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This article gives information on what team building is and tips on how to get this concept working for you!
More and more businesses are turning to teams as a way of boosting creativity and performance in the workplace. As organizations become flatter and responsibility works its way throughout the organization, managers have discovered that they need to be skilled in team facilitation.
Management experts have identified five stages that a work team goes through. Understanding these stages and what to expect during them helps managers to choose appropriate techniques to lead employees to greater productivity and job satisfaction. The Tuckman Model of group development gives these names to the stages: Forming, storming, norming, performing, and adjourning (sometimes called transforming if the team is an ongoing one).
Stage 1: Forming
A team will go through the forming stage at two different times: When the team is new and first put together and whenever a new member joins the team.
During the forming stage, members of the work team try to determine whether they should join the team and how well they fit in. If it is an entirely new team, this stage is spent with the individuals determining whether they want to be a part of it and whether it will be useful. Managers should strive to create a relaxed and friendly environment for the first team meeting. That meeting can be used to introduce people, explain what the team is to achieve, who will be affected by their work, and what the purpose of the group is. It is also a time to clarify team member roles, communicate timelines, and set up meeting dates. Team members must also determine how they are going to achieve their goals.
This is also a stage teams go through whenever a new person joins them. The new person is asking:
- How will I benefit from membership in this group? What can I contribute to be accepted?
- What will the other team members expect from me? What do I expect from them?
- How will I learn what is really important to the team? What are their goals? Are my goals compatible with them?
- Will I find that being a member of the team is boring or exciting? Threatening or rewarding?
The existing members will also have questions. The questions or concerns that they might have will have to be resolved before the new member becomes accepted. These questions can include:
- Can I trust this person?
- How will this person change the dynamics of the group?
- Can I work effectively with this person?
- Will this person become a cooperative team player
There are many things a manager can do to help both a new employee or new team and experienced employees through this stage. A few techniques include:
- Tell new employees information about their co-workers that will make the new employees want to be part of the team.
- Tell experienced employees a little bit about the new person.
- Explain how the new person will help the team effort¡Xto both the new person and the experienced employees.
- Have a solid orientation and training program in place.
- Recognize the challenges to joining a new team.
- Communicate clearly and be available to answer questions.
- Tell experienced employees what they have in common with the new person.
- Ask employees to help make the new person feel welcome.
Stage 2: Storming
The second stage of team development involves either the new member or the new team determining who is in charge. Team members will spend time finding out whom they can turn to for leadership and guidance. They might ask questions such as:
- Who has the most power to influence people on this team? Who are the strong formal and informal leaders?
- How are others in the work group influencing me? Who am I learning from?
- How are others in the work group influencing each other? Is there really a team effort?
- What opportunities are there for me to influence the team? Can I become an informal leader?
- The storming stage is also when the group begins to see conflict or experience tension. Teams will have to resolve such issues as company politics, lack of commitment, miscommunication, hidden agendas, missed deadlines, competing priorities, etc. The team must learn how to appreciate their differences and move beyond self interest. The team leader must not ignore the conflict, but rather bring it into the open and coach the team members on how to resolve it.
The storming stage is the time to focus members on how to solve problems and move forward.
Stage 3: Norming
The norming stage occurs when the team identity begins to crystallize. Team members are growing comfortable with each other and the feelings of their co-workers become more important. Team members may have the following concerns:
- Can I freely express my feelings in this team? Will other members accept constructive criticism? Is the work atmosphere open and honest?
- When I'm under stress, frustrated, or angry, can I work things out with the team?
- When members agree with others or express positive feelings, do others see it as honest feedback or do they see it as insincere patronizing?
- When members criticize ideas or express negative feelings, do others see it as honest feedback or do they see it as a clash of personalities?
It is during this stage that patterns for teamwork develop and the team is able to successfully build consensus. It is during this time that the team leader should focus on the issues or challenges that the team was formed to address. Other things the leader should do include:
- Provide time for team members to share their experiences and attitudes with each other.
- Let team members know that their opinions and comments are appreciated.
- Use the feedback provided by group members whenever possible.
- Compliment employees for their contributions to the team.
- Recognize when the team has gone beyond expectations.
Stage 4: Performing
During this stage, the team values the individual differences among its members and produces results at its highest level. Team members trust each other, enjoy working together, are highly committed to the team and have high energy levels. It is at this stage when the team leader needs to participate the least.
When team members are in the performing stage, they are more likely to:
- Spend time discovering the causes of problems
- Analyze causes of problems
- Seek ideas about the best way to resolve problems
- Decide whether the new way is working or if different procedures are still necessary
Stage 5: Adjourning or Transforming
If the team was meeting for the performance of a single task that is, it was an ad hoc team, or a project team, then the final stage is called adjourning. It is in this stage where the teams work is brought to a close and the members can celebrate what they have accomplished. It is a time to evaluate what was done and how it was done. It’s a good time to determine what mistakes can be avoided in the future and what things should be repeated.
If the team is an ongoing one, the transforming stage is where it passes from one function to the next. When it accomplishes a set of goals, it must determine its next set of goals, whether the vision is still valid and what they need to do differently. Like the adjourning stage, they must evaluate what they have accomplished and what was most effective
Moving Through Stages
It is important to note that teams will not necessarily progress in a straight line through these stages. They may cycle through several different stages multiple times. They may stagnate at one stage for a while before moving on. As long as the manager and/or team leader recognize the stages, they are able to respond appropriately to keep the team focused on its goals and moving toward the performing stage.
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