CAT / FIA FBT Syllabus D. Leading And Managing Individuals And Teams - A Group and a Team - Notes ^{1 / 3}

A group is any collection of people who perceive themselves to be a group.

Groups have the following attributes:

1. A sense of identity - there are acknowledged boundaries of the group, who is in and who is out.

2. Loyalty to the group acceptance that bind the group together.

3. Purpose and leadership express purpose, choose individuals to lead them towards their goals.

In groups:

• people accommodate each other

• people negotiate

• objectives may be modified

• the process issues are often covert (hidden)

• politics are rife (frequent)

• commitment can be high.

An informal group

• is one that develops out of the day-to-day activities, interactions and sentiments that the members have for each other.  

  Informal groups typically meet their members' security and social needs.  

  In the work setting, the purpose of informal groups is not related to organisational goals.  

  Informal groups in organisations cannot always be classified simply as positive or negative because may exhibit both circumstances from time to time, depending on the circumstances or issues facing the organisation at a point in time.

A formal group

• is used in organisations to carry out tasks, communicate and solve problems. 

  Membership is normally formal, often determined or constrained by the organisation into departments or divisions.

A team

• is a number of employees with complementary competencies such as abilities, skills and knowledge who are committed to common performance goals and working relationships for which they hold themselves mutually accountable.  

  The heart of any team is a shared commitment by its members for combined performance.  

  Goals cannot be achieved without the cooperation and communication of team members.  

  When a team is formed, its members must have the right mix of competencies to achieve the team's goals.  

  Also, its members need to be able to influence how they will work together to accomplish those goals even if it includes the need of constructive criticism.