Groups and High-Performance Teams
Abstract
Today’s leaders face many challenges in the creation of a high-performing team. Effective leaders are able to assemble a high-performance team with good hierarchical balance, measurable and attainable goals, and appropriate communication expectations across the team. They promptly address conflict resolutions and break down all physical barriers in managing multi-city offices and dispersed employees. By paying close attention to team demographics and diversity, good leaders will establish a solid group foundation which will result in a high-performance team. Groups and High-Performance Teams
There are many factors that affect a team’s behavior and overall performance. Group demographics and diversity can ultimately play a key role in the success or failure of any team. This paper will identify some of the challenges that today’s leaders face in turning a group into a high-performance team, and the impact of demographic characteristics and cultural diversity on group behavior.
Groups vs. Teams
As defined by Schermerhorn (2005), “A group is a collection of two or more people who work with one another regularly to achieve common goals. An effective group is one that achieves high levels of task performance, member satisfaction, and team viability.” Teams on the other hand, are usually time-limited groups that get together to achieve a common purpose. “An essential criterion of a true team is that the members feel ‘collectively accountable’ for what they accomplish.” (Schermerhorn, 2005). The manager or team leader must remember the importance of the team members’ ability to associate themselves with a group identity and begin to form an attachment to their teammates. “The fact is that it takes a lot more work to build a well-functioning team than simply assigning members to the same group and then expecting them to do a great job.” (Shcermerhorn, 2005).
Team Identity
Setting a team’s identity is one of the first steps a manager must
Today’s leaders face many challenges in the creation of a high-performing team. Effective leaders are able to assemble a high-performance team with good hierarchical balance, measurable and attainable goals, and appropriate communication expectations across the team. They promptly address conflict resolutions and break down all physical barriers in managing multi-city offices and dispersed employees. By paying close attention to team demographics and diversity, good leaders will establish a solid group foundation which will result in a high-performance team. Groups and High-Performance Teams
There are many factors that affect a team’s behavior and overall performance. Group demographics and diversity can ultimately play a key role in the success or failure of any team. This paper will identify some of the challenges that today’s leaders face in turning a group into a high-performance team, and the impact of demographic characteristics and cultural diversity on group behavior.
Groups vs. Teams
As defined by Schermerhorn (2005), “A group is a collection of two or more people who work with one another regularly to achieve common goals. An effective group is one that achieves high levels of task performance, member satisfaction, and team viability.” Teams on the other hand, are usually time-limited groups that get together to achieve a common purpose. “An essential criterion of a true team is that the members feel ‘collectively accountable’ for what they accomplish.” (Schermerhorn, 2005). The manager or team leader must remember the importance of the team members’ ability to associate themselves with a group identity and begin to form an attachment to their teammates. “The fact is that it takes a lot more work to build a well-functioning team than simply assigning members to the same group and then expecting them to do a great job.” (Shcermerhorn, 2005).
Team Identity
Setting a team’s identity is one of the first steps a manager must
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