GROUPS AND TEAMS!

Groups and teams are a major feature of organisational life. The work organisation and sub – units are made up of groups of people.

Most activities of the organisation require at least some degree of coordination through the operation of groups and teamwork. An understanding of the nature of groups is vital if leaders is to influence the behaviour in the work situation.

Individuals seldom work in isolation from others. Group are a characteristic of all social situations and almost everyone in an organisation will be a member of one or more groups. Work is a group – based activity and if the organisation is to function effectively it requires good teamwork.

There are many possible ways of defining what is meant by a group. The essential features of a group are that its members regard themselves as belonging to the group. Although there is no single, accepted definition, most people will readily understand what constitute a group.

Here are some examples of what we can learn from working in a group:

1) We can learn how to listen to everybody’s points of views and take these into consideration.

2) We must be prepared to make certain sacrifices and adapt a democratic decision process. However, if an individual should feel very strongly about a specific point and persisted with valid argument then this had to be included!

3) We should be prepared for disappointment and upsets working with others.

4) It can be time consuming and difficult to schedule meeting due to differences in timetables and preferences in working hours.

5) We can learn it is good to pool resources because this can increase the overall standards and expectation from our colleagues or group members. It is possible to work in other less productive groups where individual levels of achievement may decrease.

6) We can learn that it is better to work in a smaller and not a larger group, as there is a tendency for individual ideas to be diluted.

7) It is good to know that groups creation on a basis of friendship alone are not as effective as groups created with work as the major motivation. The creator tends to be unproductive.

8. It is good to get positive response, encouragement and feedback from team members. Likewise, it can be demotivating to receive a negative response!

9) It allows and encourages us to learn along about our individual personalities.

10) We can learn from sharing personal experience from our individual placements in groups.

11) It is important to separate work and personal relationships.

12) We can learn that there is key team role which are creative and requires a balance of all roles and comprise members who have characteristics complementary to another.

13) We can learn that any team, no matter how hand-picked and honed, can be brought down if there is an outbreak of whingeing, notching, office politics, laziness, negativity, stupidity, internal competition, power - posturing, backstabbing and any of the usual suspicions etc!

14) We can learn that if a team group are to be successful and perform effectively there must be a spirit of unity and cooperation.