THE GROUPISHNESS OF GROUPS
Agile Australia 2017
An exploration into some behaviours in groups
KATY ROWETT
The individual is a group animal at war, both with the group and with those aspects of his personality that constitute groupishness
Wilfred Bion 1897-1975
TEAM DYNAMICS WHAT LAYS BENEATH
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Any resemblance to person, persons or organisations, living or
dead, is purely coincidental.
Authorised by Katy Rowett on behalf of the Katy Rowett career protection society
ENTER THE SCAPEGOAT
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TIPS FOR DEALING WITH SCAPEGOATING
Use the agile practices and be disciplined Make feedback a part of the DNA
Leaders, support and serve your teams Manage risks proactively
Be creative with distributed team practices Read up on scapegoating in teams
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A soldier cries out ‘The general has lost his head’ and thereupon all Aryssians take flight. The loss of the leader in some sense or another, the birth of misgivings about him,
brings on an outbreak of panic, though the danger remains the same; the mutual ties between the members of the
group disappear, as a rule, at the same time as the tie with the leader. The group vanishes into dust.
1585 The beheading of General Holofernes
in Freud 1921
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THE SUPER HUMAN LEADER
THE SUPER LEADER
Be gifted with lots of feedback
Learn from great leaders
Read lots of worthwhile books
Apply your learning
Learn coaching skills & continually practice
Acknowledge that you are human
Be authentic
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BEAM ME UP SCOTTY
TIPS FOR AVOIDANCE & CORRUPTION OF TASK
Clarify goals and tasks with stakeholders
Have the crucial conversations
Use the agile practices and be disciplined
Make feedback a part of the DNA
Effective KPIs (monitor behavioural consequences)
Break down the task into bite size little pieces
Inject some humour (appropriately ;) and team fun
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SOMETIMES A CIGAR IS JUST A CIGAR
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ADDITIONAL READING
• Books• TheArtofAuthenticity,Thacker,K.• CrucialConversations,Grenny,J.etal• UpfromScapegoating,Coleman,A.• AgileITOrganisationalDesign,Narayan,S.• TheLastLecture,Pausch,R.• WhatGotYouHere,WontGetYouThere,
Gladwell,M.• TheBrainthatChangesItself,Doidge,N.• TheSpeedofTrust,Covey,S.• QuietLeadership,Rock,D.• Outliers,Gladwell,M.• RadicalCandor,Scott,K.• 5DysfunctionsofaTeam,Lencioni,P.
• Papers• HowtoScapegoattheLeader,
Thomas,M.• Scapegoatinginsmallgroups,Eagle&
Newton.• Anxiety&theNewOrder,Kranz,J.• PreparingforFeedback,Block,P.• SCARFModel,Rock,D.• InPraiseofFollowers,Kelley,R.