Introduction
Teamwork is not something that is easy to learn or teach. When it comes down to it, most of learning to work together as a team is developing the skill of communicating with and trusting the members of the team. When forming a team, one must keep in mind and try to create an environment where individuals can learn how to communicate and trust each other. Building a team and teamwork in organizations will most likely be the greatest accomplishment a manager or leader can reach. Belonging to a team is result of feeling part of something larger than one person. It has a lot to do with understanding the mission or objectives of the organization. This paper will explain the difference between team and group, how to build successful team, and how to manage team conflict.
Difference between a Team and a Group According to the article The Difference between a Team and a Group, the author cites The Wisdom of Teams in defining a team which states "A team is a small group of people with complementary skills and abilities who are committed to a common goal and approach for which they hold each other accountable." (Mackin, 2009). The author says a team consists of seven to twelve individuals. Usually, members of the team have a common goals, and responsibilities. Sometimes team members don’t have the same skills but working together they are capable of accomplishing their goals. Teams don’t wait their leaders to tell them what their goals and objectives are instead they take responsibility, and share roles. The foundation of a team is common commitment. Teams develop direction and commitment to shape an important purpose. In a team, time is not wasted struggling attempting personal gain at the expense of others. Members feel a sense of ownership for their jobs because they are committed to value based common goals that they helped establish. Teams contribute to the organization's success by applying their unique talents, knowledge and creativity to team objectives. Team member are encouraged to express ideas, opinions and disagreements.
On the other hand, members in a group tend to focus on themselves because they are not sufficiently involved in planning objectives. They approach their job simply as a hired. Groups are told what to do rather than being asked what the best approach would be. Groups are not encouraged to creative and share their ideas. In addition, group members find themselves in conflict situations they do not know how to resolve. Members of a group are mostly uncommitted towards excellence and personal satisfaction, and performance levels in a group tend to be average.
How to Build Successful Team
According to the article, On Building a Successful Team, there are several steps to follow in order to build the right team members. Here are the lists of steps on building successful team; * The assembling of talents at key positions * Roles and responsibilities must be clearly defined and understood by everyone * The importance of the leadership of the coach * The importance of training and practices and review meetings * Learning lessons and installing an environment where mistakes are tolerated * Provide them with the tools necessary to do the job * Become a fast team -- there is no speed limit in business * Continuous improvement * Reward and Reprimanding and the Oneness principle

The assembling of talents at key positions:
The first step is getting talented individuals within the organization or outside and put them into teams. This is a great step because it allows the coach’s to put people together based on their skills and experience before they even meet.
Roles and responsibilities must be clearly defined and understood by everyone:
After the team is selected, managers or leaders go through the goals, objectives, mission, and purpose of the organization. Coach’s offer training statement and the teams sign acknowledgement that states roles and responsibilities. In this training, they are told what are expected from them as a team.
The importance of the leadership of the coach:
The leader or manager that is assigned to the team must have the experience, leadership skills, integrity, and capability to lead the team effectively. Effective leadership is the most important mechanism of good teamwork. The teams coach should have the skills to create and maintain a positive environment and motivate. A great coach is the one that helps the team when they have difficulties, and internal conflicts. The team coach should recognize the teams’ hard work.
The importance of training and practices and review meetings:
Every team member should get the right training for his/her role and responsibilities. The team coach should take care of all the expenses that come with the training such as courses, materials, books, seminars, tapes and etc. This allows the team to stay up to date with industry technology and trends.
Learning lessons and installing an environment where mistakes are tolerated:
In this step, team members’ creativity and innovation are encouraged and when mistakes happen it is seen as a lesson. This is where great teams are built because they learn to solve their problems, and learn from their mistakes or disagreements. Teams learn lessons everyday through working together and sharing ideas.
Provide them with the tools necessary to do the job:
Teams cannot function without having the right resources. When teams are given the right tools, they are capable of completing the job successfully. Teams that lack the resources and tools face challenging situations, and end up having conflicts. Teams are successful when they receive support from management. They should have an environment where achievement is possible.
Become a fast team -- there is no speed limit in business:
When teams work together, things can move pretty fast and that’s what the changing market needs. This stage is encouraged because the market changes so fast that the only way to keep up is to innovate faster. In order to be successful, teams must be small and responsive. Teams that share their ideas, and are creative can move very fast implementing their ideas. In order to work faster teams must also learn to solve their problems faster and be self-managed teams.
Continuous improvement:
Before giving training, coaches evaluate if the team members needs any improvement or not. In addition the author states that each member must instill the desire to continuously improve his/her talents. It is important to have the end in mind when you begin the project, but it is more important to continuously improve on the end-results. Self-leadership and self-respect must be taught by this psychologically and emotionally adept coach.
Reward and Reprimanding and the Oneness principle:
The author stated, “A short note on rewarding and reprimanding the team: Reward openly without singling out an individual contribution; it is all a team effort. Everyone is equally important on the team. Reprimand members in secret and never lose face. Clearly state why you are reprimanding the individual, and finish each session with what is required of the person for the team.” (Harrison, 1997)
How to Manage Team Conflict Teams are usually made up of diverse groups of individuals, and each one of them has a different skills and capabilities. Having a diverse group is a good but it comes with its challenges and conflicts. However, disagreement and conflict are expected but how you solve the conflict makes the difference between success and disaster for a team and its project. Sometimes conflicts between the teams are healthy because it’s a way to understand organizational goals. Unsolved team conflicts can put organizations behind. Therefore, each member in the team should be encouraged to participate in an open discussion because some members might not feel comfortable in the beginning since they are diverse groups. Every team member ideas are important to the organization. So sharing it, will define goals and expectations for the team and the project. When teams know their ideas are valued, this will produce innovative thinking which will prevent negative emotions. (Corkindale, 2007)
Five Steps to Effectively Manage Team Conflict
According to the article Five Steps to Effectively Manage Team Conflict, The author lists five steps to follow when managing a conflict. (Gehrke, 2009) 1. Teams should complete a Myers Briggs (MBTI) or other personality profiling instrument for each team member. Many of these tools provide both individual and team profiles. A meeting can then be dedicated to explore each team member's and the team profiles. This allows team members to learn more about what motivates each individual, what their needs are, what they are uncomfortable with, etc... This builds more trust and understanding between team members and may provide insight into how each team member approaches conflict. 2. Teams should also take a conflict style survey such as the Thomas-Kilmann survey which determines how each team member approaches conflict. The author cites The Thomas Kilmann model which states "The Thomas-Kilmann Model describes five different approaches to conflict according to how people think about the importance of a task versus the importance of their relationship with people they work with" Individuals may be described as; Authoritative/Competitive; Problem Solving; Compromising; 3. Based on the understanding acquired from personality and conflict profiles, team norms should be set to determine in advance how they will manage conflict. For example, if the team recognizes that more authoritative/competitive individuals may dominate discussions they will recognize the need to build norms that increase involvement by those who may have an avoiding style. 4. Once norms are set, teams should brainstorm any possible obstacles which may interfere with open and productive discussions. They should agree on which obstacles threaten to derail the team and plan how to overcome these obstacles in advance. Teams that recognize potential obstacles will be less likely to become distracted by them when they occur. 5. If certain conflicts have derailed discussions in the past, or if the team faces a new conflict, the team needs to address these issues. Too often, teams are reluctant to address these issues because they may fear the damage such a discussion has on the interpersonal relations of the team. Damage to interpersonal relationships can be avoided if team members a four step process for managing conflict assertively. This process entails.
Conclusion
As organizations struggle to manage with the speed of change, increased technology and the challenges that come with globalization, only teams who work together can manage these demands effectively. Leaders should know the difference between a team and a group. After that the leader should be able to build a successful team following the above steps. Every team comes with conflicts and leaders should know how to manage, and discuss it openly with their team members. The shift from working alone to working on teams requires employees to cooperate with others, share information, confront differences, and maintain personal interests for the greater good of the team. Finally, teamwork requires leadership with a clear vision, goals, great communication, and inspiration to get the job done.