Sneak Peak - Team Building

Sneak Peak - Team Building

Understanding the role-set

Managers infrequently have the freedom to pick team members based on the above role-set.  Many managers aren't able to pick their teams at all; they must cope with the personalities thrust upon them. 

Whoever is in your team you will find that watching the inter-personal dynamics evolve, will help you manage the team better.  You may not have all of the above ‘characters' in your team.  However, as the team gels you may begin to recognise many of the above roles emerging.  You need to be able to see them, understand them, and facilitate them.

Team development - finding cohesiveness

B. Tuckman examined how teams or groups developed.  In 1965 he offered the following scenario.  To this day the development of teams has been structured upon this theory.

There are four stages to Team Development.

1.  Forming

2.  Storming

3.  Norming

4.  Performing.

Again we will look at these in turn.

Forming: At this first stage individuals are coming together.  They are eager to find out about each other's attitudes, approaches, knowledge and abilities.  They are eager to impress each other.  They are all trying to gain clarity as to the objectives of the team; understand its procedures, rules and methods.  A leader (if not already in place) will be evolving.

Storming: If the team members already know each other, this stage may take place during the first meeting.  If it is a new team, the group may be two or three meetings in before "Storming" occurs.  If the team is going to be productive, then sooner or later it must pass through this stage: Conflict. 

Team members may be trying to usurp each other and/or the goals of the team.  They may be resistant to each others ideas or resistant to the remit of the team.  This will come from an  emotional place; its natural.   However, the objectives of the team may still be re-directed, positively, at this stage.

Norming: This is when, through skilful facilitation, the conflict settles and the team starts to ‘gel'.  Trust and respect begins to emerge and the team begins to recognise its common goal.

Performing: Now most inter-personal difficulties have been resolved.  The team is ready to perform the task(s) required and do the work towards fulfilling its remit.