Group vs. Team: What does your organization look like?
Group is several individuals coming together, like a wrestling team. They work individually.
Team is several individuals working collectively towards a single goal, like a soccer team. They are interdependent on each other.
How can this be identified?
Ask your team. How do they see they are working?
Make observations. Who’s continually contributing? Is your team’s success dependent on a few select people? Is everyone working on projects individually?
Look at your team’s collaboration. Is your team aligned to the same goal?
How do you transform groups into teams?
Increase accountability.
Encourage your team to try new things and confirm that it is okay to fail.
Require participation and input from all team members.
Have your team evaluate what is working, what is not working, and how they can all make improvements.
Hire a coach to help with team assessments.
Engage in active listening within your team meetings.
Use “tell me more” language.
Check your ego at the door and create a space to have an effective conversation.
Strive to truly understand a person’s point of view and collectively work to integrate their ideas into action for the team.
In the most recent podcast, Dr. Jeff Kaplan and Raj Khera discuss team cohesion and collaboration to work toward common goals within your organizations.
Check it out below!
| – Dr. Jeff Kaplan |
| Dr. Jeff Kaplan is a business psychologist and executive coach who coaches executives and high potentials to lead with heart. Jeff helps leaders to work more collaboratively with others, recognizing that people are an organization’s greatest asset. |