Teams and the Members’ Need Poles
The psychodynamics of needs with their own polar structure inevitably also influences the dynamics of team preservation. Need poles can be seen as attractors, which are pattern forming (here you can develop references to fractal mathematics or pattern theories). With this, we mean that a team clusters around a need pole, or members, who have similar preferences in the regulation of their needs, gather together. Thus, over time, closeness, distance, freedom, security, uniqueness and belonging teams develop.
Knowing and being aware of these patterns is often very helpful for team consultants. They permit the rapid formation of hypotheses and observation foci, which can help one to notice the one-sidedness and fixation in the regulation of team preservation. If such one-sidedness is present, it is important to watch whether dysfunctional phenomena on the employee side go with it, as well as seeing whether this pattern matches the expectation pole on the side of the organisation. Here, you can find ‘wild’ combinations, which make the management and consultancy of such a team demanding.