Teams and teamwork

Basic idea

A team is two or more individuals consciously working together toward a common goal — different from a group, which merely shares a workspace. Teamwork pools complementary skills and distributes accountability for shared outcomes.

Key facts

• Individual → group → team progression requires commitment to each other + the goal.
• Benefits: enhanced opportunities, productivity, ownership, creativity, broader perspective.
• Rationale: few people have all the skills any non-trivial project needs.

What is a team ?

• An individual is a person with unique skills.
• A group is a collection of people working together who do not necessarily work collectively toward the same goal.
• A team is two or more individuals consciously working together to achieve a common objective.
• A group becomes a team when members demonstrate a commitment to each other and to the end goal toward which they are working.

Why teams?

• Very few (if any) individuals have all the knowledge, skills and abilities.
• Complementary teamwork skills are one of the most required skills in the work environment.
• Substantial benefits to the organisation and to the team members.
• Share accountability increases likelihood of success.

Why teams? Benefits

• Enhanced opportunities.
• Greater productivity.
• Increased ownership and accountability.
• More creativity and innovation.
• Greater joy and satisfaction among team members.
• Broader perspective.
• Increased representation.
• Increased equality.
• More Dialogue.

Siblings

• How teams form & perform - Tuckman's team development model
• Individuals and Motivation
• Organisational theory and motivation
• Project management and leadership
• Team advantages/disadvantages
• Team structures