10 Ways to Distinguish between a Team and a Group.docx

7/28/2019 10 Ways to Distinguish between a Team and a Group.docx

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10 Ways to Distinguish between a Team and a Group

The purpose of assembling ateamis to accomplish bigger goals than any that would be

possible for the individual working alone. The aim and purpose of a team is to perform,

get results and achieve victory in the workplace and marketplace. The very best

managersare those who can gather together a group of individuals and mould them

into a team. Here are ten key differentials to help you mould your people into a pro-

active and productive team.

1. Understandings. In a group, members think they are grouped together foradministrative purposes only. Individuals sometimes cross purpose with others.In a team, members recognise their independence and understand bothpersonal and team goals are best accomplished with mutual support. Time isnot wasted struggling over "Turf" or attempting personal gain at the expense ofothers.

2. Ownership. In a group, members tend to focus on themselves because theyare not sufficiently involved in planning the unit's objectives. They approach their

job simply as a hired hand. "Castle Building" is common. In a team, membersfeel a sense of ownership for their jobs and unit, because they are committedtovalues-based common goals that they helped establish.

3. Creativity and Contribution. In a group, members are told what to do ratherthan being asked what the best approach wouldbe. Suggestionandcreativityare not encouraged. In a team, memberscontribute to the organisation's success by applying their unique talents,

knowledge and creativity to team objectives.

4. Trust. In a group, members distrust the motives of colleagues because they donot understand the role of other members. Expressions of opinion ordisagreement are considered divisive or non-supportive. In a team, memberswork in a climate oftrustand are encouraged to openly express ideas, opinions,disagreements and feelings.Questions are welcomed.

5. Common Understandings. In a group, members are so cautious about whatthey say, that real understanding is not possible. Game playing may occur andcommunication traps be set to catch the unwary. In a team, members practiceopen and honestcommunication. They make an effort to understand each

other's point of view.6. Personal Development. In a group, members receive good training but are

limited in applying it to the job by the manager or other group members. In ateam, members are encouraged to continually develop skills and apply whatthey learn on the job. They perceive they have the support of the team.

7. Conflict Resolution. In a group, members find themselves in conflictsituations they do not know how to resolve. Their supervisor/leader may put off
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intervention until serious damage is done, i.e. a crisis situation. In a team,members realise conflict is a normal aspect of human interaction but they viewsuch situations as an opportunity for new ideas and creativity. They worktoresolve conflictquickly and constructively.

8. ParticipativeDecision Making. In a group, members may or may not

participate in decisions affecting the team. Conformity often appears moreimportant than positive results. Win/lose situations are common. In a team,members participate in decisions affecting the team but understandtheirleadermust make a final ruling whenever the team cannot decide, or anemergency exists. Positive win/win results are the goal at all times.

9.Clear Leadership. In a group, members tend to work in an unstructured

environment with undetermined standards of performance. Leaders do

notwalk the talkand tend to lead from behind a desk. In a team, members work in a

structured environment, they know what boundaries exist and who has final authority.

Theleadersets agreed high standards of performance and he/she is respected via

active, willing participation

10.Commitment. In a group, members are uncommitted towards excellence andpersonal pride. Performance levels tend to be mediocre. Staff turnover is highbecause talented individuals quickly recognise that

(a) personal expectations are not being fulfilled(b) they are not learning and growing from others and(c) they are not working with the best people.

In a team, only thosecommittedto excellence are hired. Prospective teammembers are queuing at the door to be recruited on the basis of their high levels of

hard and soft skill sets. Everyone works together in a harmonious environment.

Keys to Successful Team Work

The team understands the goals and is committed to attaining them. This clear direction andagreement onmissionandpurposeis essential for effective team work. This team clarity is

reinforced when the organization hasclear expectationsfor the team's work, goals,

accountability, and outcomes.

The team creates an environment in which people are comfortable taking reasonable risks in

communicating, advocating positions, and taking action. Team memberstrust each other.

Team members are not punished for disagreeing.
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Communication is open, honest, and respectful.People feel free to express their thoughts,

opinions, and potential solutions to problems. People feel as if they are heard out and listened

to by team members who are attempting to understand. Team members ask questions forclarity and spend their thought time listening deeply rather than forming rebuttals while their

coworker is speaking.

Team members have a strong sense of belonging to the group. They experience a deep

commitment to the groups decisions and actions. This sense of belonging is enhanced and

reinforced when the team spends the time to developteam normsor relationship guidelinestogether.

Team members are viewed as unique people with irreplaceable experiences, points of view,knowledge, and opinions to contribute. After all, the purpose for forming a team is to take

advantage of the differences. Otherwise, why would any organization approach projects,

products, or goals with a team. In fact, the more that a team can bring out divergent points ofview, that are thoughtfully presented and supported with facts as well as opinions, the better.

Creativity, innovation, and different viewpoints are expected and encouraged. Commentssuch as, "we already tried that and it didn't work" and "what a dumb idea" are not allowed or

supported.

The team is able to constantly examine itselfand continuously improve its processes,

practices, and the interaction of team members. The team openly discussesteam normsandwhat may be hindering its ability to move forward and progress in areas of effort, talent, and

strategy.

The team has agreed upon procedures for diagnosing, analyzing, and resolving team

work problems and conflicts. The team does not support member personality conflicts andclashes nor do team members pick sides in a disagreement. Rather, members work towards

mutual resolution.

Participative leadership is practiced in leading meetings, assigning tasks, recording

decisions and commitments, assessing progress, holding team members accountable, and

providing direction for the team.

Members of the team make high quality decisions together and have the support and

commitment of the group to carry out the decisions made.
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If a team can get these ten factors right, success and a rewarding sense of team work will follow.

Top 10 Benefits of Teamwork

Understanding the benefits of teamwork is important if you want a

professional team to work efficiently. Here we summarize the top 10 benefits

to establishing effective teams within your business.

1. Achievement of Large Goals

Large goals that would be difficult or even impossible for a single person to

complete can be accomplished in reasonable time by an efficient team. Themachine as a whole will always get more done in a given period of time than

one individual part of the machine could get done. Therefore, large goals canbe completed by a team where an individual would fail.

. Better Quality Output

The product an effective group puts out will almost always be moreimpressive than the product an individual could have created. A great team

will combine different creative thoughts and ideas and share the workload sothe final product is more powerful, more cohesive, and better thought out

than what an individual could have produced in the same amount of time.

3. Innovative Ideas

Collaborationbetween team members will lead to more creative ideas and

unique influences on the project. You don't get the same thing over and overagain as you might with one person doing all the work all the time. Greatminds actually think unalike and when you put them together you come up

with stronger creative influences.

4. Improved Time Management

Teamwork encourages individuals to manage their time and be proficient intheir individual tasks. What the individual does affects the team as a whole.If one person slacks it is felt by the rest of the group and peer pressure can

help in keeping employees productive. Remember, there is no room for dead

weight in a strong team. Every part of the machine must pull their weightand do their job or the entire team suffers.

5. Emotional and Workload Support

If one person is overworked and stressed, others in the team can assist andhelp pick up some of the work. One of the benefits of teamwork in an

effective team is that individual employees feel supported rather than feeling
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everything gets dumped on them. The team works together to support and

care for one another so collectively everyone succeeds. If one team memberrefuses to help someone else out, they are holding themselves back as well

as the other person.

6. Built-In Backup

You won't have a project completely abandoned or dead in the water if oneemployee quits or gets promoted to a higher team. The rest of the team cancontinue working, picking up the work of the missing member until someoneelse is placed in the team. It's like a machine that breaks down. You replace

the broken part and the machine keeps going. When one person is

responsible for the entire project everything stops if they disappear.

7. Harness Different Strengths

Each employee is able to focus on their strengths, rather than being forcedto do all tasks for a given project. In an ideal situation, the team can bearranged so everyone does what they do best, leaving other elements to

those who can do them better. When this can occur, the result is a far

superior outcome and happier, more motivated team members.

8. Individual Growth and Development

The skills of each team member will grow as they learn from others in theteam. This is particularly true if you have a mix of skills and experience

within the group.

9. Social Interaction

Pyschology tells us that humans are social creatures and that for most of us,relationships and socializing are important to our health and happiness.Benefits of teamwork therefore include the fact that team members get toknow one another on a more personal level. They aren't just strange faces in

the office. This contributes to the ability to work together as well as overallwell-being.

10. Clarity of Goals

When effective teamwork is happening, projects usually run more smoothly.

Good teams communicate well and speak up if they feel goals and actions

need clarifying. This leads to less confusion during the completion of aproject since every team member is more likely to know what others are in

charge of doing for more effective teamwork.


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10 Ways to Distinguish between a Team and a Group.docx