In regenerative organisations, where much of the work is left to self-organized teams, it is crucial to understand and keep in mind how group dynamics affect the team’s work. The team is in constant negotiation, both consciously (visible) and unconsciously (invisible), about the task to be solved, how it should be solved, and the roles associated with the task – what can be called the group mentality.
Group mentality alternates over time but influences the way each group member acts and thinks. The pressure from the group mentality can be experienced by the individual as uniform and in conflict with learning/doing something new. Therefore, there is a natural tension between group pressure and individual desires. Additionally, groups alternate between working on the task they are supposed to solve, which can be called the working group state, and the underlying needs of the group members, called the basic assumption state:
The working group state
In the working group state, the group is in touch with reality and has the capacity to manage frustrations and handle emotions in an appropriate way.
The basic assumption state
The basic assumption state arises alongside the group’s work on the main task – an unconscious state in the group that aims to satisfy unconscious needs and reduce the anxiety of its members. This state is motivated by some often unconscious basic feelings, whose underlying assumptions are treated by the group members as if they are “real.”
Biion identified three basic assumption groups:
Dependence – The group is characterized by indecisiveness, excessive reliance on authority instead of making their own decisions.
Fight/Flight – The group finds an enemy to fight with or flee from.
Pairing/Sub-grouping – The group operates in an illusory and hopeful culture, where expectations for the future and its solutions often become exaggerated and idealized.
The working group state and the basic assumption state are simultaneously at play, but it alternates which state is in the foreground and background. If the task is difficult or there are conflicts, the group may revert to its basic assumption state. Here, the group and its members unconsciously attempt to avoid working on the task, and instead, the basic assumptions come to the forefront. If, as a leader, you want to work on psychological safety, it is necessary to understand and work with group mentality to ensure results from the work.