TEAM BUILDING AND TEAM WORK

- May 27, 2021

TEAMS AND GROUPS

What is Team

A team is defined as a group of individuals who perform interdependent tasks in order to achieve a common goal or mission.

A team is a small number of people with complementary skill who are committed to a common purpose, performance goals, and approach for with they are mutually accountable.

“Peoples working together in a committed way to achieve a common goal or mission. The work is interdependent and team members share responsibility and hold themselves accountable for attaining the results.

“A team is a group of people working together towards a common goals.”

“A group in which members work together intensively to achieve a common group goal.”

“Any work group whose individual efforts result in a performance that is greater than the sum of individual inputs is called a work team”

Source : Lumen (ND)

What is a Group?

A Group is Known as a collection of people working together or sharing common beliefs EG: A

Political Party

Author Schein has stated that a group is any number of people who:

1. Interact with one another

2. Are psychologically aware of one another

3. Perceive themselves to be a group

Source : Management Study HQ (2021)

Formal and informal group

	Team	Group
Size	Limited (2 or more)	Medium or Large (mor)
Selection	Crucial	Immaterial
Leadership	Share or Rotating	Solo
Objective	Common	Individuals may have different objectives
Style	Coordinated	Convergence / conformism
Spirit	Dynamic / Interaction	Togetherness/ Persecution of opponents

Roles:

Is the position that can be acted out by an individual in a group

Is a position that has expectation evolving from established norms?

CHARACTERISTICS OF TEAMS AND THEIR BENEFITS

CHARACTERISTICS OF TEAMS

1. There is a clear unity of purpose.

The objectives were discussed openly until members could commit to them; the goals are significant to each individual in the group.

2. The group is self-conscious about its own operations.

The group has spent time discussing group procedure, or how the group will work together to achieve its goals. The group has a clear, explicit, and unanimously agreed-upon strategy, which includes mechanics, norms, expectations, and regulations, among other things. It will frequently come to a halt to assess how well it is performing or what might be interfering with its function. Whatever the issue, it is discussed openly and a solution is found.

3. The group has set clear and demanding performance goals

for itself, and has turned these objectives into well-defined tangible benchmarks against which it may be measured. Along the route to larger goals, the group defines and achieves a succession of "little wins."

4. The atmosphere tends to be informal, comfortable, relaxed.

There are no evident tensions, and employees are engaged and enthusiastic in their work.

5. There is a lot of discussion in which virtually everyone participates,

However, it is still relevant to the group's mission. If the conversation veers off course, someone will quickly put it back on topic. Members pay attention to one another. Every suggestion is given a chance to be heard. People are not scared to be dumb by expressing a creative idea, even if it appears to be extreme.

6. People are free in expressing their feelings as well as their ideas.

7. There is disagreement and this is viewed as good.

Premature group action does not suppress or override disagreements. The reasons are carefully investigated, and rather than dominating the dissenter, the group strives to address them. Dissenters are not attempting to rule the group; they have a genuine disagreement. If fundamental conflicts cannot be resolved, the organization finds a method to live with them rather than allowing them to sabotage its efforts.

8. Most decisions are made at a point where there is general agreement.

Those who disagree with the group's overall consensus, on the other hand, do not keep their opposition hidden behind an apparent consensus. A simple majority is not acceptable to the group as a proper basis for action.

9. Each individual carries his or her own weight,

exceeding or fulfilling the expectations of the other members of the group Each person respects the group's mechanics, such as appearing on time, coming to meetings prepared, and finishing agreed-upon assignments on time, among other things. When action is done, clear assignments (who-what-when) are made, which each group member gladly accepts and completes.

10. Criticism is frequent, frank and relatively comfortable.

The critique is constructive in nature, aimed at removing a stumbling block for the group.

11. The leadership of the group shifts from time to time.

The problem isn't with who has control, but with how to get the task done.

BENEFITS OF TEAMS

Common team goals

Team generally develop a common purpose, commitment to that purpose and agreement upon specific goals

Social Satisfaction

Team can satisfy this need of the employees by increasing worker interactions.

Improvement in Motivation
High Level Productivity
Good Communication
Benefits of Job Training
Organization Flexibility

Ability to adapt to change

Reference :

Lumen(ND) Defining team and teamwork. Lumen Boundless Management [online] available at https://courses.lumenlearning.com/boundless-management/chapter/defining-teams-and-teamwork/, Acceded on May 27, 2021

Management Study HQ (2021)Type of groups. Management Study HQ [online] available at https://www.managementstudyhq.com/types-of-groups.html, Accessed on May 27, 2021