Managers who understand groups and group dynamics are already ahead of the game when it comes to producing results for an organization. We looked at types of groups we see in a work setting, and how they are defined. We looked at how groups come together through the lens of one of those sappy stories about sports, and how they all go through the forming, storming, norming and performing stages. And finally, we looked at the elements of a group: its roles, its norms and all of the characteristics that help determine how the group is going to operate and how productive it’s going to be.

And note, we might have talked about the Mighty Ducks. We might have talked about LeBron James and his comeback year with the Cleveland Cavaliers.  But we never said the word “team.” There’s a difference between a group and a team. All teams are groups, but not all groups are teams.

We’ll talk about that next. So much more to learn!