Group Cohesion

Group cohesion refers to the forces (the glue) that keep a team together.

Reasons why members want to be part of a team:

• The need to belong and feel safe.
• The resources and prestige they will gain through the team.
• Group members believe in the team’s ability to perform a specific task.

If the group cohesion is strong, team members are more willing to listen, they feel self-confident, they persevere towards goals and they are willing to take responsibility for group functioning.

To increase group cohesion, it is the responsibility of the team leader to make the team attractive to them. This could be done through:

• Including team members in group discussion to promote open interaction and participation.
• Help team members identify their needs and indicate to them how the team can address their needs.
• Help team members focus on and achieve goals because achieving team goals makes the team more attractive to its members.
• Help members to cooperate rather than compete.
• Members should feel part of the group by aligning their expectations with the goals of the team.
• The team must be a rewarding experience to the members thereof by offering rewards, resources, status or prestige.
• The leader should help the team develop pride in its identity and purpose.