These factors or phases are developed through five stages inclusive of the group (1-dependency and inclusion, 2-counterdependency and fight, 3-trust and structure, 4-work, 5-termination). This group established a group culture that is reflective of the social structure developed by its members. The membership is a collective group of leaders and other members. Often there is no one leader, and depending upon the stage of development within the group there could be one or more leaders. The Acceptance of leadership roles was key to the development of the group. .
Our Leadership that was exhibited in stage one of the group's developments was emergent and transitional. The leader emergence or evidence of a leader depended on the tasks and goals of the group. Keeping in mind that during stage one all of the members of the group were polite, they were also cautious not to offend their peers because of the fear of no acceptance within the group. Inclusion therefore became a high priority for all group members in stage one.
Next, we set group guidelines or norms concerning the safety and confidentiality of the group. The lines of communication were open to broad comments, inquiries and assessments. There was a strong climate of non-structure and protocol was undetermined. Establishing a leader was somewhat difficult for our group because there was a general consensus within the core group (Donna, Dina, Ebony, Wanda, Mari and Keith) to suggest Donna, as a leader but they were uncertain about the response from the rest of the group. .
Consensus occurs when everyone in the group chooses to agree without taking a vote. There are many advantages to using consensus in team building. Consensus encourages open communication and it requires members to identify the issue and understand the issue before deciding anything. Consensus involves all members in a cooperative team effort and allows people time to "buy into" a decision so everyone wins.
