Cohesion

How bonded a group is right now — the action or fact of forming a united whole. Every game is rated Low, Medium, or High — matching game to group cohesion is the facilitator’s core skill.

Cohesion in Groups: What Is It?

Word Definition: the action or fact of forming a united whole. Talking physics or people, it means “sticking together.”

Illustration pending: a water-molecule diagram will appear here. The science description of water molecules in the source doc is being verified with the client.

Any group of people is in low, medium, or high cohesion. The group might be together briefly or for years. Their degree of sticking together may be exactly right for the purpose of the group.

Three Levels of Group Cohesion

1. Low cohesion: new groups, or groups integrating new members, are obvious candidates for low cohesion. The first meeting establishes a starting norm.

Other low cohesion groups are found where there is little in the environment to encourage trust, even though the group may have been together for several years. New members can become isolated. Anxiety may be high, which requires very careful selection of the game.

Group Examples of Low Level of “Sticking Together”

Group of individuals in the same place who don’t know each other
On public transportation, in a store, electronic meeting, in line to buy tickets, vote, etc.
First time a group meets each other
First rehearsal, project meeting, day of school
Group doing similar work in the same place but not together (e.g., in office cubicles, recreation center, floor of patients)
Prisoners are separated to prevent cohesion
Group with unresolved, unworked conflict
High or medium cohesion group with a new member

2. Medium cohesion: The group may know and be comfortable with each other but nothing in the environment has motivated them to increase their cohesion. If asked, members often can identify the “favorites” and the “rejects,” but no effort is being made to improve the group’s dynamics. If the “favorites” generally negatively interact with the “rejects,” the group will function in low cohesion.

Group Examples of Medium Level of “Sticking Together”

Group meeting often for same purpose for a short time
Volunteer sports teams
Taking a dancing class
Group with similar objectives that meet periodically to report, solve issues, or celebrate
Group focused for short-term objective

3. High cohesion: People are comfortable trusting each other; information and decision making are shared willingly. High cohesion groups often have a shared sense of humor, and all members are respected by the group as individuals. New members are welcomed unless experienced as a threat to the cohesion level.

Group Examples of High Level of “Sticking Together”

Groups that stick together for a long time will move from low to high cohesion unless the environment, system, or someone interferes with this natural human progression.

Classroom groups
Care facilities’ patients
Project or work teams

Why Do I Care?

Understanding group cohesion is the key to being in a group:

How do I fit in this group?
How much do I need to be in cohesion with the others I’m with?
Who is (are) the group leader(s)?
- Formal (assigned role)
- Informal (chosen by the group members)
How much do I care about the group’s cohesion level — really?

If responsible for a group:

When I’m the formal leader, my group’s current cohesion helps or hinders our group’s purpose.
My leadership style helps or hinders the group’s cohesion level.
Generally:
- More hierarchical (authority based; final decision rests here) equals the lower the cohesion.
  - Exception: the group is united for or against the leader.
- If a hierarchical leader seeks and uses suggestions and feedback, the higher the commitment to goals and decisions.
- If a new group is aggressive or otherwise difficult (e.g., a lot of egos), it is wise to begin strongly hierarchical and as cohesion grows over time move towards more democratic.
- A leader who pulls back into hierarchy if the group decision isn’t what the leader wanted can create cohesion against the leader and the project.

It’s very confusing to switch leadership styles with the same people on the same project in the same group. It is essential to explain why this is happening and what new behaviors will be expected.

Use Theatre Games to Build and Maintain Group Cohesion

Theatre games support group development.
All Theatre Games can be selected to build group cohesion.
The level of cohesion determines which theatre game is selected.

We recommend beginning building group cohesion with games in the Physical and Vocal expression competencies.

To use a high-cohesion game with a low-cohesion group increases the intimacy too fast, destroys any trust of the facilitator, and can decrease group cohesion. If the group experiences the technique as an “attack,” cohesion may increase as members focus on the facilitator as an enemy.

To use low-cohesion games with a high-cohesion team is to invite boredom and all that comes with that emotional state.

Medium-cohesion games are useful as later building blocks for low-cohesion groups, or warm-up exercises for high-cohesion groups.

For every need, there is a game, and there are innumerable variations.

Cohesion in Theatre Productions

People gathered for a short-term focus to create a theatre or other production begin in low cohesion. Theatre games “break the ice” and can move a group rapidly along to a higher level if desired.

Leadership Cohesion Rules of Thumb for Productions

Leadership Style: in rehearsals the facilitator may be more hierarchical directing towards a determined outcome, or democratic by encouraging player exploration of the director’s concept.

Generally the cohesion level is lower inside hierarchy and higher inside democracy. It’s useful during rehearsals to be clear which process is the director’s choice. At times it may be more democratic to begin, and once a concept solidifies the director’s approach becomes more hierarchical. Sometimes the opposite happens. What’s critical to cohesion is that all understand the director’s expectations for the production and the ensemble’s cohesion.

In any group with a leader or facilitator, those roles are responsible for the group’s cohesion.