What's the difference between teams and groups? What is an example of teams and groups? Which one is much desired in order to get an assignment or project done? Which one is actually being used in the workplace more often?

1. The Difference Between Groups and Teams The terms project teams and project groups are often used interchangeably to describe a number of people who have complementary skills and who work to achieve a common goal but, in the project context, that is where the similarity ends. The important distinction between a team and a group is how the people are managed and how they interact together, because they might well be doing exactly the same type of work. True teamwork implies participation and empowerment to give the team members sufcient authority and autonomy to make their own decisions on a day-to-day basis. This helps the team members to feel involved and motivated. and responsible and accountable for their work. Group work (Figure 13.1) implies that the project manager is the key person with a number of followers. All communication passes through the project manager, and the project manager makes all the decisions this restricts group problem solving and decision making and effec- tively kills creativity. Without the team member interaction, there is no cross-ow of information and, therefore, no team synergy. Real Teams Working Groups Share leadership roles as they see fit Have a strong and clearly focused leader Take mutual, collective accountability Take individual accountability Create specific team objectives that they Objectives imposed, mandated, granted and/or the deliver themselves same as the broader organizational mission Deliver collective products/outcomes Deliver individual products/outcomes Encourage open-ended discussion and Run efficient meetings active problem-solving meetings Measure performance directly by assessing Measure effectiveness indirectly by their influence collective products/outcomes on others Discuss, decide and do real work Discuss, decide and delegate Have open and honest dialogue Have polite discussions Have fun working together and laugh a lot Just work Can't wait to be together. Meet because they have to.Team. 5. When people do not perform well, the team suffers. The team has ways of assisting people or has sys- tems for building their people skills or moving them to another position. 5. The planning by teams is called practice, run-throughs or rehearsals. No matter how talented any individual team member is. everyone plans. "I. Teams have rituals, routines and ceremonies that everyone learns and shares. 3. Teams regularly review performance. Teams often prepare for the next piece of work based on the evaluation of the last piece of work. 9. Teams know at most times how they are doing if they are winning. scoring or moving toward their stated goals. 10. Teams often establish 'Halis of Fame'. Those who have performed well are held in high esteem. 11. Members of teams are easily recognizable. There are usually colors. logos. T-shirts and. most important, common slang. songs, language and hbn'I-nn: +n \"nlr +hnm +n nut-h n'I-I'Inr nnr' I-Hn I-nnm Groups 5. When people either do not perform well or fail to perform at all, the group rarely acknowledges the fail- ure or has the ability to do anything about it. 5. Groups often resist planning and use planning as a corrective rather than a proactive or preventive strat- egy. Planning is mostly done by a few people. 7. Groups rarely create routine operations. 8. Groups usually do not celebrate or debrief victories or defeats. 9. Groups rarely assess their progress in achieving their stated goals or objectives in order to chart and measure their work. 10. Groups may or may not celebrate the accomplish- ments of past leadership. 11. Members of groups are often hard to identify. There is rarely anything linking them to the group