!! GROUP DYNAMICS
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1 !! Understanding GROUP DYNAMICS Through the Lens of Wilfred Bion: A Guide for Leaders
... The Dual Nacture of Groups
Bion's central contribution is his distinction between the workgroup and the basic assumption group. The workgroup represents the rational, task-focused aspects of group behavior. It is goal-oriented, collaborative, and essential for achieving defined objectives. The workgroup, in other words, is what every leader thinks the group is (or, at least, what they would desire them to be). So, managers very often will focus their energy on trying to enhance effective workgroup behavior, such as ensuring clear communication, structuring processes, and creating other mechanisms that offer the illusion of stability.
However, according to Bion, beneath the surface lies the basic assumption group. This group is mostly driven by unconscious emotions such as fear, anxiety, or unmet needs. These emotional undercurrents have the potential to disrupt rational processes, no matter how carefully designed they are, leading to irrational, or even self-destructive behaviors. For instance, a leadership team managing organizational restructuring may outwardly appear focused on strategy development (workgroup behavior). However, hidden fears about job security, role ambiguity, or power loss might manifest as avoidance, over-reliance on senior leaders, or internal conflict—classic indicators of basic assumption dynamics (Bion, 1961). ..."
However, according to Bion, beneath the surface lies the basic assumption group. This group is mostly driven by unconscious emotions such as fear, anxiety, or unmet needs. These emotional undercurrents have the potential to disrupt rational processes, no matter how carefully designed they are, leading to irrational, or even self-destructive behaviors. For instance, a leadership team managing organizational restructuring may outwardly appear focused on strategy development (workgroup behavior). However, hidden fears about job security, role ambiguity, or power loss might manifest as avoidance, over-reliance on senior leaders, or internal conflict—classic indicators of basic assumption dynamics (Bion, 1961). ..."
The Three Basic Assumptions
Bion identified three primary unconscious dynamics, or basic assumptions, that often govern group behavior: dependency, fight-flight, and pairing. .."
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