A work group is a team formed to carry out certain tasks.
A group is a set of individuals or elements. Work , for its part, is a term with several uses, although in this case we are interested in its meaning as a physical or intellectual activity.
A team that is formed with the objective of carrying out a common task is called a work group . The dictionary of the Royal Spanish Academy ( RAE ) relates the concept to the group that, in an educational establishment, is established by students or organized by a teacher to develop an activity, although the notion is broader.
What is a work group
At a general level, it can be said that a work group is a team that meets to achieve a certain goal , usually with the participation of a coordinator or leader . In this framework, the members of the work group must act in a coordinated manner in pursuit of the shared objective, leaving aside their personal interests and prioritizing the group good.
For the work group to function efficiently , members must accept and respect a series of rules that facilitate interactions. If all members feel valued and important, the level of satisfaction within the group is high and this makes it easier to achieve the objective.
Its importance in problem solving and project development
It is common for companies , organizations or governments to set up work groups to develop projects or solve problems . When the issues are complex, the working groups must be interdisciplinary : that is, they must have experts in different disciplines so that the approach to the problem is broad.
A marketing specialist, an accountant, and a designer, for example, can join together in a work group whose purpose is to create and launch a new product on the market. These three professionals can share their knowledge to determine what characteristics the product should have in terms of its packaging , its advertising, its price, etc.
Work groups usually have a leader or coordinator.
How to form a work group
When forming a working group, it is necessary to take into account a series of factors from the beginning to avoid problems that are difficult to resolve once the project is underway. The first important point is the diversity of the members: with some exceptions, there is no point in bringing together ten people with the same knowledge, especially if we are looking for a result that overflows with creativity.
The balance of specializations and talents is difficult to find, but with a responsible planning stage we increase the chances of finding the right people. For example, if we need to form a work group to develop a video game, the core of it will be a programmer, a designer, a graphic artist and a music composer.
Of course, this list becomes more complex as we delve into the details; For example: the ideal is to have more than one programmer, each one specialized in different aspects of the process , such as the engine, the interface and the gameplay. Regarding graphic artists, it is also normal to look for at least one who specializes in drawing and another who is in charge of three-dimensional art.
We can say that sometimes the heterogeneity of the work group is more important than the project that brings it together. A great idea in the hands of the wrong group can turn into a failure, and vice versa. The sense of responsibility is another key point for all members of the group, and it goes hand in hand with mutual respect and team vision . The popular Swiss motto "one for all, all for one" summarizes the most recommended attitude for group work to work, a kind of rule with which to measure its "quality."