A641.5.3.RB_SchreterPaul

The idea behind intentional change theory for the individual level is exactly identical, as you would have it at the group level. Similar to how organizations can be seen as organisms, a group can be seen as a living and breathing entity with a mind of its own. When looking at a group as if it were one entity, or one person, the ideas of intentional change theory are basically the same. As Boyatzis would have it, the five steps to individual intentional change theory include (Boyatzis & McKee, 2005):

Step 1: Finding your ideal self

Step 2: Finding your strengths and weaknesses

Step 3: Creating a learning agenda

Step 4: Experimentation

Step 5: Involve other people and build a support group

With a group dynamic it would look something like this (Akrivou, Boyatzis, & McLeod, 2006):

Step 1: Emergence of shared ideal, vision, or dream

Step 2: Exploration of norms, paradoxes, challenges, and gaps

Step 3: The group’s learning agenda

Step 4: Group experimentation and practice

Step 5: Resonant relationships

I don’t follow sports at all, so the overall performance of the Olympic US Women’s Soccer team vs. the US “Dream Team” basketball men’s team is completely foreign to me. That being said, the general gist that I get from both teams is that for the Olympic US Women’s Soccer team, the members have had a lot of time and practice to develop themselves as a team and work as one unit. There isn’t much media appearance or pressure when it comes to becoming the number one player, which gives a much more of a friendly competitive environment rather than a hostile one.

With basketball on the other hand, there can be a lot of media attention on becoming the best player so the team dynamic and mentality isn’t as strong. In addition, it doesn’t help when the members of the team keep changing as it was noted that more than half of those designated to play in Athens (2004) opted not to play. (United States men's national basketball team, 2015)

References

Akrivou, K., Boyatzis, R., & McLeod, P. (2006). The evolving group: towards a prescriptive theory of intentional group development. Journal of Management Development , 689 - 706.

Boyatzis, R., & McKee, A. (2005). Resonant Leadership. Boston: Harvard Business School Publishing.

United States men's national basketball team. (2015). Retrieved 2015, from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_men%27s_national_basketball_team