A team, a task force, and a committee
Name
Institution
A team, a task force, and a committee
Teams
A team is a group of people brought together to work cooperatively towards a common goal (Shanks & Buchbinder, 2017). A team can last for as long as an organization exists. Every member of a team has distinct strengths and weaknesses. Through coordination of efforts, team members can minimize weaknesses and maximize efforts, resulting in higher productivity. Members of a team usually possess interrelated skills that require constant cooperation and work together towards a common purpose. A decision is usually arrived at by the team leader, who may consult with other team members. People from various organizational departments may operate as a team under the guidance of a manager. The success of a team is measured based on individual achievement.
Taskforce
A taskforce is a specialized team that has been formed with a specific mission. In an organization, every mission would have a different taskforce. A taskforce is usually for a short time, usually dissolved after completion of the objective for which they were formed. Members of a task force have expertise in a particular field since its mission is usually specific. For instance, in a healthcare organization, a task force formed to spread electronic health records’ implementation is likely to consist of a physician, IT expert, and clinicians. The decision of a taskforce is usually arrived at by all members.
Committee
A committee refers to a group of individuals who have been appointed to perform a task on behalf of a community, organization, or institution. It serves for a longer time than a task force. Decisions are usually made through debate with individual members. Committees are formal teams defined in the organizational by-laws. Even if one member quits, a new member, is recruited to replace the exiting member. A committee’s success cannot be measured directly through the outcome of the members the committee represents. Individual members of a team can possess a wide range of skills and expertise.