Is your group really a team      Teams are all the rage in t...

Is your group really a team Teams are all the rage in the workplace today，and every organization speaks of the importance of teams．But just because a group of people work together does not necessarily make them a team．There are essential elements that identify teams，and nurturing them will help you become a good team leader． Let’s begin with a definition of what a team really is．Teams are groups of individuals who accomplish designated objectives by working interdependenlIy，communicating effectively，and making decisions that impact their day to day work．So the first question to ask yourself is，‘How close does my team come to this definton ’If it doesn’t measure up to the definition，then you are not really leading a team．You are probably managing a work group．There is absolutely nothing wrong with a work group．A work group can achieve great results with your close supemision．The idea，however，in today’s changing organization and our competitive global marketplace，is to develop teams that can work autonomously without your close direction and support． In a team．members share decision-making and often build consensus，with two-way communication between manager and members．There are joint work assignments and accountability on both the individual and team levels．In a work group，the manager is the decision-maker，and there is a one-way，top-down pattern of communication。Each member has individual work assignments，and each person is held accountable and appraised by the manager. Whether you operate as a work group or a team depends on three factors．Firstly，the skill and motivational level of members．Skilled and motivated employees need to be able to make decisions on their own and communicate upwardly when they need to．This is a model for working as a team．Secondly，the nature of the work．Some work situations do not call for members to make decisions together，nor is there a need for much two way communication among team members and their manager．But if there is a need for both，you have a team．Thirdly，the manager’s belief that indMduals can work autonomously and interdependently．This attitude is essential for today’s workplace。When managers do not hold this belief，they will favor the work group over the team． To get a group of individuals to function as a team，it is necessary to highlight the following issues．As for team members．everyone of them needs to know what he or she is supposed to accomplish and how it fits in with what other team members do.And they must be allowed to make decisions that impact their work products and semices．When we give people ownership over what they are doing，they perform much better．Last but not least．team members cannot hold back on any comments that will help the team grow and prosper．As for the team leader，he or she should have the technical knowledge of what the team is doing，as well as be able to motivate and inspire the team．A qualified leader should always be ready to acknowledge team members’accomplishment．Members need ongoing reminders that their efforts are valued and appreciated so that they can sustain high levels of performance．What’s not true according to the third paragraph Good teamwork means total agreement among members． The manager of a work group is the decision-maker． Responsibility is shared among team members． In a group，members have separate assignments．