Have you ever wondered if you are leading a group or a team? To lead effectively, it is important to recognise if we are leading a team or group. The difference is subtle but important. You don’t hear people say they’re coaching a basketball group or joining a Facebook team. Instead, they say basketball team and Facebook group. In this article, we will identify the difference and show the characteristics.
Group
Why do we join groups?
Groups are important because they give us a sense of belongings, gain information and understanding through social comparison, define our sense of self and social identity in the world. Social psychologist Henri Tajfel came out with Social Identity Theory in 1974. It defines a person’s three mental processes involved in evaluating others as “us”(in-group) or “them”(out-group).
Social Identity Theory
Social categorisation > Social identification > Social comparison
- Social categorisation: We categories individuals based on shared characteristics. (Be part of a fan club)
- Social identification: We adopt the identity of the group to which we have classified ourselves as belonging. (Be part of an environmental group. We start behaving in the manner that the environmentalist should behave.)
- Social comparison: We compare individuals or group within or outside our social group (In-group or out-group)
We view out-groups negatively and in-groups favourably in order to create a positive identity. However, In-groups favouritism may result in negative and discriminatory outcomes.
Group vs Team
Have you ever wondered if you are leading a group or a team? To lead effectively, it is important to recognise if we are leading a team or group. The difference is subtle but important. You don’t hear people say they’re coaching a basketball group or joining a Facebook team. Instead, they say basketball team and Facebook group. In this article, we will identify the difference and show the characteristics.
What are the differences between group vs team?
A group comprises of individuals who are connected by and within social relationships.
A team is made up of individuals who work together to achieve common goals through coordinated, interdependent interaction.
Which is better? Group or team?
It’s better to have groups when you prioritize speed over quality.
It’s better to have teams when you prioritize quality over speed.
How we use group to help our business?
There are so many benefits and advantages to join a networking group or association. It could have been for self-development or personal reasons. Here is our list of the benefits of joining a networking group.
Team
Do you know there are 5 stages of team development?
Tuckman Model of Team Development
This theory was developed by Bruce Wayne Tuckman in 1965, it describes how team come together and start performing. He said that teams go through five stages of development: forming, storming, norming, performing and adjourning. The stages commence from the moment the team first meets until the completion of the project.
Forming Stage: Team members come together for the first time, get to know each other and understand exactly what the team has been tasked with. They will learn the objective and goals outcome. Team members can be unsure about their strength and their contribution to the team.
Storming Stage: Team members get to know each other; they try to figure out their roles and who has the authority. This is the stage where many teams fail. Every member agrees that there is a job to be done but not willing give out their individuality. There will be discussions (if not arguments) on how to take things forward as the team members have different ways to get the job done.
Norming Stage: There is trust and socializing in the team. There is consensus on their roles and their duties. There is general respect for the leader and a clear understanding of the results to be achieved. They’re ready to work together, but still no progress towards the goals.
Performing Stage: The team starts working together and work towards the desired outcome. Members of the team would not need to be instructed in high-performing teams.
Adjourning Stage: Team members has generally accomplished the goals and ready to disband or move on to another team. Throwing together a bunch of talented individuals doesn’t mean they are going to form a great team.
Higher-quality outcomes are delivered by an effective team. Teamwork creates results that allow better use of resources and create richer ideas.
High-performing team produces
Higher efficiency: Teams incorporate the energies of people; they may do better than operate on their own.
Higher productivity: Teams rely on the contributions of their members, who are often able to complete tasks and activities in less time.
More thoughtful ideas: Every person working on a problem or set of tasks may have different information and knowledge to bear, which may lead to solutions and approaches that the individual may not have identified.
