Which of the following is not a behavior that can cause a group to become dysfunctional?

Which of the following is not a behavior that can cause a group to become dysfunctional?
April 27, 2021

In his book, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, Patrick Lencioni examines why effective teams are so rare and provides specific recommendations for eliminating barriers that lead to dysfunctional teams. Lencioni's work outlines the causes of team dysfunctionality and what can be done to overcome each one.

The five dysfunctions are:

1.       Absence of Trust. Teams who lack trust conceal weaknesses and mistakes, hesitate to ask for help, jump to conclusions about the intentions of others, hold grudges and dread meetings.

2.       Fear of Conflict. A lack of trust leads to the fear of conflict. In these companies, employees worry more about politics and personal risk management than solving problems. Meetings are often boring because controversial topics are avoided.

3.       Lack of Commitment. When teams become conflict-avoidant, a fear of failure develops. These teams have difficulty making decisions and second guess themselves.

4.       Avoidance of Accountability. Second-guessing and a lack of common objectives then leads to an inability to develop standards for performance. Team members miss deadlines and deliver mediocre work.

5.       Inattention to results. When teams lack focus and clear objectives, team members stagnate, become distracted, and focus on themselves.

The bottom of the pyramid and the launchpad for all five dysfunctions is an absence of trust. While an absence of trust is something that could have occurred in any company at any time, ensuring trust among your team is more important than ever in today’s work environment. Edelman’s 2021 Trust Barometer shows that the global pandemic has put trust to the test and that none of the societal leaders tracked by Edelman, including government leaders, CEOs, journalists or religious leaders, are trusted to do what is right. 56 percent of respondents believe that business leaders are purposely trying to mislead people; and the credibility of CEOs, Boards of Directors and even regular employees has all dropped.

However, the Trust Barometer also found that although only 12 percent of people will believe communications from employers the first time they hear new information, 49 percent of people will believe it after it is repeated once or twice. All is not lost.

For business leaders, trust and effective communication is possible. As Nancy Kane explains, communication must be thoughtful, and planful, which is as important as ever now that video has become standard. By communicating with humanity, empathy and transparency, leaders can establish cultures of trust, even during times of crisis.

Originally published July 24, 2019. Updated April 27, 2021.

How we diagnose disruptive behavior disorders

The first step in treating your child's disruptive behavior disorder is forming an accurate and complete diagnosis.

Diagnosing oppositional defiant disorder

A mental health clinician (typically a child and adolescent psychiatrist, child psychologist, or psychiatric social worker) makes the diagnosis of oppositional defiant disorder after doing a comprehensive psychiatric assessment with you and your child. During this assessment, you will be asked to talk about your child’s behavioral problems and to give an overview of your child’s family history, medical history, school life, and social interactions.

Diagnosing conduct disorder

Conduct disorder is typically diagnosed if a child has done three or more of the following within a 12-month period:

  • showed aggression toward animals or people
  • destroyed or stolen property
  • lied and been deceitful
  • seriously violated parental or school rules

A child with conduct disorder experiences noticeably dysfunctional relationships at home, at school, and with peers as a result of these behaviors.

If my child is diagnosed with a disruptive behavior disorder, what happens next?

Your child’s mental health clinician will help explain the disorder and answer any questions you or your child may have. The next step is developing a mutually agreed-upon treatment plan that works for you, your child, and your family.

How do we treat disruptive behavior disorders?

It's entirely natural that you may be scared, anxious, and confused right now about your child's condition and well-being; a behavioral disorder can be frightening for any parent. But you can rest assured that your child is in good hands.

We consider psychiatric medication to be part of a “two-step approach,” along with talk therapy. We never prescribe medication as a standalone treatment method.

Treatments for oppositional defiant disorder

Oppositional defiant disorder is typically treated with one or more of the following methods:

Parenting modification

Your involvement as a parent is crucial to the treatment of your child's oppositional defiant disorder. We've learned that the best approach to ODD is helping parents learn new strategies, like how to anticipate problematic behavior, manage outbursts, and implement consistency in the child's daily routine.

Social-emotional skills training

Building on the parenting modification techniques, therapy for ODD also focuses on providing social-emotional skills training for your child. Through the course of therapy sessions with the clinician, your child will learn:

  • skills for identifying and managing feelings
  • how to get along better with others
  • strategies for making good decisions that are based on thinking rather than feeling

Psychiatric medication

In addition to therapy, your clinician may recommend medication to treat your child's oppositional defiant disorder. There currently are no drugs prescribed specifically for the condition, but certain symptoms can respond very well to medication in conjunction with talk therapy. Read about commonly prescribed psychiatric medications.

Treatments for conduct disorder

Children and adolescents with conduct disorder tend to have another mental health problem, such as an anxiety disorder or mood disorder (such as depression); in these cases, it's essential that both conditions be treated at the same time.

Conduct disorder itself requires complex, careful, and long-term treatment, and methods usually involve a combination of intensive psychotherapy and psychiatric medication.

Some children with conduct disorder need to stay in a residential treatment center where they can be removed from their usual environment, managed appropriately, and separated from others until their behavior is stabilized and safe.

Read about commonly prescribed psychiatric medications.

What is the long-term outlook for children with a disruptive behavior disorder?

Oppositional defiant disorder

Oppositional defiant disorder responds very well to the treatments listed above when delivered by qualified clinicians. Although some children grow out of their ODD in time, these disorders can go on to cause continued problems without timely professional intervention.

Children and adolescents who are not treated for ODD are likely to experience:

  • difficult relationships with parents and other authority figures
  • failure at school
  • juvenile delinquency

As they age, they may be at greater risk for conduct disorder, and so close monitoring by family and health professionals is essential.

Conduct disorder

The earlier in the child's life conduct disorder symptoms emerge, the more difficult the prognosis.

Children with conduct disorder may develop antisocial personality disorder and violent/criminal behaviors later in life, especially if their symptoms go untreated. For these reasons, it's essential to treat conduct disorder as soon as possible to help the child and family restore and maintain a healthy, functional quality of life.

Which of the following is a characteristic of a small group?

For our purposes, small groups have three primary qualities: identity, goals and interdependence. Furthermore, a small group needs at least three members and possibly up to as many as 12 members, so long as the group is small enough to permit all members to freely speak and listen.

Which of these is a characteristic of small groups quizlet?

Which of these is a characteristic of small groups? They have organizing rules.

Which of the following is considered a small group?

A small group requires a minimum of three people (because two people would be a pair or dyad), but the upper range of group size is contingent on the purpose of the group. When groups grow beyond fifteen to twenty members, it becomes difficult to consider them a small group based on the previous definition.

What is it called when group members contribute less to the group than the average member particularly as the group grows in size?

When group members contribute less to the group than the average member, particularly as the group grows in size, those group members are engaged in. Social loafing.