A person’s life and his work cannot be imagined without communicating with other people. Those connections that occur almost daily are represented by diverse communities or groups. The smallest of them are the initial cells of society and form the primary basis of all the other elements that comprise it. In a small group you can see the manifestation of the realities of life, relationships and activities of most people. Various social and psychological processes take place in it. They are for each of its members a part of the spiritual atmosphere in which they have to live and work.
The psychology of a group or collective forms in people some common needs, ideals, interests, etc. They, first of all, are those regulators of the behavior of activities that determine the activity of a person of a social nature. Small groups (collectives) are constantly in continuous dynamics. The changes that take place in them are expressed by such socio-psychological processes as development and education, decision-making and leadership, conflicts, rallying, etc.
Definition of a concept
What is team psychology? Under this concept is understood a complex set of socio-psychological processes and phenomena occurring within a group. The atmosphere that develops in the team, and its psychology are directly influenced by:
- tasks facing a group of people;
- those real conditions in which the activities of team members occur;
- the level of communication and relationships between people who solve common problems.
The collective is in psychology such a group, the creation of which is possible only with the designation of common goals and needs. That is, those interests that will constantly grow stronger and stronger as it grows and develops. Without this, talking about the team is inappropriate. Then we can only talk about a certain number of individuals.
The team in psychology is a social environment, which includes completely different, unlike each other people. Each of the members of such a group has its own character and upbringing, abilities, worldview, etc. All these are the components of the team.
The peculiarities of the team in psychology are that all these people are connected with each other. Moreover, they are in this environment only because they have a common goal. To carry out certain actions designed to start the workflow, they have to communicate with each other. The study of the characteristics of such communication and is engaged in the psychology of the team.
From childhood we are adapted to the social environment. It is represented by a kindergarten group, the school community, the student community. All these forms are future models of the work collective.
Theory of Makarenko
How to determine the concept of the collective in psychology? To do this, you need to familiarize yourself with the theory of Makarenko. She quite accurately describes the essence and development of a group of people. This theory is especially relevant when considering the psychology of a children's team. But it is applicable to the educational as well as to the working community of people.
Not every group can be called a collective. For its formation, you will need to successfully complete a number of stages.
- Initial rallying or becoming. Similar work is carried out by the group organizer. However, at first, this activity is formal. An example is the newly recruited workforce. The tasks of the organizer (director, leader) in this case include the formation of unity and cohesion of people in the motives, goals and values of their common activities.
- Promotion of a group’s asset and strengthening of its role. To create a team, you need to design its structure. Its role is assigned to an asset that fulfills all the instructions of the leader, while putting forward its own requirements to the group members. At this stage, the formation of a self-regulating and self-organizing system.
- Heyday. At this stage, each of the team members makes the correct requirements for everyone else, as well as for himself. This stage of formation of an organized group of people allows us to talk about it as a means of development and self-realization, as well as the moral formation of the personality of each of its participants. We can speak about the heyday of the collective when all its members will express unity of opinion, having common experience, stability of judgments and views. Such an organized group of people will have a direct impact on each individual.
- Transition to self-education. Each of the team members at this stage of its formation begins to make demands on itself, and their fulfillment becomes for people their internal need, which must be satisfied.
Traditions
Considering the psychology of the team, it is impossible to ignore this inalienable and important element. In any group of people, the formation of their own traditions takes place, which over time invariably grows stronger. This concept refers to certain forms of life of any team that reflect the interests, norms and desires of each of its members.
Traditions are the source of the emergence of new general rules, as well as empathy and mutual understanding of people. Moreover, they are large and small. The first of these two types of traditions are mass events and events. When preparing and conducting them, people have a sense of respect and common pride. Small traditions are usually daily. They allow you to develop discipline, comply with norms, behavioral habits, and also teach all members of the group to maintain order.
Goals
It is also one of the components of the collective psychology. It represents the formulation of general tasks. According to Makarenko’s theory, people should always have a definite goal. Moreover, the author distinguishes between near and medium, as well as long-term perspectives. The first of these types of goals can be set for the team at each of the stages of development described above. The main thing is that each of the participants in the organized group was interested in its achievement and was looking forward to the result of the implementation of the plan.
The medium perspective involves the creation of a common project for a particular business. The distant goal, as a rule, is set at one of the last stages of the development of the team. This perspective has a socially significant character and requires large expenses for implementation and organization, combining social and personal needs. An example of such a goal is the successful completion of schooling, as well as the determination of children's professional path.
In general, such a system should be built in such a way that each member of the team constantly strives for a particular goal with a sense of anticipation, expectation, and a desire to complete the task. A similar process will accelerate the personal development of all members of the group.
Signs of a developed team
When can we talk about the final formation of a group? According to the theory of collective psychology created by Makarenko, the following signs will indicate this:
- The presence of a major tone. All team members should be positive and optimistic, as well as a willingness to take action.
- The presence of pride in the team. Each of its members should have a sense of the value of the group of which it is a link. In this case, self-esteem invariably arises.
- Feeling of security. Each member of the team must have it.
- Friendly unity.
- Restraint in words and emotions.
Psychological climate
For the first time this term was used by N. S. Mansurov, who conducted the study of psychology at work in the team of a manufacturing enterprise. This concept included the nature of emotions that arose in the relationships of employees, and was based on the coincidence of characters, inclinations, interests and sympathies.
In psychology, the psychological climate in a team is considered as a system consisting of three areas:
- Social climate. In this case, we mean the awareness of the participants in the group of tasks and goals, subject to their obligations and rights.
- Moral climate. This area represents the values that are accepted in the group, as well as their coherence, acceptance and unity.
- Actually the psychological climate. It is an informal relationship between people in a team.
The climate psychology in the team as a phenomenon has its own characteristics. It is created by people themselves who are able to influence it, changing and improving this category.
Person and team
Between each individual and group, certain relations can develop, the development of which is most often carried out according to one of three scenarios:
- Personality submits to the collective. This happens either formally or in practice.
- The team is subordinate to the individual. In this case, it is possible to change the structure of the group, as well as its social experience. Formal leaders and authorities are being called into question.
- There is a harmony between the team and the individual. This option is optimal. In psychology, a person and a collective are considered to have come to harmony if each of the group members in reality, rather than formally, shares common values and beliefs, observing them constantly. Sometimes harmony is confused with coexistence. However, with the latter option, the team is considered as such only formally.
Often in the labor or other communities the emergence of informal groups. They are based on people's sympathy, their interests and friendship. Such groups, in turn, influence the values of the collective. Sometimes they change his educational direction. In this case, the team can turn into both a constructive system and a destructive one.
Building relationships
Team building in social psychology is considered through the passage of five stages. Each of them serves to establish relations between its participants:
- Lapping. At this stage, people mask their true desires and feelings. They are trying to assess the interest of each person in a common cause.
- Melee. At this stage, each of the members of the collective begins to show their individuality and characteristics, claiming a particular role. In this case, the existing contradictions become apparent, which the participants are trying to balance in one way or another.
- Experiments and improvement. At this stage, all members of the team begin to pursue more common goals than personal ones. They evaluate the potential of the team, as well as the possibilities of improving its work.
- Efficiency. Going to this stage, each person begins to feel pride in the fact that he is a member of the team. Each employee overcomes all the difficulties that arise, using his creative potential.
- Maturity. At this stage, all conflicts between workers are resolved in a relaxed atmosphere. The goals of each of the team members coincide with the objectives of the organization.
Personal development
The psychology of people in the team invariably leads to the development of the individual, which takes place when he goes through three stages:
- Adaptation. A new employee masters the norms of the team, the behavior and values of its members.
- Individualization. At this stage, the emergence of the personal and the general is inevitable. Man begins the search for ways to express himself.
- Integration. The aggravation of the social and the individual. The person begins to show himself. The team accepts or not all the shortcomings and advantages of a new employee.
Contradictions arising during the integration process are not always resolved successfully. If this happens, then the person becomes maladaptive, isolated and expelled from the team. In some cases, he voluntarily leaves him. In this case, the integration stage is replaced by disintegration.
Team Functions
Regarding personality, an organized community:
- gives protection and support;
- satisfies the need for interaction and communication, as well as a sense of group belonging;
- allows a person to self-actualize.
In addition, each member of the team can take a different look at themselves and their values, as well as at social significance and role. This stimulates a person to self-improvement and self-development, revealing his creative potential.
Each team has its own system of social control. It is a set of ways to influence all its members in the form of prohibitions, punishments, precepts, beliefs, etc. That is why the formation and development of the team largely depends on the activities of its leader.
Personnel Management
Proof of the good work of the leader is the internal willingness of each member of the team to work for the good of the organization and unquestioningly fulfill all the requirements of the authorities. This is the psychology of team management. However, what will allow achieving such a return from the staff? How to make people work at full strength and bring maximum benefit? The psychology of team management considers achieving such a goal by using methods such as employee motivation, as well as their stimulation. The success of the event will depend on:
- comfort of stay at the workplace;
- convenient equipment;
- good (non-conflict) relationships in the team;
- suitable salary;
- personal and career opportunities.
To determine the need for each of the above factors, psychological methods of personnel motivation are used. The need for a particular factor is established due to the completion by all employees of special questionnaires, questionnaires and tests.
Features of the teaching staff
According to Makarenko, it is impossible to create an organized group of children in the absence of a normal community of teachers. The collective of educational institutions has a certain organizational structure. It defines the psychology of the teaching staff, consisting of relationships of dependence and mutual control of each of its members. Within the boundaries of this structure, methodological associations of class teachers and subject teachers work. The pedagogical councils, as well as the school administration, conduct certain activities.
In the collective of teachers there is a certain division of labor. And the process of their work is impossible without cooperation. These two factors, which are components of the psychology of the teaching staff, require teachers to be able to collaborate with each other. This applies to obtaining the necessary information, discussing problems. In the psychology of the labor collective, including pedagogical, it is necessary to understand the point of view of the colleague, its adoption, addition or reasoned deviation. These, as well as many other skills are very important for teachers. They are acquired during the formation of the teaching staff or the entry of beginners into it. The effectiveness of teachers depends primarily on the psychological climate prevailing in the educational institution. A similar factor determines the well-being of the teacher in school, his desire as a professional for full dedication, etc.
Psychologist's advice
A new employee who has come to an already established team will always be attracted attention at first. In order to successfully integrate into this group, you need to monitor your appearance, as well as be careful in actions and words.
Psychologists emphasize that people are different. That is why one of them will be unpleasant to look at the faceless gray employee, while others will be irritated by a bright personality, who loudly declares himself. That is why you should adhere to the dress code appropriate in this collective. This will not annoy either one or the other.
You will also need to adhere to the rules of good form. An employee, if well-educated, will always look friendly and will never show his inner state. Everyone will involuntarily feel sympathy for such a person.However, psychologists do not recommend being too open, agreeing for any reason to informal communication with people. This can cause a negative reaction. Women in this case will evaluate their new colleague as a rival. Men will immediately lose respect and interest in her.
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Also, do not neglect entrenched traditions. For successful integration into the team it is important to attend general holidays and corporate events.
Psychologists do not recommend and violently fight against unfair punishments. Such zeal will also not be in favor of the new employee.