People who are naturally more attuned to the emotions of others are better able to judge how well small groups perform, even when observation times are short, according to a new study. The study is the first of its kind to show that people can make accurate judgments about how effectively small groups work together — and they only need to observe 10 to 30 seconds of group interaction. The researchers found that “observers who perform well at detecting emotions in others are also better able to discern the effectiveness of group interaction.”
The researchers created 40 groups, each consisting of four individuals who were assigned a different role with different information. The working groups were videotaped to participate in a group decision-making assignment to hire a new chief financial officer. The key to finding the top candidate for the position required effective teamwork, such as sharing available information and listening to each other. Some groups were more effective than others and therefore more successful in completing the team task. Researchers then showed these groups to hundreds of people and found that most, but not all, were able to accurately predict the success or failure of the groups.
The research suggests that when deciding who to appoint to oversee these teams, it would be good to consider people's social sensitivity.
However, the researchers found no evidence to support the idea that one's "gut feeling" about a group was more accurate than more meditation. Instead, it's more about whether managers can accurately assess other people's emotional states and group characteristics such as trust.
