anticipated outcomes that are co-dependent to assure quality of outcomes How
well: ---who
is the audience…who determines the outcome the producers or the consumers
of the product, whether it be a new toy, a new tool or a new play? ---what
measures constitute how well something works…reliability, efficiency,
it lasts, it satisfies the users expectations, it has a successful marketing
history, everyone makes a profit etc. GENERIC The degree to which a team
utilizes it’s inherent resources ---characteristics
of leaders who are capable of mining the inherent resources of individuals
for the benefit of the group ---bridging
individual mind with group mentality…to make the whole greater than
the sum of its parts…to invent heretofore unimagined resources that
result from their coming together as one Actual vs.
potential
Competence/interpersonal
as well as participatory skills Chemistry Commitment Character CHARACTERISTICS
OF HIGH PERFORMANCE TEAMS
PURPOSE
---members
can describe and are committed to a common purpose ---goals
and roles are clear EMPOWERMENT
---members
feel a personal and collective sense of competence and power ---members
have access to needed skills and resources ---policies
and practices support team objectives RELATIONSHIPS
AND COMMUNICATIONS
---members
respect and trust each other ---members
express themselves openly and honestly ---differences
perspective and opinion are valued ---members
listen actively to each other FLEXIBILITY
---members
perform different functions as needed ---members
are adaptable to changing demands ---members
share responsibility ---alterrnative
ideas and approaches are explored PRODUCTIVITY
---output
is high and quality is excellent ---clear
problem solving process is apparent RECOGNITION
AND APPRECIATION
---individual
contributions are recognized and appreciated by leader and other members ---group
members feel respected ---team
contributions recognized and valued by larger organization MORALE
---individuals
feel good about team membership ---members
have sense of pride and satisfaction about their work ---strong
sense of cohesion and team spirit CRITICAL
ISSUES
What
can and cannot be fixed? ---individual
competence and creativity ---group
composition ---organizational
climate ---task
and role clarity ---communication
and decision making More…. ---personality
conflicts ---sub-group
conflicts ---morale ---loss
of members ---introduction
of new members ---scapegoating END PROJECT
EVALUATION
Mission clarity
and team composition
---objective
of project ---selection
and composition of team ---how
arrived at? By whom? Team structure
---how
was the team structured in relation to the work? ---how
was the leader chosen? By whom? ---.what
was the division of labor between the collaborators ---clarity
of roles Team Process
---coordination
of work in progress with team? ---coordination
between teams and other groups ---what
was nature of the decision making process? ---clarity
and openness of communications Recognition and reward
---how
apportioned ---talked
about at the start of the project ---where
members satisfied Problems
---what
problems arose during the collaboration? ---how
were they solved? ---was
there a conflict resolution procedure?—was it agreed upon? Team effectiveness
---evaluate
the effectiveness of the collaboration ---did
it succeed or fail? ---define
level of success and creativity and member satisfaction Rethinking
Collaboration
---if
you could redo your project what if anything would you do differently? WHAT TO DO?
---Pre-training ---Monitor
process ---End
project evaluation collabornotes/ccdr
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