Characteristics of Teams vs Groups.
Although groups and teams both involve people working together toward a goal, they differ along several dimensions.
The first distinguishing characteristic of a team is full commitment of its members to a common goal and approach that they often develop themselves. Members must agree that the team goal is worthwhile and agree on a general approach for meeting that goal. Such agreement provides the vision and motivation for team members to perform.
The second characteristic is mutual accountability. To suceed as a team, members must feel and be accountable to one another and to the organization for the process and outcome of their work.
The third characteristic of a team is a team culture based on a trust and collaboration. Whereas group members share norms, team members have a shared culture. Team members are willing to compromise, cooperate, and collaborate to reach their common purpose.
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