18 Mentor Module 2: Group Dynamics
Hey everyone! Welcome to the next module in the mentor training. In this module, we will be discussing group dynamics.
In today’s session we will start with time zone variations, the problems that arise and potential actions that can be taken to help groups that are facing an issue with time zones. Next, we will talk about navigating difficult situations in group settings as they tend to come up quite often and it is always good to be prepared in advance.
We’ll start off with time zone variations, specifically the identified problems. The biggest problem is that not everyone may be in the same time zone. Right away, there is a division within the group, even before a single word is said between them. This is the main theme that comes up in all time zone related problems, so even if it may not seem as that big of a problem right off the bat, once groups get going it can severely impact group dynamics. Time zone barriers can be the rift that prevents a team from having successful group dynamics. Between communication barriers, different work hours, having difficulty with collaboration, and lack of team building resources, group dynamics tend to take a hit. Successful groups must work in unison, so time zones create an issue there. Finally, there is not one key solution to reducing time zone related conflict. There are several “best practices”, but those may not be the solution for some teams. On the next slide, we will go through some good practices to equip yourself with so you can help your teams if they face any of these issues, but keep in mind that a final solution will look different to each group.
There is positive action you can take as a mentor to ensure your groups have a high success rate, even if they are facing time zone barriers. So the first point here is quite straight forward, I’m sure you’ve heard it 100 times whether it was from prior teammates, your significant other, or your boss but communication is KEY. It is important to take notice of individuals communication styles. Some people prefer to communicate through email, others video calls or even group text. By acknowledging and respecting everyone’s communication style, you are setting your group up to succeed, at least as far as talking to each other is concerned. A simple honest conversation can eliminate almost any problem, make sure you encourage your teams to share their style and to respect each other’s preferences.
Next, make it easy to collaborate. This can be a shared hard drive, a shared google drive, onedrive, dropbox or any platform that lets them share their work in progress. It can get frustrating waiting for others to send their updated work when it is your turn to work, so by having a system in place that allows all members in the group to access the documents at all times will ease a lot of unnecessary stress. Moving forward, you want to push organized meetings. A meeting can be the difference between high-quality and poor-quality work. Even though we don’t assign grades, A+ works is associated with groups using their meeting times efficiently. A successful meeting includes meeting minutes, meeting agendas, action items assigned to each teammate with accompanying deadlines, and check-ins. We will talk more about these in future modules, but organized meetings will be the catalyst to success for a lot of groups, so encourage them as much as possible!
Finally, focus on the benefits of a diverse team. Focus on being grateful for the new opportunities rather than the new setbacks. Having a diverse team will open up brainstorming sessions with new ways of thinking, it will bring a new culture to the team as they may not lead a typical day in their life like you do. Every chance to learn from people around you is a good one, so seize the day and the opportunity.
Lets move forward to the discuss navigating difficult situations. First things first, there are various reasons a conflict may arise. For example, individuals may be sensitive to some conversations or topics, they might feel uncertain about a decision or the resulting action, or even two group members may just not get along. They are all causes for conflict and each cause requires a different approach to mitigate them, so it is important that we discuss various scenarios and how to approach them. Like we just discussed, not every scenario will have a one size fits all solution. There will be multiple scenarios that one solution could resolve, but that often will not be the case. Conflict resolution is more about intuition than anything else. I could write you a textbook with 100’s of scenarios and have you read through the solutions, but it does not matter unless you can pinpoint what the conflict is and develop steps to work through the conflict. Groups will rely on you as the mentor to be a supportive third-party throughout conflict resolution, so staying calm and bringing empathy to all parties will go a long way in conflict resolution.
So the first situation would be having quiet groups that tend not to talk during meetings. The way to approach this scenario would be to have a round table chat with the group. You can simply warm them up with an icebreaker or small talk until they feel comfortable getting into the rhythm of things with their group. It is okay to carry the conversation for the first little while of the meeting, but be sure to pass the torch to the group and have them initiate their own conversation amongst them. Sometimes, all they need is a little push and that is where the magic starts.
Next, having a dominant individual in the group, or someone who will always talk and not give others the chance to speak. You want to call on everyone individually and hear everyones thoughts. Just because they are shy or are choosing not to talk does not mean they do not have really good ideas that can further develop the project that is being developed. This is a very simple and extremely effective strategy. This is also a great opportunity to amplify quieter voices. You can say, for example, “I thought person X had a great idea when they mentioned Y. X, could you please elaborate on your thinking?” It can also be great to remind to individuals to ask for input from their fellow teammates before moving on to the next topic. In follow-up meetings, you can specifically address quieter team members to fill you in on updates since your last meeting to continue promoting participation from all group members. Keep in mind that some individuals might feel anxious being put on the spot, so a follow-up private communication with team members to see how they feel could also be appropriate.
Next is a common issue which is that members won’t contribute equally to the project. This can be a tricky situation to navigate as not all individuals will respond to the same level of authority. Some may require someone kind to approach them whereas you may need to be firm with others. Again, this is part of your intuition and real life experiences that should lead you to decide which authority level to take. A potential solution could be having a group meeting with you present and you ensure tasks are equally delegated between group members. You can also require the team to set deadlines for when each task should be done, and tell them to include a role table with their signatures. A role table would include their name, their task, and their signature that they completed it themselves. This is a form of accountability, which is exactly what is needed here. In follow-up meetings, asking participants to speak to their designated tasks can help to identify individuals who are not able to contribute equally. If a team member is not contributing equally and there is now a record to demonstrate they were aware of their role, it is important to follow-up with the team member. This can be done privately or with the larger group. This is another scenario in which you need to rely on your intuition. The individual may feel uncomfortable with their role. They may have disagreements about the direction of the project, leading them to feel uncomfortable moving ahead with their tasks. In other cases, team members are simply overwhelmed with too many things on the go. As you can see, it is very important to be kind and approachable when speaking with a team member who isn’t achieving your expectations. Once a discussion has been approached, come up with a solution with the team member. A team member who is disenfranchised will not feel more inclined to accomplish work through you being strict; meanwhile, a team member who is overwhelmed may only feel more overwhelmed by a terse interaction. Instead, remind the individual that everyone on the team is accountable to their task and ask what they need to remain accountable. Then ask what the team member feels would be a fair response should they be unable to meet their agreed upon role. Whether this discussion occurs privately or with the rest of the team, the final decisions and consequences associated with the conversation should be made transparent to the entire team so that everyone can feel reassured a plan is in action.
Finally, morals and ethics. This can be a much larger conversation, but we can keep it straight and to the point. Sometimes, conversations will come up that not everyone will be okay with. Whether it is the topic, the response, or the way the conversation is going, there can be many ways people may feel uncomfortable in a conversation if they feel their values are being compromised. If this comes to your attention, remain calm. An extreme reaction may worsen things, so try to not react largely. In the moment, it is alright to intervene by changing the topic or by telling the individuals you feel this is an inappropriate conversation for the setting. It is alright to say, “This conversation feels that it is outside of my area of knowledge and has the potential to make people feel uncomfortable. I’d appreciate if we can not discuss this further at the moment.” Feel free to then contact a main staff member or an event organizer. At MacChangers, we would likely contact the Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion so as to provide participants with the appropriate assistance. Knowing how to manage these difficulties is outside the scope of your role as a mentor and it is okay to acknowledge that.
Alright! Now it is your turn to walk through a difficult situation. Here we go: Alex lives in LA and his teammate, Willy Wonka, lives in his chocolate factory in Austin, Texas. When it is 12 pm for Alex, it is 2 pm for Willy, which did not seem like it would be an issue. It turns out, whenever they discussed meeting times based off their time zones, they got into an argument about who should need to settle in the time choice as when it is convenient for one person to meet, it is not convenient for the other. What advice would you give Willy and Alex?
Thank you for completing the second module in the mentor training module series. Take time to reflect on a professional project you completed that involved a conflict Why did it occur, and was it avoidable? What made the situation better or worse? If you had a third-party available for support, what would you have wanted them to do?
References
Espinosa, J. A., & Carmel, E. (2003). The impact of time separation on coordination in global software teams: A conceptual Foundation. Software Process: Improvement and Practice, 8(4), 249-266. https://doi.org/10.1002/spip.185
Main, T. (2019). Some psychodynamics of large groups 1. The Large Group, 57-86. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429482267-4
Persson, J., & Mathiassen, L. (2009). A process for managing risks in distributed teams. IEEE Software. https://doi.org/10.1109/MS.2009.157
Tang, J. C., Zhao, C., Cao, X., & Inkpen, K. (2011). Your time zone or mine? Proceedings of the ACM 2011 conference on Computer supported cooperative work – CSCW ’11. https://doi.org/10.1145/1958824.1958860