Teams Versus Groups

Quick reference

• 00:01 Hello, I'm ray Ray Sheen.
• 00:05 Let's continue our discussion of business teams,
• 00:08 by comparing the behavior differences of business teams versus business groups.
• 00:13 Let's start with the maxim that, all business teams are groups of individuals,
• 00:19 but not all groups are business teams.
• 00:22 There's something that is different about being on a team.
• 00:26 So, when we consider the transition from a group to a team, or
• 00:29 a team to a group, there are several characteristics that do not change.
• 00:33 One, of course, is that there's more than one individual.
• 00:37 No such thing as a group or team of one, there must be at least two people.
• 00:42 Second, there's something that acts as a band,
• 00:44 otherwise you would never consider them to be either a group or a team.
• 00:48 We'll look at more specific characteristics in the next few slides.
• 00:51 But the fundamental different is based upon a shared or a common goal.
• 00:55 A group can become a team when they begin to work together to achieve a common goal.
• 01:00 And a team becomes a group when they abandon their goal.
• 01:03 At that point, they stop working together for the good of the team.
• 01:07 Let's look at the behavior characteristics of a group.
• 01:11 They have some type of shared common interests or background.
• 01:14 That is what makes them a group.
• 01:16 For instance, they may attend the same school or church.
• 01:18 They may be fans of the same sports team.
• 01:21 Or they may share a hobby.
• 01:23 Because of that shared interest,
• 01:25 they can bond with each other, they are not strangers, they have a common tie.
• 01:29 They'll often be working to further their common interest or cause.
• 01:34 And we'll share the results of their efforts,
• 01:36 possibly even helping one another.
• 01:38 When the group needs to take some type of action, such as finding a meeting place or
• 01:42 formally organizing the group, someone will normally take on a leadership role.
• 01:47 However, the group members do not typically work closely together.
• 01:50 They may never meet each other,
• 01:52 just joining an organization to get the newsletter or some other group benefit.
• 01:56 In fact, beyond joining the group,
• 01:58 a group member doesn't need to do anything at all to stay a member of the group.
• 02:02 They can be passive and still be part of the group.
• 02:06 To boil it all down at a single focus,
• 02:08 groups are based upon an affinity among the group members.
• 02:13 We contrast the business group behavior with business team behavior.
• 02:17 Business teams have a shared purpose, the team goal.
• 02:21 Because the team members are working together to achieve this goal,
• 02:25 there's interdependence among them.
• 02:26 Their activities are connected and re-enforce each other.
• 02:30 Most teams have a structured relationship among team members.
• 02:34 There are assigned roles and responsibilities.
• 02:36 Or if not formerly assigned, team members will take on the mantel of responsibility,
• 02:40 at least for a time.
• 02:42 Again, because they are working together to achieve a common goal, they typically
• 02:46 will create a plan or procedure for how those activities are connected.
• 02:50 They'll know how their work impacts others on the team.
• 02:54 Thanks to this interaction,
• 02:55 team members normally are acquainted with each other on a personal basis.
• 02:59 In order for one team member to effectively hand off the results of
• 03:02 their activities to another team member, they need to know that team member and
• 03:06 what is needed by them.
• 03:07 Because the team is working together to achieve a team goal,
• 03:10 everyone on the team is expected to contribute.
• 03:14 You can be passive and remain in a group.
• 03:16 But to be part of a team, you must be actively involved.
• 03:20 As you can see, the focus for a team is on action.
• 03:23 Well, we've looked at the differences between business groups and
• 03:28 business teams.
• 03:29 Now, just to be clear, in the rest of course,
• 03:32 we will be focusing on business teams.
• 03:35 While some of the practices and techniques that we discussed would apply to both
• 03:39 groups and teams, we'll be using it in the context of a team.

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