Groups and Teams Overview

Groups and Teams

• Teams are a small group of people with a common objective who are accountable to one another.
• Groups may have a common relationship or objective.
• Efficiency refers to achieving the same output with fewer inputs.
• Effectiveness refers to successfully achieving goals.
• Increased efficiency and/or effectiveness equate to increased productivity.
• Teams can be more flexible and motivational but can also decrease efficiency due to time and resources.
• When tasks require multiple skills, judgment, and expertise, teams are often more effective.
• When an individual can perform work alone, or a quick decision is needed, an individual is often better.
• Tasks that are interdependent benefit from teams.
• A role refers to a set of expected behaviors of a person in a given position.
• People have different roles both at work and outside of work.
• Role conflict occurs when complying with one role requirement makes it difficult to comply with another.
• Role ambiguity occurs when people are unclear about their role.
• Role overload occurs when too much is expected of someone.
• Role underload happens when too little is expected of a person.
• Norms are standards of behavior shared by a group.
• Norms can include performance standards, appearance standards, social arrangement standards, and allocation of resources standards.
• Norms develop through explicit statements, critical events, initial patterns of behavior and carry-over behavior.
• Norms can benefit a group by increasing predictability, reducing embarrassing situations, and strengthening group identity.
• Groups should be mindful of pressure to conform.
• Deviant workplace behavior (DWB) refers to voluntary behavior that violates organizational norms.
• DWB can also be called antisocial behavior or workplace incivility.
• DWB can result in decreased productivity and organizational performance.
• Important norms for teams include how to manage conflict, decision-making, communication, meetings, and responsibility and accountability.

Group Development Models

• The Five-stage model of groups proposes non-linear movement and variable performance with potential benefits of conflict.
• The Punctuated Equilibrium Model posits that teams experience periods of inertia followed by periods of rapid change.
• The first meeting in a group is important to set the direction and pace.
• The halfway point in a project is significant for establishing revised norms and goals.

Effective Teams

• Effective teams have real tasks, clear boundaries and authority, membership stability, a compelling direction, enabling structure, supportive organizational structures, expert coaching in teamwork, shared mindsets, psychological safety, dependability, structure and clarity, meaning, and impact.
• Teams may underperform when there are highly disagreeable members.
• Conscientious, open, and emotionally stable team members tend to improve team performance.
• Team roles include task roles and maintenance roles.
• Task roles include initiating, seeking and providing information, clarifying, elaborating, summarizing, and consensus testing.
• Maintenance roles include harmonizing, compromising, gatekeeping, encouraging, and following.
• Key team processes include common plans and purpose, team efficacy, team identity, team cohesion, mental models, conflict levels, and social loafing.

Diversity

• Diversity can benefit teams with multiple perspectives, greater openness to new ideas, multiple interpretations, increased creativity, increased flexibility, and increased problem-solving skills.
• Disadvantages of diversity include ambiguity, complexity, confusion, miscommunication, difficulty reaching agreement, and difficulty agreeing on specific actions.

Group Size

• Smaller groups tend to be faster at completing tasks.
• Larger groups often perform better at problem-solving.
• Social loafing refers to the tendency for individuals to expend less effort when working collectively.
• Teams should be as small as necessary and individuals should be held accountable for their actions.

Strong Teams

• Strong teams focus on results rather than personal agendas.
• Strong teams seek truth and rally around chosen priorities.
• Strong teams balance passion for personal lives and work, with team leaders serving as examples.
• Strong teams value diversity in age, gender, strengths, race, and education.
• Strong teams attract the right people and avoid low performers.