What are the main features of a group?

Workplaces may form groups for a variety of reasons, such as to achieve a goal or provide support related to a specific topic. For example, a group’s purpose may be to complete a project. Here are some more key features of groups in the workplace:

Number of members

Typically, a group consists of two or more members. These may include a group of all managers, all employees or a mix of both, depending on the group’s purpose. While the minimum number of group members is two, there can be any unlimited amount of members that join a group. To help the group remain easy for managers to oversee, most workplaces keep their groups to 15 to 20 members.

Influence

An important feature involves group members having a positive influence on one another. Group members may impact each other while collaborating on a task or communicating frequently to achieve their goals. While team members may be a positive influence to others, they may also consider the influence that other members have on them.

Goals

Most groups have certain goals for team members to achieve. This may include a quota, project deliverable or task that they can complete. Workplaces may create groups with team members that have similar goals so that they can understand each other’s workload, including challenges and accomplishments.

Norms

Norms are the standards of behaviors that the group accepts. They are the expectations and requirements that group leaders or members may encourage everyone to follow. Norms often include communication techniques, participation and standards of work. For example, a leader may establish the expectation that all group members check in each morning with information about their workload progress. Having norms ensures that groups maintain specific standards that group members can follow consistently.

Structure

A group’s structure defines the roles that each member has. It describes the part that a member plays in helping the group achieve its goals. The role may relate to a member’s position, like if they are a sales professional, they may track the number of sales throughout the group. The roles can also relate to an employee’s specific part in the group, like if they help the group maintain a positive attitude by sending encouraging messages. A leader may assign roles to each member, or the members may adopt their roles naturally as they become comfortable with the group.

Interaction

Interacting with team members and leaders is an important feature for groups since it allows for group members to build trust and develop healthy work relationships. There are numerous ways that interaction can take place among team members, including through instant messaging, video conferencing or in person. Leaders often create team-building activities where team members can interact with one another. Team members may also communicate with other members for help on their work or with a question about a task.

Examples of groups

Here are two examples of groups that many workplaces have:

Formal groups

Formal groups are teams that management forms to achieve a specific goal. Team members may work together to achieve a company-related goal, like increasing clientele or boosting brand awareness. They may also provide support to one another as they achieve individual goals, like hitting an individual sales goal or completing their work quota. Here are the different various types of formal groups:

Self-directed teams

Self-directed teams are groups that have the authority to make their own decisions. Management allows these groups to determine their own structure and norms. These groups are often more independent and may report to management on a regular basis to provide updates on their progress.

Quality circles

Quality circles involve multiple employees that meet to discuss work-related topics, including challenges, questions and accomplishments. Management may assign them a specific time to meet and decide if they meet weekly or monthly. Generally, workplaces use these groups to give employees an outlet to discuss issues and seek solutions from their colleagues.

Task forces

A task force is a temporary group where employees from various fields and departments work together to perform a task. Typically, a task force’s goal is to improve company operations or resolve an operating issue. Employees from various fields can provide their expertise on how to complete a project successfully. For example, a technology professional may share how to create the software for a new project, while a marketing professional may work on promoting the finished project to consumers.