Reframing Group Development: Diagnosis and Appreciation in the Practice of Team Building

Abstract

Organizations development research suggests the existence of two approaches to facilitated group development: conventional and appreciative. Conventional practices construct group aspirations or shared goals by addressing group tasks and problems, whereas appreciative practices create generative images of the future that are grounded in the strengths of the group. To explore the effects of these approaches, we studied the interpersonal dynamics of ten work teams who implemented either conventional or appreciative team development practices. We discovered that these two approaches enable the emergence of two modes of development that are substantially different from each other. Consistent with previous research, we found that the conventional mode relies on conflict resolution and constructive feedback as a developmental mechanism. However, the appreciative mode relies on the power of positivity (conceptualized as positive affect, positive meaning, and positive thinking) as a catalyst for development or change. In addition, each mode follows the same general pattern of group development, based upon the needs of a group at different phases of its developmental cycle. We propose that teams may exist in either mode depending on the focus of team’s conversations and interactions. Thus, current theories of group development should incorporate the appreciative mode as an alternative or complementary form of development.