excellerate performance the critical difference between groups and teams

7/29/2019 Excellerate Performance the Critical Difference Between Groups and Teams

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/excellerate-performance-the-critical-difference-between-groups-and-teams 1/4

- 1-

© 2010 Excellerate Performance | Training and Coaching for Leadersand Teams

w w w .e x c e lle r a te.c

The CriticalDifferencebetween

Groups andTeamsby Sharon Feltham, Excellerate New Zealand

The word “team” is a convenient label for almost any collection of people whoassemble together for whatever purpose or period of time and yet there is a vastdifference between these groups and the world of a real team.

Understanding the fundamental differences between work groups and real teams isessential. It helps us to lead, manage, develop and participate in the team moreeffectively while avoiding many of the problems associated with teams. This insightequips leaders and team members with the ability to unleash a team’s immensepotential and in doing so experience the deeply satisfying rewards of membership.

The Difference between Groups and TeamsCalling a collection of people a team and rallying them to the cause does not make thema team. Real teams have design features and characteristics that set them apart fromgroups. Katzenbach and Smith(1) summed this up neatly with their definition of a team:

A team is a small number of people with complementary skills who arecommitted to

A common purpose

Set of performance

goals A common

approachFor which they hold themselves mutually

accountable

The Key Elements of a Real Team

Small Number of People

Teams by their very nature can't be big therefore a real team has a definablemembership, typically fewer than 12. (Refer to our T e a m T a c ti c s a rticle “Does sizematter?)

Complementary Skills

Teams bring together complementary skills and experience that exceed those of anyindividual on the team. The different perspectives, knowledge, skills and strengths of eachmember are identified and used, by comparison most groups are extremely rigid,members usually have assigned roles and tasks that don’t change. Teams however are

flexible performing different task and maintenance functions as required. Roles and tasksmay changedepending upon the expertise and experience most pertinent to the work being performed

http://www.24428.cmstrial.net/tt6sizematters.html






















- 2-


o.n z

Performance Goals

Members share the common task and have clearly defined objectives for which membersare individually and collectively accountable

Common Approach

A team has sense of shared purpose with a clear understanding of what constitutes theteam's mission. They can describe a vivid picture of what the team needs to achieve, andthe norms and values that will guide them.

http://www.excellerate.co.nz/





- 2-

The Critical Difference between Groups and


o.n z

Common Approach (continued) The actions of members are interdependent and coordinated. Members have a sharedsense of unity and consciously identify with the team and each other. Individuals use "we"rather than "me."

Mutually Accountable

A group typically produces products that are the sum of individual membercontributions whereas a team develops products that are a result of the team'scollective effort.

In groups, members are individually accountable for their efforts where in real teamsmembers need the help of one another to accomplish the purpose for which they joinedthe group. They are individually and collectively accountable for the timeliness and qualityof the team's products. If members answer to the boss instead of to one another, then youhave a workgroup not a real team.

Leadership

Typically a work group has a strong leader, in a traditional management role, who directsactivities, assigns tasks and establishes schedules. Where the team leader makes all thecritical decisions it’s a single leader unit not a real team. By contrast, teams share orrotate leadership among individual members. They will also rotate less desired tasks, suchas record keeping so that no one member is permanently assigned to a less challenging orinteresting activity.

The Characteristics of a Real Team Characteristics of a Work Group

• Shared Leadership roles• Strong, clearly focused leader

solo leader

• Team discusses, decides, anddoes real work together

• The Leader discusses, decidesand delegates

• Specific Team purpose that theteam delivers itself

• The group’s purpose is the same asthe

or anizational mission

• Individual and mutual

team accountability•

Individual Accountability

• Collective work products • Individual work products

• Measures performancedirectly by assessingcollective work products

• Measures effectiveness indirectlyeg financial performance of thebusiness

• Encourages open-ended discussionand active problem-solving

meetings

• Runs efficient meetings withinformation sharing main activity

Reference: Katzenbach, J.R., Smith, D.K., The Wisdom of Teams: Creating the High-Performance Organization, Harper Business, 1993







o.n z

- 3-

The Critical Difference between Groups and

How to Work with this

The distinction between work groups and real teams is very important. If a leader orgroup or their organization fails to recognize the difference as an issue there can be

significant consequences:

1. The group cannot determine whether they are properly organized toaccomplish what the organization needs from them.

2. They cannot correctly assess their performance potential.

3. They cannot choose the appropriate strategies to manage or grow the group.

If the status of the group and what it aspires to be is unclear then it is important toguide the group through an evaluation. Use the following steps to help you do this:

List the characteristics on a flip chart and explain them to the group

Discuss and rate collectively to what degree do each of these characteristics apply tothe group, using a 1-5 scale from "totally" to "not at all"




excellerate performance the critical difference between groups and teams

Documents