Respond to classmate 150 words
The question they had to answer(Teams and groups in the workplace have both similarities and differences. Discuss the similarities and differences between teams and groups. Support your answer with cited material from the text and from another source that you find (provide the reference for this source at the end of your discussion post). The non-text course does not have to be peer-reviewed. Be sure to address how your approach as a manager may differ, if you are in charge of a group or a team.)
Classmate
Teams and groups can be found in almost any workplace’s organizational structure. Although very similar there are some differences that can help differentiate between a team and a group. A team is defined by the text as a “group of individuals with complementary skills that share a common purpose, responsibility, and accountability for achieving performance goals” (Ivancevich, Konopaske & Matteson, 2018). A group is defined by our text as “two or more individuals interacting to accomplish a common goal” (Ivancevich, Konopaske & Matteson, 2018). The number that stood out to me in reading these definitions is the number two. The key in forming either a group or a team is having two or more people and this is the first similarity. The next similarity between the two is the structure they can provide within an organization. Whether it is dividing work or just overall functions in the workplace, a team or group can provide solid structure to an organization. The final similarity I noticed is that teams and groups both share common goals.
The major difference between teams and groups comes in the fine lines of how they are defined. “A group is a collection of individuals who coordinate their efforts, while a team is a group of people who share a common goal. While similar, the two are different when it comes to decision-making and teamwork” (Asana, 2021). All teams begin as groups, but not all groups will become teams. Groups tend to be formed by a manager to solve a problem and bounce ideas off of one another within their respective knowledge areas. Teams on the other hand are formed by a share of culture, processes, and philosophy of working together. As a manager of a team I would make sure everyone is aware they are a unit working together and encourage communication and collaboration. As a manager of a group I would do the same but on a scaled back level as many groups are created with individuals who have their own responsibilities in the organization outside of the group.
