Group Development in Cyberspace

Gary Obermeyer, Sunday Jan 31, 2010, 05:00 pm

I'm intrigued with the idea of applying goal-setting model proposed by Richard Beckhard (1969) to virtual groups working in asynchronous discussion space. 

Beckhard's model takes groups through four questions: Who am I? Who are we? What do we want? and How will we get it?

I'd like to begin this discussion with two assumptions:

1. Whereas the classic approach with face-to-face groups is to work through the four questions in a sequence of activities at the same time, members of groups in asynchronous space can be given some temporal latitude in the group development experience.

2. Anytime the conversation triggers personal insights/questions, the individual can take time to reflect and update their user profile - and come back to the group discussion/dialogue with a deepened sense of self.

I'm using this graphic to help describe/explain differences between working in face-to-face and working in virtual space.

What do you think?

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