Extraordinary Groups E-Book

Geoffrey M. Bellman

• Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
• Kategorie: Fachliteratur
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 290

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2009

Beschreibung

Two leading experts present a new approach to help teams nurture extraordinary experiences and excel Occasionally we participate in a group that inspires us to describe the experience as "powerful" or simply "wow." Why are some teams described in such exceptional terms, while most are not? Bellman and Ryan argue that an extraordinary group emerges when a group experience satisfies two or more core needs that members intuitively bring to any group they join. Based on extensive research, the book presents the Group Needs Model to help anyone nurture extraordinary experiences in their groups and achieve outstanding results. * Introduces a new approach for creating extraordinary experiences and results in teams * Identifies the key characteristics that define exceptional teams * Describes the Group Needs Model for encouraging extraordinary experiences and team success * A timely resource for anyone who leads groups including HR and OD professionals, managers, executives, nonprofit managers and directors, virtual teams leaders, and trainers

Leseprobe

Table of Contents

Praise

Other books by Geoff Bellman

Other books by Kathleen Ryan

Title Page

Copyright Page

Dedication

Part One - OVERVIEW

Chapter 1 - WHY SMALL GROUPS ARE IMPORTANT NOW

Learning from the Experiences of Others

What Is an Extraordinary Group Experience?

What to Expect from Extraordinary Groups

Why Are Small Groups So Important Now?

Chapter 2 - WHAT’S DIFFERENT ABOUT EXTRAORDINARY GROUPS

What Distinguishes an Extraordinary Group?

Bucking the System

An Amazing Group at Work

Chapter 3 - WHAT ORDINARY GROUPS NEED

Our Instinctive Need to Group

Six Group Needs

The Group Needs Model

How Transformation Happens in a Group

Part Two - UNDERSTANDING THE GROUP NEEDS MODEL

Chapter 4 - GROWING TOWARD YOUR POTENTIAL

Overview of Acceptance and Potential

Acceptance: Knowing and Appreciating Ourselves for Who We Are

Potential: Sensing and Growing into Our Fuller and Better Selves

The Creative Dynamic Between Acceptance and Potential

Guidance: Ways to Meet the Needs of Acceptance and Potential

Chapter 5 - JOINING FOR PURPOSE

Overview of Bond and Purpose

Bond: Our Shared Sense of Identity and Belonging

Purpose: The Reason We Come Together

The Creative Dynamic Between Bond and Purpose

A Shift in Purpose

Guidance: Ways to Meet the Needs of Bond and Purpose

Chapter 6 - CREATING CHANGE TOGETHER

Overview of Reality and Impact

Reality: Understanding and Accepting the World as It Is and How It Affects Us

Impact: Our Intention to Make a Difference and Our Readiness to Act

The Creative Dynamic Between Reality and Impact

Guidance: Ways to Meet the Needs of Reality and Impact

Chapter 7 - THE HEART OF TRANSFORMATION

Six Stories at the Heart of Transformation

Part Three - SHARING LEADERSHIP

Chapter 8 - EMBRACING GROUP DIFFERENCES

On the Value of Differences

How Extraordinary Groups Use Differences

Guidance for Preparing Yourself to Embrace Differences

Guidance for Encouraging Others to Embrace Differences

Chapter 9 - LEADING EXTRAORDINARY GROUPS

Group Leadership

Guidance for Leaders

Chapter 10 - LIVING THE PROMISE OF EXTRAORDINARY GROUPS

Small Groups Hold Huge Potential

People Need Groups and Extraordinary Groups Meet Their Needs

Extraordinary Group Experiences can Appear Quite Ordinary

The Promise of Transformation

Appendix A - PRACTICE EXERCISES

Appendix B - AN OVERVIEW OF EXTRAORDINARY GROUPS

Appendix C - PRACTICING WHAT WE PREACH

Appendix D - MORE GROUP RESOURCES

About the Authors

Acknowledgements

Index

More Praise for Extraordinary Groups

“Extraordinary Groups is an extraordinary book. Geoff Bellman and Kathleen Ryan have rigorously examined the compelling cases of sixty high-performing groups and revealed the elements of their success. This book is rich with uplifting stories that will inspire you, practical advice that will guide you, and applied exercises that will develop you and your team. If you want to know what is required of you to do truly amazing work in groups, then this is the place to start. Buy it now. Use it often.”

—Jim Kouzes, award-winning coauthor of the bestselling book, The Leadership Challenge, and Dean’s Executive Professor of Leadership, Leavey School of Business, Santa Clara University

“This book offers a useful model for being a great group leader or member—no small undertaking. Groups are the essential structure for making a difference in the world and this book adds to our capacity to create something important together. An easy read with a clear structure; I happily recommend it.”

—Peter Block, partner, Designed Learning, and author of Community: The Structure of Belonging

“This is a must-read for leaders looking to achieve transformational results in their organizations. The authors not only make a compelling case about the power of engaging small groups, they give us a pragmatic blueprint to move groups to ever higher levels of performance.”

—Phyllis Campbell, chairman, JPMorgan Chase, Pacific NW, and former CEO, The Seattle Foundation

“Organizational leaders will appreciate Bellman and Ryan’s approach for igniting energy in group process, adding value to the business, effectively and quickly.”

—Barbara Magusin, senior vice president, Human Resources, Premera Blue Cross

“In fifty years of consulting and facilitating, never has a book about groups so completely captured my interest or provoked such deep reflection and insight as Extraordinary Groups. Geoff Bellman and Kathleen Ryan not only capture the magic each of us feels in the presence of a deeply fulfilling group experience, but they also provide a map of the territory that can be followed by anyone seeking to create such experiences. Their work is firmly grounded in the observations and reflections of sixty members of extraordinary groups, from which they have distilled guidelines for success that are clear and doable without being overly simplistic. Their accompanying exercises can be used by anyone, whether group leader, facilitator, or member, to enhance their own experience of group life, and to help their group be all it can be—both in its impact on events in the world and in providing satisfaction for the needs we all bring to group life.”

—Roger Harrison, consultant, author, and adjunct professor, California Institute of Integral Studies

“‘I am me not only because of who I am but also because I am in relationship. ’ In Archbishop Tutu’s philosophy, this view of us in relationship is a fundamental life force—especially relevant in these times of ‘six degrees of separation.’ Extraordinary Groups provides a blueprint for building the relationships that must occur as we find the synergies needed for problem solving and breakthrough.”

—Patricia McLagan, chair, Desmond Tutu Peace Foundation

“At a time when every organization is looking for ways to inspire people, achieve more results, and build loyalty, Extraordinary Groups provides the way. The authors’ ability to capture practical techniques coupled with ideas on how to tap into people’s real desire to contribute is astonishing. A must-read for anyone interested in change and contribution.”

—Carol Vipperman, president and founder, Foundation for Russian American Economic Cooperation

“At last the book that answers how to get that ‘special sauce’ that makes some groups exceed our expectations while others fall so short. It provides new insights through powerful stories, practical guidance, and an essential reminder of the ingredients that differentiate the ordinary from the extraordinary!”

—Ann A. Herrmann-Nehdi, CEO, Herrmann International

“Anyone charged with leadership for a project, team, or entire enterprise will be energized by this clear guide to providing outstanding outcomes through proven team tools. Amidst many works on teams, this book emerges filled with clear and try-it-today methods to produce great outcomes through super teams.”

—M. Jane Dailey, vice president and chief clinical officer, Kindred Healthcare, East Region

“Lively stories, generative questions, and practical insights support tools that cut beneath the surface of groups. Bellman and Ryan invite us to mine our own experience, to learn from what we already know, and recognize it for the first time. Coaches, managers, and leaders who want to make a difference will find Extraordinary Groups invaluable for staff meetings, leadership workshops, and consultations.”

—Laurent A. Parks Daloz, senior fellow, The Whidbey Institute

“Extraordinary Groups is an original meditation and celebration of the importance of groups and teams not only in business but in our lives overall. It not only synthesizes years of research and experience with why groups succeed or fail but offers page after page of practical ideas and exercises for how to use these insights with any organized group. It is useful to both the beginner group facilitator and organizer as well as the experienced practitioners.”

—David Giber, senior vice president, Linkage, Inc.

“Change gets its legs when kindred spirits bond in a common purpose. In Extraordinary Groups Bellman and Ryan shed light on this essential, nonlinear, relationship-based process. If you seek change, this book lends insight into an important aspect—creating teams that work.”

—Peggy Holman, coauthor, The Change Handbook

“This book is about more than groups—it’s about understanding how humans interact and make decisions. In our interconnected and increasingly collaborative world, this is essential learning for individuals and organizations that expect to deliver outcomes that exceed expectations.”

—Colin Moseley, chairman, Simpson Investment Company

“Carl Rogers once said that the predictable response of individuals who feel fully and deeply heard is that ‘the spine will tingle and the eyes will water!’ Extraordinary Groups is for those of us who want to have that kind of experience on a regular basis through membership in passionate and powerfully productive groups. It is about understanding and appreciating what goes on at the intersection of transformative learning, peak experiences, high-performing teams, and the sustainable pursuit of meaningful work. The book offers an elegantly simple mosaic for perceiving and intervening in the ongoing life of groups that matter the most.”

—Edie Seashore, MA, organization consultant, and Charlie Seashore, professor, Fielding Graduate University

“Over the years we’ve wondered why it is that some groups are dynamic and life-giving while others are so-so, missing some kind of essential spark and failing to meet our hopes and expectations. When the latter happens, we sometimes blame ourselves, the group, or throw up our hands and blame the misaligned planets! Enter this book, combining inspiring examples, thoughtful analysis, and clear guidance about conditions that contribute to transformational work in small groups for the individuals involved as well as for the task at hand. What a timely, hopeful, and helpful resource!”

—Marcy Jackson and Rick Jackson, co-directors, Center for Courage & Renewal

“Geoff Bellman and Kathleen Ryan have put together an engaging treatise on what makes for extraordinary teams. They eloquently take a very complex subject and boil it down to its most meaningful parts, all supported by stimulating real-world stories. I found the book to be pragmatic and backed by field research. In a nutshell, this extraordinary book should achieve amazing results.”

—Stephen L. Cohen, Ph.D., senior vice president, Global Solutions Management, Right Management

“Extraordinary Groups is the 21st century knowledge worker’s survival guide. It reminds us that we are better together and explains how we can make ecstatic work experiences a best practice rather than a once-in-a-lifetime, bitter-sweet memory.”

—Bill Koenig, administrative director, Organization Systems Renewal Graduate Program, Seattle University

“ ‘Life is too short to spend time in groups that do not fulfill their promise. ’ So say Geoff Bellman and Kathleen Ryan, who have studied sixty extraordinary groups in variety of settings. In doing so they have identified six human needs that when met increase the likelihood of extraordinary things happing. Written with sensitivity and deep understanding of the human condition, Extraordinary Groups is for people who are weary but not defeated by groups where both individuals and groups fall short of their true potential. Extraordinary Groups is destined to become a trusty guide for people who want to make a difference in their community, at work, or at home.”

—Richard Axelrod, author, Terms of Engagement: Changing the Way We Change Organizations

“We’re all part of so many groups—at work, home, and play. But when was the last time you shouted out, ‘Wow, we’re amazing!’ about a group you were in? If it’s been a while (or even never happened at all), it’s high time to raise the bar. Read on and learn how to create extraordinary once-in-a-lifetime group experiences every day. Go ahead. You deserve it!”

—Robert “Jake” Jacobs, author of Real Time Strategic Change and You Don’t Have to Do It Alone

“For years, we’ve talked about the potential power of groups and teams and their ability to transform our organizations, our communities, and our world. In Extraordinary Groups, Bellman and Ryan show leaders what’s behind this power and offer practical advice and methods for fostering a team’s abilities to achieve amazing results.”

—Kim Wells, organization development advisor, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center

“As a manager of small groups for over twenty-five years, the results ofBellman and Ryan’s interviews gave me new ideas, practical actions, and aprofound model. I found their exercises new, unique, and transformational.Do this work with your group and it will become more effective, rewarding,and fun!”

—Kevin Coray, managing partner, Coray Gurnitz Consulting

“Given the time we spend in groups you’d think we’d all be experts. Yet most groups are pretty ordinary or less. Extraordinary Groups provides a picture of what greatness can be, a road map to take you there, and a toolbox to make adjustments along the route. I think it is terrific!”

—Chip R. Bell, coauthor, Take Their Breath Away

“Successful coaches, CEOs, and business owners know that they win when they engage not only the heads but also the hearts of their teams. Bellman and Ryan show us how. Read this book if you want extraordinary results.”

—Jeff Blancett, principal, the Galena Group

“Based on past experiences, most of us assume that our participation in groups will be painful, boring, and disappointing. If we ever have a positive group experience, we are amazed and grateful but assume it was a lucky happenstance. Bellman and Ryan have discovered otherwise. Based on extensive interviews about unusually successful and satisfying group experiences, they have identified and distilled the key factors that consistently lead to outstanding groups. They provide numerous examples and practical, actionable guidelines for creating group experiences that achieve high goals, and engage participants in productive—even transformative—ways. I enthusiastically recommend this book to anyone who has the ambition to make any group situation an outstanding experience for all participants. Yes, you can!”

—Saul Eisen, Ph.D., consultant, Developing Human Systems

“In Extraordinary Groups, Bellman and Ryan offer excellent perspectives based on solid research. Their findings support the work we have been doing internally at Microsoft around leadership teams and their effectiveness.”

—Kathy Falzetta, organization development director, Microsoft

Other books by Geoff Bellman

The Consultant’s Calling: BringingWho You Are to What You DoGetting Things Done When You Are Not in ChargeThe Beauty of the Beast: BreathingNew Life into OrganizationsYour Signature Path: Gaining NewPerspectives on Life and WorkThe Quest for Staff Leadership

Other books by Kathleen Ryan

Driving Fear Out of the Workplace: Creating theHigh-Trust, High-Performance OrganizationThe Courageous Messenger: How to SuccessfullySpeak Up at Work

Copyright © 2009 by Geoffrey M. Bellman and Kathleen D. Ryan. All rights reserved.

Published by Jossey-Bass A Wiley Imprint 989 Market Street, San Francisco, CA 94103-1741—www.josseybass.com

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Bellman, Geoffrey M., 1938-Extraordinary groups : how ordinary teams achieve amazing results/Geoffrey M.

Bellman, Kathleen D. Ryan. p. cm.

Includes index.

eISBN : 978-0-470-52740-5

1. Small groups. 2. Organizational change. 3. Teams in the workplace.

4. Social group work. I. Ryan, Kathleen, 1947- I I. Title.

HM736.B.3’4—dc22 2009021544

HB Printing

To“The Keepers of the Flame,”that extraordinary group leadingthe Community Consulting Partnershipsince 1996.This book is for and about you.

Part One

OVERVIEW

1

WHY SMALL GROUPS ARE IMPORTANT NOW

Do you spend lots of time working in groups?

Are you frequently frustrated that groups are not more alive, more fulfilling, more productive?

Have you found yourself thinking, What a waste of time! Or, nobody listens! We never talk about what’s important! I had really hoped to learn something here! We are so out of touch with each other! It takes us forever to do anything!

Affirmative answers to these questions suggest this book is for you.

Most of us find ourselves in groups in all aspects of our lives: teams, committees, task forces, clusters, pods, clubs, networks, boards, or councils. Regardless of what they are called, many fall short of their full potential. Plans are implemented half-way, if at all. Group members’ talents and knowledge are only partially tapped. The work of the group does little to expand members’ learning or sense of possibility. Interaction among members shows only periodic flashes of energy, creativity, or authentic connection.

Occasionally, we are involved in a group that transforms us, is “inspiring,” “exciting,” “life-changing,” or “amazing.” When our next group experience falls short of fantastic, we ask ourselves: What was different about that amazing group? What allowed us to work together so beautifully, so productively? How could I replicate that experience?”

The two of us have been living, watching, advising, facilitating, and leading groups for a combined total of ninety years. Each of us has written and taught others about groups and how to work with them. And we share the experience of one extraordinary group: The Community Consulting Partnership (CCP)—the group to which we have dedicated this book. Fourteen years ago, a handful of us founded CCP, and it has turned out to be extraordinary. Nine volunteers run this little organization. CCP helps create more successful not-for-profit organizations in our community while building consulting skills in citizens. We have learned much watching CCP evolve in purpose and structure, relationship and performance. Because of our participation in this group, each of us has been changed for the better.

Like so many people, we have been both excited and mystified by a handful of our own group experiences—those that transcend the normal and stand out as amazing. Three years ago, our curiosity pushed us into conversations about three questions: Why do some groups describe themselves in such exceptional terms, while most do not? What do these great groups have in common that sorts them from the rest? What might be done to create their extraordinary results more often? That’s when we decided to write this book.

Learning from the Experiences of Others

We began by going to the field and learning from others. From the beginning, people readily shared their remarkable group experiences with us. We discovered that extraordinary group experiences are widely known, seldom studied, and people want more of them! We sought out people from sixty different groups, people of ages from seventeen to seventy who declared they had been a part of amazing groups. They told of groups in major corporations or institutions where people came together to streamline processes, better serve customers, save money or increase profitability. Other stories came from community or volunteer efforts, involving projects such as helping high school students improve their job interviewing skills, cleaning up neighborhoods, or building a new library. Quite another set of groups were more personal in nature, such as a group of family and friends that supported a dying woman and her children, or a women’s book club, or a couple who recommitted to their marriage. And several of these groups—in all categories—relied heavily on technology to communicate or accomplish their goals.

Throughout this field study, we focused on stories in which groups of two to twenty came together and fulfilled the following conditions:

• The experience and the results achieved or surpassed expectations

• Those involved described what happened with words such as “wow,” “a big win,” “huge,” “surprising,” “meaningful,” or “amazing”

• The setting was within the workplace, volunteer activities, family, or spiritual or personal growth communities

• The circumstances were face-to-face or virtual; if virtual, at least 75% of the group connection and interaction was accomplished through technology

In each conversation, we searched for what sits below the amazing experiences people talked with us about. As our ideas and model developed, we shared them in conferences and workshops. The perspectives of over 600 executives, managers, and consultants helped shape our point of view. Our conclusion: exceptional experiences can be thoughtfully nurtured and intentionally encouraged. We came to understand the dynamics of these groups, their impact, and what to do to increase the likelihood that they will occur. We share all of this in the pages ahead.

What Is an Extraordinary Group Experience?

When it comes to recognizing an extraordinary group, the old adage of “you’ll know it when you see it” comes to mind—except that in this situation, it may be more of a case of “you’ll know it when you feel it!” People instinctively sense when a group experience is something special, something different from the ordinary, something that surpasses their expectations in a positive, remarkable, and hard-to-describe way. Here are two examples of such groups. On the surface, they are quite different, yet they share critical elements of an extraordinary group experience. As each story unfolds, put yourself in the place of those we interviewed and imagine your way into an intuitive sense of each of these exceptional groups.

Micro-Credit for Millions

In 1996 when she was newly graduated from college, Barb was one of twelve staff members hired to organize a global summit that engaged 3,000 participants from 137 countries. The purpose of this global conference in Washington, D.C. was to launch a coordinated campaign to reach 100 million of the world’s poorest families with access to credit for self-employment—and all this by the year 2005. Unlike other summits of the 1990s, this one was convened by civil society—not by governments or the United Nations. Two years prior to Barb’s involvement, this effort was brought to life by grassroots citizen activists committed to ending poverty. We interviewed Barb, her co-worker Jacki, and Sam, their visionary executive director.

Starting in June, 1996, the goal for the conference staff was to organize and then orchestrate this complex, politically sensitive, international multiday event that would take place eight months later. As a small example of the challenge they took on together, Barb remembers “trying not to panic when I had the White House on one line, the First Lady of Angola on another, and the president of Peru trying to call in all at the same time. Where was Emily Post’s book of protocol and etiquette on pecking order when I needed it?!” Operating out of a very tight office space—actually an old converted apartment building—“people came from all over the country to be involved. We were very eclectic.” They brought different ethnic backgrounds, personalities, cultural perspectives, education, professional identities, language skills, and reasons for being involved.

At minimum pay, they often worked eighteen-hour days managing the details of everything: coordinating security for visiting heads of state, lining up conference speakers, and making sure that there were enough copies of the program when, three days before the conference, registrations jumped from 1,600 to 3,000. At all hours, staff members worked the phones in multiple languages to secure the participation of key leaders from around the globe and their personal commitments to take action once the conference was over. With solid funding, Jacki remembers that “our biggest problem was that no one had heard of micro-credit.” Once people understood what it was, “everyone thought what we were doing was terrific and pitched in to help.”

Conflicts occurred “when we were tired and hungry and had not gotten enough sleep.” With only two private offices, staff members gathered in one to sort things out. As an organization, “it was not hugely hierarchical—people were expected to come forward. Everything seemed to get an airing.” With a just-do-it attitude and respect for one another, “we’d work really hard, vent when we needed to, and then go out for a dinner or a drink together.” Jacki told us that “it was war. Us against poverty—and we had each others’ backs.” When the conference closed as a huge success, many of the staff ended up at one person’s apartment. “We couldn’t leave each other for a couple of days. How could we possibly disband? We had bonded for life.”

The team that put on the Micro-Credit Summit produced results that are amazing and transforming on multiple levels. When they began, they had hoped for 600 participants and 3,000 came! And more important, all delegates had agreed to the conference’s goals and made commitments about micro-credit loans prior to arriving for the meeting. Careful tracking of the commitments to extending the micro-credit revealed that it took two years longer than originally targeted to achieve the conference’s goals. But when reached, what an achievement! “This is a tremendous achievement that many people thought was far too difficult to reach. What makes it even more remarkable is that loans to more than 100 million very poor families now touch the lives of more than half a billion family members around the world. That is half of the world’s poorest people.” 1

In addition to this astonishing global accomplishment, Jacki and Barb were deeply affected personally as members of this group. For Jacki, this was “one of the most important moments of my life . . . I’m now fearless when it comes to asking anyone for anything.” Barb speaks poignantly of a transformational moment that took place at the very end of the conference. Back stage, looking out at the 3,000 people in the auditorium, she saw that “In the front row with queens and first ladies and heads of state, one person stood, then two others stood, arm in arm, singing our closing song. Then I saw an ocean of people standing up, arm in arm, and singing. I realized that in this room alone, we had the resources that could make our vision happen. My heart was blown open with deep appreciation and hope and a sense that I could make a difference. We were a squad of twelve people! In a disheveled office. Our small voice engaged the world. I could never be the same again.” Hold this in mind as you read about Laura.

A Moving Experience

Twenty years ago Laura worked in information technology at a large advertising agency in New York City. She recalls the< moment she was told she would be working eight weekends in a row, “I was less than excited. I thought that this was going to be a miserable two months. I couldn’t have been more wrong . . . It was a very powerful experience. At the time, I didn’t see it as transformative, but now I do. I try to emulate what we did then. I use it as my model for beautiful planning and collaboration.”

Unlike the enormous scope of Barb’s group, Laura and her nine colleagues were tasked with a very immediate mission: disconnect then reinstall the electronic equipment of employees on sixteen floors, moving from an old building to a new one across town. Transfer two floors a week, beginning each Friday morning, completing by Sunday night. Do so with a level of accuracy that would allow employees to be at their work stations on Monday morning with all phones, computers, printers, copiers, and fax machines working. Without a hitch. And, in fact, that’s what happened.

Proudly, Laura recalls that “we had a 99+ percent success rate—fewer than 1 percent voiced complaints on Monday mornings.” Careful planning and organization, clear goals and roles allowed the moving team to excel both individually and collectively. “We each knew what we were supposed to do so we could go ahead and make our own decisions about how to get our work accomplished.” People would do their own jobs, then move on to help others in “true collaboration.” One night, the printers wouldn’t work consistently. The whole team pitched in and finally got them working perfectly. “We had this unspoken rule that if one of our subgroups was having a problem we all stayed to help. No one went home earlier than the others saying ‘my part is done.’ ”

Picture this high-performing group. Already putting in a full week’s work, they’d start on Friday mornings, work til 2 A.M. Saturday, then come back around 10 A.M. and work til after midnight. “We worked til 2 A.M. in order to have the rest of Sunday off,” Laura explained. For eight weeks. Imagine the office floors in the new building, filled with only empty work stations. Then the high-energy team arrives, focused individuals moving from task to task, helping others wherever needed. Learning each other’s favorite foods to order in. Playing baseball with broom sticks and paper wads in the middle of the night to let off steam. Then, in the early morning hours, waiting to make sure everyone was safely on their way home.

With each floor, there were different technical challenges. “For the first few weeks it was exciting. At weeks five and six, we still had the same level of commitment—and we were better at it!” A competent and caring leader helped make the project fun and gave people confidence. “We never had to deal with negative attitude—even though there were plenty of frustrations that people faced individually.” Looking back on the repetitive installations, the long and late hours, and the spurts of intensely focused problem solving, Laura sees that “there was pure joy in doing something hard—together. The magic was in the group. This was a happy surprise—that it went so smoothly and was really fun!”

Defining Extraordinary Groups

Barb’s and Laura’s experiences are quite different in terms of the scope of their groups’ goals and achievements. Yet they have several elements in common that mark them as members of two extraordinary groups. Consider their experiences as you read these definitions:

• A group is a collection of individuals, typically of two to about twenty, who come together around a common purpose.

• Extraordinary groups achieve outstanding results, and members—individually or collectively—experience a profound shift in how they see their world; they are transformed.

• Transformation is a fundamental shift in individual perceptions that accelerate behavior change and personal vitality.

When there is a shift in perception, things are never quite the same again. Barb and Laura each worked with about a dozen people in a very concentrated, intense, and time-driven way. For Barb, the transformative shift had to do with seeing herself as capable of making a difference in the world. Laura gained a model for joy-filled planning and collaboration.

However large or small, visible or intangible, such transformative shifts happen because the group experience satisfies core needs that members intuitively bring to any group they join. Each of us brings these same needs to every group situation; we seek opportunities to meet those needs. Our work and our field study suggest there are six needs, forming three pairs related to one’s self, the group, and the world in which the group exists. These six elements combine in a model we call the Group Needs model:

Acceptance of self while moving toward one’s Potential

A Bond with others that grows while pursuing a common Purpose

Understanding the Reality of the world while collectively making an Impact

Whether at work, at home, or in the community, when your group experience meets two or more of these needs, it will stand out for you. You are more likely to exclaim about it, to see it as memorable, and you will also find it hard to describe. You will probably be uncertain about how it came about, perhaps see it as “chance,” and assume that this unusual occurrence cannot be intentionally created. Our experience suggests otherwise.

What to Expect from Extraordinary Groups

In the following chapters, we explain our Group Needs model in detail, share stories of extraordinary groups in action, and offer guidance to help you encourage extraordinary experiences in your groups. This book comes in three parts.

Part One: We present an overview of the key elements of our model, including the defining indicators of an extraordinary group and the connection between the Group Needs model and transformation.

Part Two: Each pair of the Group Needs model is described in its own chapter along with reflective exercises and suggestions for actions you can take in your groups to increase the chances of the six Group Needs being met. Chapter Seven illustrates transformative shifts that occur when multiple needs are met at once.

Part Three: In this section, we offer specific content on how to embrace differences within a group so that they become an asset rather than a barrier to success. We provide special guidance to group leaders, then bring the book to a close with a final chapter.

Appendices: Here you will find content that will help you apply all that we propose in the main part of the book: exercises to practice what you learn in Chapters Four, Five, and Six; a summary of the key content points; a list that describes how we intentionally behaved toward one another during our collaboration to ensure an extraordinary experience; and intriguing references about related topics.

We have written Extraordinary Groups to help you see your groups differently. So that you can consciously behave in ways that will encourage your groups to be extraordinary. This is possible regardless of your role: member, designated leader, or facilitator of a group. From our interviews, we’ll provide twenty inspiring examples from amazing groups, groups that have much in common. Some of the stories will reflect the experiences of ongoing groups; others describe one-time events or projects. You’ll find a small version of our Group Needs model in the margin next to each story we share. We also talk to you directly, asking you to do your own thinking about what we present. Please engage with us by practicing what you read. Keep track of your learning in a journal or notebook. If you do, reading Extraordinary Groups could become a powerful—even transformative—experience for you.

Why Are Small Groups So Important Now?