Like any complex human system teams can be fit for purpose or less than effective for what they are installed to do. Teams go through several stages in their growth, just like the people in them.
Forming: A need is identified and it requires a team solution, often because the need being addressed is multi-variate or multi-disciplined. This means that people are going to bring diverse skills, perspectives, perceptions, scotomas, and assumptions. In this phase, people are usually very polite and open to understanding each other's backgrounds and uniqueness.
Storming: The team now needs time and a process to think through the challenge and bring all of those unique lenses to examine the boundaries and scope of the issue at hand. In this phase some will want a careful rigorous assessment of the data and situation, others "have seen the movie and just know what is going on here". There will be tensions - too fast, too slow, not rigorous enough, "can't you see". If these tensions are not managed well they will move from objective and frustrated, to personal and blaming.
These first 2 stages are natural. All teams go through this. Teams that get stuck, avoidant, and dysfunctional don't manage to break past this phase. At worst, the team implodes, like a dying star, with all dreams of progress and success evaporating. Even worse, is that the team can drift on through the cosmos, pointless and ineffective, swallowing careers.
3. Norming: The team decides that it needs to work through this together and not succumb to the differences of opinions, perspectives, experiences and methodological biases that they might have brought to this. The team breaks down the problem by a systematic analysis of the environment around it including, push and pull factors, forces driving the situation, the stakeholders and politics, and the "what ifs". Crucially the team starts to deal with ways of working, when we are effective or not, individual behaviour that is getting in the way, leadership issues and the culture of the team itself. The team starts to agree its why, what, and how. A sense of "we and our needs" starts to overcome the sense of "me and my needs" as when this all first started. In great teams, they even have negotiated agreements about "what I will do less of and more of" so we can be the best version of ourselves - a behavioural contract. In this sense, the team can become self-governing.
4. Performing: The team now has a rigorous and shared plan and a set of agreements as to roles, processes, leadership, communication, goals, behavioural contracts, and timeframes.
A high-performing team typically exhibits the following characteristics:
Clear Goals and Vision: The team understands its purpose, the goals it needs to achieve, and the overall vision of the organization.
Strong Communication: Open and effective communication is vital for high performance, ensuring that team members are informed, engaged, and able to collaborate efficiently.
Trust and Mutual Respect: Team members have trust in each other's abilities, work ethic, and intentions. Respect for each other's perspectives and contributions is crucial.
Collaboration: High-performing teams are able to work together seamlessly, leveraging each member's strengths and expertise to achieve common goals.
Accountability: Each team member takes responsibility for their tasks, actions, and commitments. This ensures that everyone is contributing to the team's success.
Adaptability: The team can identify and react to changes quickly, adjusting goals and plans as needed to meet evolving circumstances.
Inclusion: A high-performing team values and respects diverse perspectives, experiences, and backgrounds, as this can lead to more innovative and effective solutions.
Support for Innovation: The team encourages creativity and the exploration of new ideas, promoting a culture of innovation to stay ahead in a competitive environment.
These characteristics contribute to the overall success and effectiveness of the team, allowing it to adapt to challenges, deliver high-quality results, and foster a positive working environment.
Team building techniques that work
Team building is essential to foster unity, boost productivity, and improve team performance. Here are some team-building techniques that can be effective:
Ice Breakers and Team Meetings: Utilize fun and engaging icebreaker activities at the start of team meetings to help team members feel more comfortable with each other and start conversations.
Training Workshops: Conduct workshops to train team members on new skills or enhance existing ones. This not only improves the team's abilities but also promotes a sense of shared experience.
Team Bonding Activities: Plan team outings or activities, like rafting, team sports, or cooking classes which have been shown to improve relationships within a team.
Problem-solving Activities: Implement problem-solving activities or games. These can help foster creative thinking, collaboration, and trust among team members.
Volunteer Together: Organizing team community service can be a powerful bonding experience that nurtures a shared sense of accomplishment.
Culture of Recognition: Encourage team members to openly recognize and appreciate the efforts of their colleagues. This promotes positivity and a sense of value among team members.
Open Communication Sessions: Regularly conduct open communication sessions where team members can express their thoughts, ideas, and concerns freely.
Feedback and Listen: Encourage team members to seek feedback and reciprocate by attentively listening to colleagues' ideas or concerns.
Clear Role Definition: Clearly define each team member's role and how it contributes to the larger team goal. When each member understands their responsibilities and the importance of their role, they are more likely to feel motivated to contribute.
Trust-Building Exercises: Initiate exercises that promote trust. For example, the classic "fall back" game, where one person falls backward and trusts the team to catch them.
Remember that successful team building is about more than just arranging a one-off event; it's about consistently encouraging collaboration, trust, communication, and fun.
Where teamwork can go wrong:-
The problem was the leader, not the team. The wrong solution is applied.
The problem is one or two individuals not all of us. So we tend to end up with “we all have to” solutions rather than “sort out Gerry and Fiona”. This is usually about the wrong intentionality and usually about self-awareness.
It is an event, a bit of fun. Teams are like cars, you need to service them occasionally. The good news is that you already have the software (team agreements) it's just that some aspects have degraded.
When you have new team members you have a new team.
People are “put on” the team and even if they know why they are there, they don’t want to be there
The team problems are taken “off-road” rather than being dealt with in the light with everyone being a stakeholder. Things become personal and political.
You realise too late that you needed a facilitator because the leader fell into the trap of running the sessions as opposed to contributing. If you get a facilitator - best if it is a business-like and experienced organisational psych - this is what they do.
You realise too late that you have a great solution but terrible levels of buy-in and commitment. Both are critical for team effectiveness.
When you were assessing the team you spent too much on the "what" (goals, roles, etc) and forgot to check the feelings people had when they were in the room with their team members. The feelings are the canary in the coalmine. I always start there.
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