Which of the following characteristics can be used to differentiate teams from groups

The Difference Between a Group and a Team

The terms ‘group’ and ‘team’ are typically used interchangeably, but while they are similar concepts the words have different connotations. They seem synonymous, but there really are large differences between the two.

A group is two or more individuals with common interests or common characteristics. Groups can be formed almost arbitrarily, based on qualities as inconsequential as hair color, geographical location, or soda preference. The grouping could even be more intentional, such as individuals who work in the same sales department at an insurance company. In the latter, their work is related, but each individual is focused on their own performance; another person’s work does not influence their own. They may not even know all of the people in their department.

Teams, like groups, are composed of two or more people with a common interest. However, teams require those people to work toward a common purpose. They are formed intentionally, with a tight structure and distinct roles. The output of one directly affects the work of another, so members must know every other member of the team and understand how their work fits together to impact the whole. Consider a soccer team; their purpose is to win games. Players work off the field to be able to support their teammates on the field. Then, when they’re on the field, they maintain their primary spheres of influence as right midfielder or central defender, but come together to score on their opponents, or to keep their opponents from scoring on them.

All teams are groups, but not all groups are teams. Simply calling a group a team does not make it true. A group is only a team when their tasks and their achievements are intertwined.

Why are Teams Important?

Teams are able to work more efficiently, make better use of collective resources, and produce better, richer solutions than individual members.

Teams access resources from a wider range of acquaintances and mentors, divide and delegate work, and draw from a variety of expertise and experiences when they confront an issue.

Significance in Startups

Team building is essential in startups particularly because they draw on the competencies of the members to produce complex products and services. Teams and team work are an important part of the syrupy thick culture that the startup community relishes; they must unite their workforce around their mission in order to be successful.

Task interdependence is heavy in startups. The limited number of resources and competencies and the overwhelming amount of work that needs to be accomplished pushes everyone to think creatively and take initiatives. Though each member must act autonomously, their work cannot continue without input from the other(s). Some teams exist within much larger companies; for a startup, your team is your company.

Teamwork, In Specific Terms

What Makes the Dream Work

Teams have several common factors: shared understanding, coordination, and interpersonal skills.

Shared understanding of goals is the foundation of teamwork, and it enables several other important elements. First, when team members clearly understand the scope and vision of their mission, they see how they contribute to the bigger picture; priorities become clear, and work feels as though it has more meaning. Next, members cooperate with one another based on similar attitudes, including, but not limited to, the belief that they and other team members have the resources and competency to achieve the target that’s been set. Finally, this shared understanding is also the basis for mutual trust, especially if team members believe that everyone is up to the task.

Coordination between team members is equally vital. Teams rely on clear and appropriately timed communication to stay updated about each person’s progress. When communication flows freely, teams are able to support and aid one another as needed. Members can also monitor one another’s work and act as motivators and quality controllers. Member’s efforts have a high degree of interdependence, so coordination of schedules, work flow, and ideas must be constant. At Topl, for example, the blogging schedule is one of my responsibilities. I talk to other team members about whether or not they’re motivated to write a post, and I stay in contact with them as they write, providing commentary and feedback. After work gets published, I let my team know. They read the post, and give me comments about how our blog posts should continue. Roles were a little flipped this go around because I am writing, rather than editing, but Founder Jim Aman, Advisor Mat Kindy, and Operations Manager Anna McGuffee, all helped me by editing my work and providing suggestions for overall structure.

While shared understanding and coordination are necessary components of any teams, they are underpinned by interpersonal skills. Teams are composed of individuals, interpersonal skills are a key element that transform them into a unit. One might consider this the “culture” of a team. Clear roles and expectations come into play here. Although, formal team leaders should communicate the goals of the team, leadership does not always have to come directly from them. There are many kinds of leaders, and everyone should take charge of their role. Members should be confident in their ability to do their job, and feel the support from other team members to be able to accomplish it. There should be a degree of psychological safety. If something goes wrong, no one should suddenly become stupid or incapable or unworthy. These kinds of retaliations are detrimental to the well-being of the group. They inhibit trust which, in turn, affects free-flowing communication and undermines effective coordination, and ultimately leads to lower efficiency, and poorer ideas. Conflict will occur; this is inevitable. The important thing is the way that your team manages it. Members should remain respectful. Ultimately, the hope is that the team becomes stronger as they work through their disagreements. They should come out of conflict with new skills to use to avoid conflict in the first place. (And they’ll have new skills to use when conflict inevitably arises again.)

Decisions about execution of these elements must be evaluated by teams, themselves. What works for one team may not work for another.

Struggles of Teamwork

Collaboration with others is a team’s greatest strength as well as its biggest weakness. When teams face struggles it typically indicates a breakdown in either trust, understanding, or communication.

Psychological distance may stem from poor communication, lack of trust, or geographical distance if your team is spread out. Alternatively, psychological distance may result in bad communication or reduced trust, leading to follow-up on inferior ideas when one team member domineers conversation, or minimizes the importance of another members’ contributions. Ineffective communication can also result in individuals shirking their responsibilities, when they feel their efforts aren’t recognized which, naturally, leads to a further breakdown of trust. This precipitates conflict, which also negatively affects output.

There are endless possibilities to what can go wrong, but re-establishing communication, realigning attitudes, and rebuilding trust are at the forefront of solving these problems.

How to Move from “Group” to “Team”

The truth is that building a team takes time. Even if you gather the right people with the right work ethic, and the right competencies, and the right resources, and a perfect understanding of the goal, not everything will come together all at once. It takes time to build the best practices for motivation and communication. It takes time to create and understand a member’s role in the company. Furthermore, it takes time to build trust.

Topl: Group or Team?

At Topl our vision and priorities are aligned both across the company and among individuals. While there are teams within our company, we are not yet the team described above. We’re continuing to grow out ranks (we added a member as recently as last week!), and as a result, we’re still negotiating what these roles look like. We also simply haven’t spent enough time with one another to be able to call ourselves a team; to some degree, we’re still learning with whom exactly it is that we’re working.

What Topl is Doing

We are currently creating what we’re calling a “Welcome Packet” for new team members outlining each team member’s responsibilities, including their competencies outside of their assigned roles. Our founders Kim Raath and Chris Georgen are also reworking our white paper to update and streamline our vision.

We are also anxiously anticipating the summer when more of us will be in one place, so that we will have a greater opportunity to communicate and connect, helping us to build up our own syrupy thick culture.

Like with all teams, building and reinforcing our own team takes time. We’re ready for it, and working toward it every day as we work both individually and together to be successful.

Considerations for Further Reading

I find Eduardo Salas’ work on teams and teamwork to be fascinating. I had the pleasure of attending one of his presentations in the Summer of 2017. He’s been researching teams for over thirty years.

Some helpful key terms may be : cross-functional teams, task interdependence, the 7 C’s of teamwork

Which of these are a characteristic of a team rather than a group?

Which of the following is always a characteristic of a team in a work environment but not always a characteristic of a group?

What is the difference between a team and a group Describe your personal experience with each?