As a society, we are bound to move forward as a collective, and being a team-player definitely helps to be part of that collective seamlessly. At NEC, we believe in promoting joint actions and efforts, and each one of our students is taught to keep their individual interests and opinions second to perpetuate the idea of unity and efficiency of the group. By this, we don’t mean that the individual is less important, though we definitely mean that teamwork goes beyond individual accomplishments. To create the most effective teamwork, a group needs to have harmony and a shared goal.
It is extremely important for the students to learn how to function ina team, so that that they can develop the required skill before they enter the professional world. We have designed plenty of group projects and assignments to help students inherit the idea of team play.There is a major difference between an individual working as part of a group and an individual working as part of a team. We predominantly promote teamwork, as that is the only way that helps students succeed on the professional front.
Groups Vs Teams
What makes teams stronger than a group is an approach that is being followed to create both. Usually, in groups, members work independently and don’t share a common goal, but in teams, although members work independently, the motive is to channel their efforts to accomplish the shared goal.
- In groups, members usually focus on themselves as they are not made part of the planning process; but in teams, members have a sense of ownership toward their roles,which makes them more committed towards the end goal.
- Members of the group are often just assigned tasks, and the window for them suggesting something is also narrow. Members in a team work in a more collaborative way, and are allowed to use their talent and experience to contribute as suggestions.
- The habit of raising questions, opinions, views, etc. is encouraged within the teams; whereas in groups, members remain very cautious about what they say or express.
- Teams are built on honesty, respect, and loyalty, which is where groups lack the most.
- In teams, conflicts are treated as a part of human nature and as an opportunity to have a constructive discussion that makes the way for fresh ideas and opinions. In groups, members consider the conflict of opinion as disagreements and threats, which pulls them away from success.
- Decision making is one of the most important step/process during any task, to achieve the desired goals, it is important to create a sense of authority in all the members. This can be created by making all of them participate equally in the decision-making. This only happens in teams– as groups lack this important feature and conformity is often given more importance.
The significance of teamwork is definitely larger than group-work. We, at NEC, make sure that the faculty members and students clearly understand this difference and work towards teamwork.
