10 Ways to Distinguish between a Team and a Group The purpose of assembling a team is 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 managers are 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 proactive and productive team.

1. Understandings. In a group, members think they are grouped together for administrative purposes only. Individuals sometimes cross purpose with others. In a team, members recognise their independence and understand both personal and team goals are best accomplished with mutual support. Time is not wasted struggling over "Turf" or attempting personal gain at the expense of others. 2. Ownership. In a group, members tend to focus on themselves because they are 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, members feel a sense of ownership for their jobs and unit, because they are committed to values-based common goals that they helped establish. 3. Creativity and Contribution. In a group, members are told what to do rather than being asked what the best approach would be. Suggestion and creativity are not encouraged. In a team, members contribute 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 do not understand the role of other members. Expressions of opinion or disagreement are considered divisive or non-supportive. In a team, members work in a climate of trust and are encouraged to openly express ideas, opinions, disagreements and feelings. Questions are welcomed. 5. Common Understandings. In a group, members are so cautious about what they say, that real understanding is not possible. Game playing may occur and communication traps be set to catch the unwary. In a team, members practice open and honest communication. 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 a team, members are encouraged to continually develop skills and apply what they learn on the job. They perceive they have the support of the team. 7. Conflict Resolution. In a group, members find themselves in conflict situations they do not know how to resolve. Their supervisor/leader may put off

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 view such situations as an opportunity for new ideas and creativity. They work to resolve conflict quickly and constructively. 8. Participative Decision Making. In a group, members may or may not participate in decisions affecting the team. Conformity often appears more important than positive results. Win/lose situations are common. In a team, members participate in decisions affecting the team but understand their leader must make a final ruling whenever the team cannot decide, or an emergency 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 not walk the talk and 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. The leader sets agreed high standards of performance and he/she is respected via active, willing participation 10. Commitment. In a group, members are uncommitted towards excellence and personal pride. Performance levels tend to be mediocre. Staff turnover is high because 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 those committed to excellence are hired. Prospective team members 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 and agreement on mission and purpose is essential for effective team work. This team clarity is reinforced when the organization has clear expectations for 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 members trust each other. Team members are not punished for disagreeing.

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 for clarity 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 develop team norms or relationship guidelines together.

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 of view, that are thoughtfully presented and supported with facts as well as opinions, the better.

Creativity, innovation, and different viewpoints are expected and encouraged. Comments such 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 itself and continuously improve its processes, practices, and the interaction of team members. The team openly discusses team norms and what 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 and clashes 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.

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. The machine 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 can be completed by a team where an individual would fail. . Better Quality Output The product an effective group puts out will almost always be more impressive than the product an individual could have created. A great team will combine different creative thoughts and ideas and share the workload so the 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 Collaboration between team members will lead to more creative ideas and unique influences on the project. You don't get the same thing over and over again as you might with one person doing all the work all the time. Great minds 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 in their 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 weight and 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 and help 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

everything gets dumped on them. The team works together to support and care for one another so collectively everyone succeeds. If one team member refuses 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 one employee quits or gets promoted to a higher team. The rest of the team can continue working, picking up the work of the missing member until someone else 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 forced to do all tasks for a given project. In an ideal situation, the team can be arranged 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 the team. 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 to know 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 overall well-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 a project since every team member is more likely to know what others are in charge of doing for more effective teamwork.

So, now you understand the top 10 benefits of teamwork. Youre most likely wondering, "but how do I make great teamwork happen?" My suggestion: Explore our website a little more, and youre sure to get plenty of ideas!