Business borrowed the term \u201cteam\u201d from the world of sports, to label an interim group of people mobilized to deliver towards a common goal (product, project). We\u2019re hoping the team will inherit the glory and sense of purpose glowing from National Teams, along with the motivation to train hard to be amongst the prospects; to actually get selected; and to fight like a champion once you\u2019ve made it \u201call the way\u201d. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
We\u2019re setting the highest standards for team\nperformance, and we understand that teams don\u2019t just go to work. They need to\nbe built! Some will look to Bruce Tuckman\u2019s Stages of Group Development to\nunderstand the relationship-dynamics in teams, starting off as a loosely connected\ngroup of individuals, evolving in four clearly identifiable stages: Forming,\nStorming, Norming \u2013 and finally: Performing. Others may believe teams will flourish if the individual\npersonalities are sourced and joined in certain ways, using tools such as\nMyers-Briggs Type Indicator. Or other approaches, or a mix over time, as teams\nare continuously built and re-built.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As a team leader, in your day-to-day work you will typically nurture two types of coherence: task and social coherence, maybe sometimes stimulating the latter to improve the former. Meaning: team dinners or \u201coutings\u201d to improve performance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, the task\/social coherence presents a classical chicken-and-egg problem: will a team with coherent and logically interdependent task also enjoy a great social life, or vice versa \u2013 a team having fun socially will make an extra effort to work together well? Research points to task-coherence as the decisive factor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To understand task coherence, let\u2019s borrow some more\nfrom the world of sports:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In terms of performance, social coherence is\nirrelevant for the task \u2013 only task coherence is needed (in some contexts,\nsocial coherence can even be detrimental to performance, diluting competition between\nteam members). The sense of doing everything for the team is documented to be greater\nin teams that require extensive interaction, coordination and cooperation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Social cohesion may increase as a result of success.\nEveryone loves winning, and winning may lead us to see teammates in a more\nfavorable light. At the other end of the\nsocial cohesion spectrum, the notion of being stuck with a group of people you\nreally don\u2019t like, or where the level of competition is excessive, is not very attractive.\nSocial cohesion doesn\u2019t hurt, spending time with people you like is endlessly\nmore pleasant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, it\u2019s imperative for performance to stay on-task. If you come across a team with an amazing social life, but little task cohesion, it\u2019s time to refocus on the set goals (even at the expense of the good vibes). As a team leader wanting to promote team success, pay attention to the way the team collaborates, look out for the effects of competition and collaboration, and also have a keen eye for individual goals. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pleasant and fun as they surely often are, social events will stimulate many things \u2013 company loyalty, family support, employer brand, etc. But in terms of performance, team dinners are really only dinners with the team. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Business borrowed the term \u201cteam\u201d from the world of sports, to label an interim group of people mobilized to deliver towards a common goal (product, project). We\u2019re hoping the team will inherit the glory and sense of purpose glowing from National Teams, along with the motivation to train hard to be amongst the prospects; to … <\/p>\n