It could be said that there is no such thing as a typical team. Organizations create and use teams in ways that make sense for their operations. As well, teams within organizations may shift and change during particular junctures of the organization’s history.
Four Types of Teams
There are four general team types. They include advice teams, production teams, project teams, and action teams.
Advice Teams
Advice teams include advisory committees, task forces struck by boards of directors, and employee groups for overseeing activities such as occupational safety and health.
Production Teams
Production teams can be diverse by nature and include flight crews, manufacturing crews, and teams with sophisticated technical abilities that can coordinate the develop of things like software. Production teams tend to require a high level of coordination and their work is both cyclical and recurring.
Project Teams
Project teams tend to require both technical sophistication and a high degree of coordination. Their work cycles can differ from project to project. Project teams include engineering teams, research groups and special task forces.
Action Teams
Action teams tend to have short work cycles and often repeat their team activities. Action team members tend to require specialized training for each team member. Examples of action teams include surgical units, military troops, and sports teams.
Elaine Allan, BA, MBA
Technology & Business Blogger
Vancouver, BC, Canada