A
team is a group of people organised to work together. Teamwork is the ability to work together towards a common vision, goal or
objective. All team members must share in that vision and work both
independently and inter-dependently to achieve the goal. Modern managers must
have the ability to harmonise individual accomplishment with organisational
objectives.
As
a team matures, members gradually learn to cope with the emotional and group
pressures they face. As a result, the team goes through fairly predictable
stages:
Stage 1 Forming
When
a team is forming, members cautiously explore the boundaries of acceptable
group behaviour. Like hesitant swimmers, they stand by the pool, dabbling their
toes in the water. This is a stage of transition from individual to member
status, and of testing the leader's guidance both formally and informally.
Forming includes
these feelings:
§ Excitement,
anticipation and optimism
§ Pride in
being chosen for the project
§ Initial,
tentative attachment to the team
§ Suspicion,
fear and anxiety about the job ahead
and these behaviours:
§ Attempts
to define the task and decide how it will be accomplished
§ Attempts
to determine acceptable group behaviour and how to deal with group problems
§ Decisions
on what information needs to be gathered
§ Lofty,
abstract discussions of concepts and issues; or, for some members, impatience
with these discussions
§ Discussion
of symptoms or problems not relevant to the task; difficulty in identifying
problems
§ Complaints
about the organisation and barriers to the task
Because
there is so much going on to distract members' attention in the beginning, the
team accomplishes little, if anything, that concerns it's project goals. This
is perfectly normal.
Stage 2 Storming
Storming
is probably the most difficult stage for the team. It is as if team members
jump in the water, and thinking they are about to drown, start thrashing about.
They begin to realise the task is different and more difficult than they
imagined, becoming irritable, blameful or overzealous. Impatient about the lack
of progress, but still too inexperienced to know much about decision making or
the scientific approach, members argue about just what actions the team should
take. They try to rely solely on their personal and professional experience,
resisting any need for collaborating with other team members.
Storming includes
these feelings:
§ Resistance
to the task and to quality improvement approaches different from what each
individual member is comfortable using
§ Sharp
fluctuations in attitude about the team and the project's chance of success
and these behaviours:
§ Arguing
among members even when they agree on the real issues
§ Defensiveness
and competitive; factions start to form and members start to choose sides
§ Questioning
the wisdom of those who selected this project and appointed the other members
of the team
§ Establishing
unrealistic goals; concern about excessive work
§ A
perceived 'pecking order'; disunity, increased tension, and jealousy
Again,
these many pressures mean team members have little energy to spend on
progressing towards the team's goal. But they are beginning to understand one
another.
Stage 3 Norming
During
this stage, members reconcile competing loyalties and responsibilities. They
accept the team, team ground rules (or 'norms'), their roles in the team, and
the individuality of fellow members. Emotional conflict is reduced as
previously competitive relationships become more co-operative. In other words,
as team members realise they are not going to drown, they stop thrashing about
and start helping each other stay afloat.
Norming includes
these feelings:
§ A new
ability to express criticism constructively
§ Acceptance
of membership in the team
§ Relief
that it seems everything is going to work out
and these behaviours:
§ An attempt
to achieve harmony by avoiding conflict
§ More
friendliness, confiding in each other, and sharing of personal problems;
discussing the team's dynamics
§ A sense of
team cohesion, a common spirit and goals
§ Establishing
and maintaining team ground rules and boundaries (the 'norms')
As
team members begin to work out their differences, they now have more time and
energy to spend on the project. Thus they are able to at last start making
significant progress.
Stage 4 Performing
By
this stage the team has settled its relationships and expectations. They can
begin performing - diagnosing and solving problems, and choosing and
implementing changes. At last team members have discovered and accepted each
other's strengths and weaknesses, and learned what their roles are. Now they
can swim in concert.
Performing includes
these feelings:
§ Members
having insights into personal and group processes, and better understanding of
each other's strengths and weaknesses
§ Satisfaction
at the team's progress
and these behaviours:
§ Constructive
self-change
§ Ability to
prevent or work through group problems
§ Close
attachment to the team
The
team is now an effective, cohesive unit. You can tell when your team has
reached this stage because you start getting a lot of work done.
This article has
been extracted from one of the Impression Training course books. All training
materials are developed by experienced trainers and consultants.
Impression
Training runs courses related to this topic.
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