ABSTRACT
The previous chapter was concerned with problematic individual behaviour encountered in groups; this chapter discusses how to work when the dysfunction seems to affect the whole team or group. It reviews the impact of anxiety on group functioning, and goes on to discuss a couple of typical problems. It introduces Bion’s ideas about underlying patterns in non-functioning groups. Through extended consideration of a vignette, it looks at the dynamics of teams declared ‘dysfunctional’, and outlines the ‘drama triangle’ dynamic. It discusses unspoken conflicts, and the implications of Chris Argyris’ theory of organizational defences for team-coaching practice. For organizational leaders, this chapter may illuminate how whole-system dynamics may play out in a particular team, and why solving their ‘problem’ may not solve the ‘Problem’. This chapter contains:
Anxiety in groups
What if … there is lateness and absence?
What if … a number of people look bored, restless or disengaged?
Bion: a theory of group dysfunction
The ‘basic assumptions’
Working with unconscious and unspoken conflicts
Teams declared ‘dysfunctional’
The drama triangle
Working with conflicting messages
Argyris’ theory of organizational defences
Finally
