Group+Identification



=Human Relations in the Workplace =

Identifying Groups and their Members
In the workplace, people are grouped together in one way or the other (often in many types of groups.) Whether they intend to be within a certain group or not is irrelevant in most cases (EX: You are in the group of coworkers below your supervisor despite your desire to be on top.), but in social groups an employee has more leeway to decide his/her fate within it. The two major forms of groups are **Organizational groups** and **Social groups**. Organizational groups are groups that are assigned and managed as per your position within the company (Ex: group of engineers, accounting department, Board of Directors, etc). Social groups are groups that are formed independently of rank within a company, and they are what you might call "office buddies", "compatriots", "associates", or any other small disorganized group led by the strongest of will and social skills. 

**Who are you grouped together with? **
Look around you. Do you work alone under a supervisor, or do you work with several other coworkers under a single supervisior? Which department are you apart of at your B&B branch? Are you at the corporate office or a branch? When you go to the breakroom, do you talk with "the girls" about some hit TV show or the "guys" about football? Identify your subgroup within a organizational structure or social group, and identify the next level of group until you've reached the end of the organizational line. Usually, the HR department will provide an **org chart** that lists levels of the organization. See **Figure-1** for example.

This org chart is for the City of Farmington Hills. At the top you have the citizens. They elect a mayor and judge to do their bidding. The mayor and his office then delegates tasks to other departments on the behalf of the citizens.
 * Figure-1** (**[|Source] **)

**Why is identifying group structure, scope, and organization important? **
In an office, it is important to know who is boss and who is the underling. Varying levels of differences in job rank require varying levels of minimum professionalism. You don't want to be the newbie on the block and say "Yo" to the CEO should you encounter him/her. Chances are, the CEO will have a very bad first impression of you. Knowing when to say "yes sir" and "yes mam" are keys to unlocking communication to upper levels of management.

Scouting possible social groups has its benefits as well. A lot of the office environment involve inter-office politics. You have one person wanting to do something one way, and another doing it the other way. There are struggles. Identifying relevant groups of people who share some of your interests and joining them will open up possibilities in the future. If you are competing for a position within a project, and you are on friendly terms with the chairman, you might find it easier to win the bid on the position for example.

In the end, it all comes down to knowing how to operate effectively within the massive and complex group of the company. Being aware of your surroundings is important in all aspects of life, but it is even more so important when trying to build a career within B&B.

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