Survival of a team underlies effective communication among its members. Communication that involves sharing of stories and dreams towards building collective visions determines the team’s survival. Ernest Bormann’s Symbolic Convergence Theory (SCT), a theory of rhetorical communication, provides a set of guidelines to explain how sharing of narratives and goals can help build consensus among team members through identification of mutually complementary personalities, awareness of collective actions, and sharing of common work settings. The theory also emphasises that compliance with common working guidelines, use of shared metaphors and ownership of collective achievements complement the process of consensus building thereby consolidating the team. This paper seeks to highlight the application of SCT’s basic components in the sustainability and proper functioning of a team, and discusses its relevance to the idea of compatible leadership.
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