Group vs Team: What's the difference? (2023)

Group vs Team: What's the difference? (1)

I remember the first time I had to do a workshop for 30 or so bright-eyed students on the subject of teamwork. I had to explain the difference between a group and a team and how to form a group into a team.

Up until this particular workshop what I have known about the group concept and the team concept could have been summed up like this: “a bunch of people coming together to do something.” Sure, it is not something you would put on a flipchart and call it a definition right?

After some research, I realized I wasn’t entirely wrong.. but I was not right either. There is a lot more behind the team versus group distinction and knowing the difference does matter when you deliver a training on group dynamics or teamwork, or you need to assemble a working group or a marketing team to do the job.

The question is why does it matter?

(Video) Differences between Group and Team.

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(Video) Teams versus Groups

The group vs. team dilemma

Remember those meetings or workshops where people only wanted to do their own tasks without taking into consideration everyone else’s? When decisions were made by those whose voice was the loudest? When people would drop out because they did not see where they could contribute?

These unpleasant experiences are not uncommon in the workplace or at a training, but knowing what to expect from a group and what to expect from a team might help to prevent such incidents.

Although there are several distinctions between a team and a group, there are 3 main guidelines which differentiate the concepts from one another.

The first one is dependence.

Groups are consisting of people who are independent of each other and all of the group members have a different set of tasks that are usually carried out by one individual. The tasks are clearly defined and not dependent on each other.

Let’s take the example of passengers on a flight. They are all on the same plane though they have very different reasons to be on that specific one, therefore they are just a group.

On the other hand, a team consists of individuals and tasks that are interdependent and rely on each other. Sometimes team members share similar roles and responsibilities. Just like the cabin crew on the plane: their primary reason to be there is to make the journey comfortable for the passengers.

This shared responsibility notion brings us to the second category that helps us understand the differences between teams and groups: accountability.

(Video) Teams vs Groups | Organisational Behavior | MeanThat

Since group members are working individually their work is also valued individually. The opposite is true for a team. As the saying goes: “The team is more than the sum of its parts.” They are dependent on each other, share the responsibilities and are collectively judged.

When a passenger misses the plane it’s only her to suffer the consequences. However, if the plane is not leaving on time because a stewardess doesn’t find the objects to perform the safety check and others don’t help her out, it is very likely that the whole cabin crew suffers for the fault.

Finally, the last distinction point is time.

For groups, the “lifespan” is usually longer, not really specified (though in some cases there are definitive starting and ending points).

In the example of passengers that means that some of them reached their destination when the plane lands, while other might continue their journey as passengers.

Teams, however, come together for a stipulated time which ends when the goal is achieved by the team. For the cabin crew, the goal is to ensure a comfortable journey for the passengers. When the plane lands their job is done.

Let’s recap what we know about a group: it consists individual members who are concerned about their own individual tasks and outcomes, the members are judged by their own independent work and thus usually the lifetime of a group is specified.

In comparison team members are co-dependent, share tasks and responsibilities, work closely with each other. The team itself as a whole is responsible for the outcome and judged collectively. The team’s life ends when they achieved their goal.

(Video) Kristin Arnold on The Difference Between a Group and a Team (3 mins)

From group to team – The 7 principles

Knowing what makes a group or a team is a good starting point, but it is hardly enough. The next step would be to decide if you need a group or a team to carry out a plan.

There are several factors that could be important, e.g. timeframe, nature of the task, or competencies, but usually, it is better to go with the “group’s more productive unit“ called team.

Sadly to simply call a group a team instead, does not make the trick, but according to Maddux, there are seven principles to keep in mind and in check when aiming to form a team.

  • There is a shared understanding between the members that personal and team goals can be achieved best with mutual support.
  • Members feel a shared ownership of their work and the team’s goals and are committed to the commonly established (explicit or implicit) rules.
  • Everyone can contribute their personal or professional competencies to the success of the team’s goals.
  • There is room to express ideas and opinions, and team members are making effort to understand each other.
  • Nobody feels threatened by conflict and conflict is viewed as a normal aspect of teamwork.
  • There is an atmosphere of trust and encouragement, and members are encouraged to improve their skills and competencies.
  • The decision-making process is participative and no one is left out or unheard.

Surely these principles don’t appear overnight and it takes time, conscious effort and some team building activities to form or build a team.

However, if you start to notice that finally everyone is active during decision making or conflicts are settled relatively easy you can be sure that a team was born. If you would like to hear experts on the importance of team building watch these brilliant TED talks on team building!

Interested in team building activities? Find hundreds of team activities in the SessionLab public library of facilitation techniques and a complete Team Development Day agenda template. All free resources!

Do you agree with the above mentioned points? Can you add some more? Let us know in the comments we would love to learn from you!

(Video) The Difference Between a Group and a Team

FAQs

What is an example of a group and team? ›

When people share an elevator ride, they are a group; when the elevator gets stuck, they become a team. Individuals that get on the same elevator most likely share some things, like: they work in the same building and on the same floor or they may work for the same boss and have similar interests.

What are 4 differences between teams and groups? ›

Key differences between Group and Team

The group members do not share responsibility, but team members share the responsibility. The group focuses on achieving individual goals. Conversely, the team members focus on achieving the team goals. The group produces individual work products.

What makes a group a team? ›

A team is a group of people who do collective work and are mutually committed to a common team purpose and challenging goals related to that purpose. Collective work and mutual commitment are the key characteristics.

How many people make a group? ›

Numbers: When people talk about groups they often are describing collectivities with two members (a dyad) or three members (a triad). For example, a work team or study group will often comprise two or three people.

How do you define a group? ›

countable noun [with singular or plural verb] A group of people or things is a number of people or things which are together in one place at one time.

Why are teams better than groups? ›

In terms of successfully completing goals, teams are proven to be more effective because everyone is working interdependently toward a shared goal or outcome. Unlike in a group setting where each person is working independently, a team project relies on each member of the team to achieve success.

What is the purpose of a group? ›

Joining groups satisfies our need to belong, gain information and understanding through social comparison, define our sense of self and social identity, and achieve goals that might elude us if we worked alone.

What is a group example? ›

In-Groups and Out-Groups

Fraternities, sororities, sports teams, and juvenile gangs are examples of in-groups. Members of an in-group often end up competing with members of another group for various kinds of rewards. This other group is called an out-group.

What is an example of a team? ›

A team is defined as a group of people who perform interdependent tasks to work toward accomplishing a common mission or specific objective. Some teams have a limited life: for example, a design team developing a new product, or a continuous process improvement team organized to solve a particular problem.

What is a group give an example? ›

In maths, a group is the combination of a set and binary operation. For example, the set of integers with an addition operation forms a group and a set of real numbers with a binary operation; addition is also a group. These satisfy some laws, say closure, associative, identity and inverse to represent as a group.

What are some good examples of teams? ›

Unlike groups, teams are made up of people who coordinate their efforts and who depend on each other for overall team success. Some of the most notable historical examples of successful teams are the Carlisle Indians football team, the Ford Motor Company, and the Manhattan Project.

Videos

1. Solution Tree: Rick DuFour on Groups vs. Teams
(Solution Tree)
2. Group vs Team | Organisational Behaviour
(College Tutor)
3. Group vs Team & Group Formation Stages
(Dr Amit Lal)
4. Difference between TEAM-work & GROUP-work | Plus animated examples
(Education is Power)
5. Difference Between Group and Team | Group Vs Team | Types & Comparison Chart
(Key Differences)
6. #AHSS2310 - What is the difference between a team and a group?
(eva kovacevic)
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