Introduction
Successful organizations have mastered the art of forming effective teams from groups. A team and a group differ in their purpose, structure, and function. A group encompasses a collection of people who come together to achieve a common goal. Responsibility and accountability are individual and there is only one leader. In contrast, a team comprises a group of people with a collective identity who join forces to attain a goal. Accountability is mutual, and there are several leaders. The defining characteristic of a group is independence while that of a team is interdependence. With regard to process, a group discusses, decides, and delegates while a team discusses, decides, and acts. It is important for all organizations to learn how to create effective teams from groups. Groups undergo five stages of development, namely, forming, storming, norming, performing, and adjourning.
Differences between Groups and Teams
The success of an organization is augmented by the formation of working groups and teams that work toward the attainment of goals and objectives. The two function differently, based on their purpose, focus, and structure. A group is comprised of individuals who come together and coordinate their individual efforts in order to attain certain goals (Borkowski, 2016). On the contrary, a team is a collection of people who have a common purpose and who are mutually committed to one another. In a group, members deal with challenges individually while in a team, challenges are faced together (Borkowski, 2016). Members meet to discuss possible solutions to problems and brainstorm in order to find the best answer. The mutual commitment that exists among members of a team creates a sense of accountability that boosts their motivation. In a group, each individual is accountable to themselves and motivation has to be generated internally (Borkowski, 2016). A team’s foundation rests on purpose, mutual trust and understanding, and common goals. A group has a single leader while a team has several leaders.
The Effective Use of Groups and Teams
Organizations that create teams report increased productivity and employee motivation. Organizations can sue teams effectively by ensuring that they have an ideal size and membership and they have a clear purpose. In addition, an effective team has open communication, a sense of accountability, and fairness in decision-making (Borkowski, 2016). A team should have the right number of members for proper organization. moreover, it should include a mix of individuals with different skills and aptitudes. Every individual should be aware of the team’s purpose and their role in the attainment of goals. Diversity should be embraced and each individual should be given an opportunity to present their ideas in an honest and open manner. That way, the process of decision-making will be fair and inclusive. Effective groups comprise of individuals who have a well-defined goal that everyone understands, a facilitator, milestones, transparency, and an evaluation tool (Borkowski, 2016). A facilitator’s main goal is to ensure that the group is making progress toward the goal by running meetings and holding the members accountable. Effective groups should also hold regular meetings and discussions to track their progress. Many groups struggle to achieve their goals because of a lack of milestones. Milestones set the pace at which members work, and they include timelines for the completion of certain tasks. Transparency ensures that members share their progress in order to avoid duplicate work.
5 Stages of Team Development
Team development can be defined as the process that a team undergoes in learning how to work effectively, and it involves 5 definitive stages. They include forming, storming, norming, performing, and adjourning (Christiana, 2017). During the forming stage, members get acquainted with each other. It is characterized by uncertainty and a lack of proper leadership. Discussions are mainly about project goals, ground rules, individual responsibilities, timelines, and members’ skills and interests (Christiana, 2017). The storming stage is the most important stage as the team begins to find its purpose. Conflicts are many because the personalities of members begin to emerge. Disagreements may involve team goals and subgroups may emerge, comprising people who agree on certain issues (Christiana, 2017). The norming stage involves the creation of a leadership team and the outlining of the roles that each member is supposed to play. There is unity and member differences are resolved amicably. Cooperation and a focus on common goals lead to increased performance.
The performing stage is characterized by a stable structure, well-established consensus and cooperation, and a commitment to the common mission (Christiana, 2017). Problems emerge, however, they are addressed in a constructive manner. Many teams struggle to reach this stage because many disband during the storming and norming stages. At this point, a team operates without the need for close supervision or micromanagement. Adjourning is the last stage, and it involves the wrapping up of tasks and documenting the attainment of goals. In many cases, members are reassigned to other teams because by then, the majority of the goals have been attained. Members find it difficult to deal with the loss of the relationships they had formed during the group development process.
Key Strategies and Practices
There are several strategies and practices that organizations can implement to build and maintain team performance. Examples of strategies include creating effective leadership, implementing open communication measures, continued education, and recognition (Christiana, 2017). It is important for employees to be recognized for attaining their goals. Common practices that maintain high performance include employee empowerment, the delegation of tasks and responsibilities, workshops and seminars, employee engagement in decision-making, maintenance of work balance, regular meetings and discussions, eradication of micromanagement, and the provision of frequent feedback (Christiana, 2017).
Importance of Strategies and Practices
Effective leadership is important in the forming stage because members are usually confused regarding what is expected of them. Therefore, individuals who have exceptional leadership skills can lead the group into developing a mission and vision, as well as setting goals. It is also necessary during the storming stage because of the many conflicts that emerge among members (Christiana, 2017). Effective leadership and communication are needed in the resolution of conflicts. Open communication is needed during the norming stage, during which individual responsibilities are outlined. It is important for each member to clearly understand their roles in the team, and this can be successfully attained through effective communication. During this stage, it is important for members to develop trust and responsibility. Continued education is an important aspect during the performing stage because members need to improve their knowledge and skills in order to enhance cooperation within the team (Christiana, 2017). This can be achieved through practices like workshops ad seminars. Leadership is also needed during the adjourning stage as tasks are wrapped up and members are reassigned to other teams.
Conclusion
Working teams and groups are an important factor in the success of an organization. Companies benefit significantly from the ability to create and manage teams. A group is a collection of individuals that comes together to achieve a common goal while a team is a group of individuals with a common purpose and goals, who are mutually committed to each other. In a team, accountability is communal while in a group, it is individual. The trust and cooperation that exists between members of a group create strong bonds that increase motivation and productivity. Organizations can use teams and groups in an effective manner by implementing strategies that include effective leadership, open communication, continuous learning, and recognition. Common practices among organizations include the provision of timely feedback, inclusive decision-making, training, and empowerment. These strategies and practices are essential in managing groups throughout the five stages of development.
References
Borkowski, N. (2016). Organizational behavior, theory, and design in health care (2nd ed.). Jones & Bartlett Learning.
Christiana, M. B. V. (2017). Organizational behavior. Educreation Publishing.