Strategic Fund Development: Building Profitable Relationships That Last, Third Edition

Concept of a Group

Visit www.virtualthesaurus.com. Watch how the word group morphs in the diagram. Consider synonyms like unit, whole, building block, part, constituent, and component part. Think about the groups you know, for example: book clubs and sports teams, professional associations and classrooms. These groups are brought together for some unifying purpose.

Organizations consist of many groups. There are teams of employees addressing selected topics and departments carrying out specific functions. Boards and committees focus on particular issues. Now look deeper. How about the female employees—do they sometimes behave as a group? How about the men? Your organization probably has generational groups, for example Millennials and Boomers. At their most basic, groups within an organization exist to talk and, typically, to do or decide something. So participation—through attendance and talking—is critical.

In some way, group participants opt in. Some group members may be more active, others less so. But the group members recognize some commonality and that creates a bond, albeit limited in some cases. On some level, the group exists only when it comes together. The group may come together virtually or face-to-face. But the group comes together in some manner.

Think about the nature of participation in a group and the subsequent obligation. Groups depend on participation. To be part of a group means you participate according to the expectations established by the group. All group ...