Page 337 - Nutrition Counseling and Education Skills: A Guide for Professionals

maintaining what is acceptable or unacceptable, appropriate or inappropriate behaviors in procedures, and
shared values of the group.1,2 These unwritten guidelines provide group identity, how members communicate
and interact, and how tasks are approached, which leads to feelings of pride, inclusion, and superiority.13
Norms may be tested when a member behaves in an inappropriate way. Unless the facilitator or a group
member responds, norms will be tested again. When they are violated, there may be sanctions. How may you
deal with a person in your friend group who is late too often, for example, when the norm is that people are
on time?

Roles

While norms define the behavior of the group, roles apply to the behavior of an individual. Roles are
behaviors that are learned.13 Task roles tell who does what to complete a job or reach a goal, such as take
minutes or seek information.12 Social roles relate to enhancing the working relationships of group members.
Members may take on more than one role in the group.1,2 Some roles may be assigned, such as
secretary/recorder or group leader, although more than one person can assume a group leadership role.12

Status

Status refers to a person’s prestige, perceived importance, and influence on the group. A group with a high
level of status may be referred to as the “in group” and most people want to be a part of it. Status influences
group communication, both verbal and nonverbal, and the channels of interaction among people.12

Power

Power may be defined as “the ability to influence others’ behavior” and to affect what group members do or
how they behave. Power may come from being elected or appointed to a position, being the most
knowledgeable person, or being a well-liked, popular individual. Although power and status are related, a
person with power may not be able to influence everyone and power struggles may result.12

Synergy

All groups possess the potential to be a force for creative thinking or a force that preserves the status quo.
Although not all groups achieve synergy, several people working together have the potential to produce more
or better decisions or solutions than one person working alone.1 The whole of the group is greater than the
sum of its parts.

Cohesiveness

Developing cohesiveness in a team may contribute to producing qualitatively superior solutions and decision
making. Cohesiveness is the “degree of attraction that members of a group feel toward one another and the
group.”12 Cohesive group members listen to one another, like one another, have a high degree of loyalty to
each other, have an increased self-esteem, and have a desire to stay in the group.2,13 They talk in terms of “we”
rather than “I” and refer to nongroup members as “they.”1 Although usually a good thing, groups can have too
much cohesiveness, become autonomous, and all think alike.

Cohesiveness is not static and over time, a group may lose its cohesiveness. Because employee turnover is
constant in many organizations, intense cohesiveness is rare. When a new member joins the group, interaction

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