by Karen Sherwood – BG5 Consultant
Group dynamics never ceases to amaze me. As a BG5™ Business Consultant, I sometimes feel like a wizard with the extraordinary power to see exactly what is causing the tension and dysfunction within a small business or work team, and know exactly what needs to happen to fix it.
Through BG5™ I have the tools which allow me to enter in the necessary data, pull up the charts, and voila – all of the necessary information is laid out before me.
I was very skeptical when I first began putting all my BG5 knowledge to work, and I’m still not sure exactly how it works, but it has been spot-on accurate every single time without fail.
You see, there is an unconscious dynamic at play whenever we enter into a group. We can’t see it, we don’t understand it, yet we can feel its subtle influence at times, but only when we are fully aware of it. It is something that just happens. It influences and affects us without us ever knowing it.
Let me give you an example. Think of how it feels when you are hanging out with a group of close friends. Now think of how it feels when you are hanging out with your family. Now think of how it feels hanging out with a group of coworkers.
You will most likely notice that each group feels very different. Each group draws out slightly different aspects of your personality. Each group recognizes you for specific skills, talents and abilities, and yet each group also ignores or fails to see other aspects of who you are.
Some groups feel good and bring out the best in you. Other groups feel toxic and bring out the worst in you. Have you ever had that experience?
So, why do some groups feel good and others groups feel toxic?
There is an energetic group chemistry at play whenever three or more people gather together in a group. Chemistry is a science that allows us to see “the structure and properties of a substance: the way a substance changes and reacts with other substances.” (merriam-webster.com). That is what we are looking at here. We are looking at the structure and properties of who we are as individuals, and how we change and react when we are around different groups of individuals.
If you own a business, lead a committee or are a manager of a team of individuals wouldn’t you want to know the group chemistry at play behind the scenes? If you are hiring a new employee wouldn’t you want to know before you hire them if they will enhance the chemistry of your team or be a detriment?
In the past, there was no way to know the true underlying dynamics until, in some cases, it was much too late. Anyone can put on a good-face in an interview and have an impressive resume, but are they truly a good fit for you and the team?
Personal and Business Assessment Tools
There are all kinds of personality assessment tools out there that can give you insights into how a person thinks, believes or behaves. Typically, these tools require a person to answer a series of nebulous questions to determine which answers are “most like them.”
Depending on the test, the person may answer differently depending on why they are taking the test. For example, if they are taking the test as part of a hiring process, they may answer the questions according to what they think the employer is looking for.
Depending on the test, the person may answer differently depending on what kind of mood they are in. They may answer one way if they are feeling really good about themselves or they may answer very differently if, on that particular day, they are not feeling so good about themselves.
I don’ t know about you, but I hate taking these kinds of assessment because I often feel “judged” based on the answers I’ve given without the opportunity to explain myself. And quite frankly, the questions are often very difficult to answer.
For the majority of clients I work with, especially those who have taken many of these types of assessments in the past, they are overjoyed and relieved to find out that they don’t have to go through the process of answering a bunch of “silly” questions before working with me.
In fact, there are only three pieces of information I need from each person to create all the charts necessary to explain the individual chemistry of a person, and what effect they will have on the group dynamics. With this information I can show you why you feel good in certain groups and not so good in others. The three pieces of information necessary are each person’s:
- Birth Date
- Birth Time
- Birth Location
Like I said at the beginning, I was very skeptical at first. I don’t know exactly how it works, but in my experience, it has been spot-on accurate every single time without fail. There is no other system like this in the world.
There is Nothing “Wrong”
I recently worked with a client who was having issues with a specific employee affecting the moral of the entire team. After looking at the team dynamic charts and graphs we could clearly see how she did not cohesively fit into the dynamics of the team. There was nothing “wrong” with her personally. There was nothing “wrong” with the team itself. It simply was not a “good” fit.
In discussing this directly with the employee, she actually felt a huge sense of relief. She was not happy, didn’t feel like she fit in, and took it very personally. She felt like the team was bringing out her worst qualities and not her best. In her struggles to try to fit in the whole team was suffering.
I was able to give this employee the permission, courage and tools to leave the position to pursue something she truly loved. She was grateful for the opportunity to leave without burning any bridges with her self-esteem and relationships intact.
This created an opening in the team. I worked with the owner to find a replacement that was a perfect match. The new employee fit wonderfully into the dynamics of the group and the entire moral and group chemistry shifted. My client now has a happier, more productive and cohesive staff that enjoy working together.
It was a huge win for everyone involved!
This is what is possible when working with a BG5 Business Consultant! Understanding yourself, understanding others and understanding group dynamics at play when three or more people come together.
If you are an employee struggling in your current position; If you are a boss, manager or owner struggling with a specific employee; If you must hire a new employee, but are not sure who would be the best fit for your team; If you (or someone you know) is in transition after losing or quitting a job and are looking for what’s next – A BG5 Business Consultant can help you gain direction, overcome struggles, understand the group dynamics at play and support you in finding the type of job or employee that is the perfect fit.
