T-Groups revisited: The significance of sensitivity training to managerial learning and development

Although T-Groups have faded over the years, the process of engaging in sensitivity training has influenced managerial learning and development. With the emergence of emotional intelligence and teams in today's work environment, we propose that T-Groups should be revisited that focus on helping managers and leaders in organizations develop sensitivity around self- and other-awareness; and to experience how to create the right context for dealing with such sensitivity in teams. Research on T-Groups have shown that such training groups develop individual and group functioning in terms of learning, task, and group dynamics. This study explores the use of mapping Real and Ideal conversational spaces using the Conversational Space Inventory (CoSI) (Lingham, 2004) for students enrolled in the Masters in Organizational Development and Analysis program in a mid-western university in the US engaged in a one-week T-Group session. The CoSI was administered to three T-Groups (with an average of 8.67 members per group) over two time periods: once after the group has had one day among themselves and the other at the last day of the T-Group (after five days). Results show that the conversational space of each group evolved toward the ideal space, with marked improvements on effectiveness, satisfaction and psychological safety between times T1 and T2. We also show that the Ideal spaces for regular task groups and T-groups are very different with T-groups focusing more on the emotional involvement, relational, individual, and reflective aspects that are critical for managerial learning and development.