5 Stages of Team Development

5 Stages of Team Development5 Stages of Team DevelopmentOrganizations have used kollektivs for years with some more successful than others. In a quest to determine why so many kollektivs failed to achieve their goals, kollektiv development became a hot topic. The differences between successful and unsuccessful kollektivs were studied, and organizations gradually learned to manage gruppes more effectively through all of their stages of development and contribution. Successful Team Development Traditionally, a team goes through five stages of development, with each stage presenting its own challenges. The goal is for a cohesive team of people to produce a positive outcome that contributes to the success of the organization. Proper Team Support The team and the organization take specific actions at each stage to support the teams success inaccomplishing its mission. Supporting the team at each stage of development will help it accomplish its goal. With a thoughtful look at each stag e of team development, you can solve problems before they derail the team. You cannot treat a team the same at each stage of its development because the stages dictate different support actions. behauptung support actions, taken at the right time, will allow your teams to develop and successfully meet their challenges. Leadership Is Key Most importantly, at each stage, the behavior of the leader must adapt to the changing and developing needs of the group. An effective leader who other members of the team want to followis indispensable when the group is trying to progress through the stages of development. Generally, the leader reports to a manager. The manager, as the team sponsor, must understand how to support the team at each stage of development. This understanding by company leadership is critical to the teams success. Stages of Team Development Dr. Bruce W. Tuckman, a professor of educational psychology at the Ohio State University, who researched the theory of group dyna mics, published one of his theories in 1965 called Tuckmans Stages of Group Development. Thus, emerged a four-stage team development model, Forming, Storming, Norming, and Performing, with a fifth stage, Adjourning, added in 1977. The five stages of team development include suggested actions to best support the team Forming A group of people comes together to accomplish a shared purpose. Their initial success will depend on their familiarity with each others work style, their experience on prior teams, and the clarity of their assigned mission. As a sponsor, your role is to help the team members get to know each other whether you offer team building activities or just a listening ear.Storming Disagreement about mission, vision, and ways to approach the problem or assignment are constant at this stage of development. This struggle is combined with the fact that team members are still getting to know each other, learning to work with each other, and growing familiar with the interacti on and communication of group members. As a sponsor, once again, your role is to help the team get to know each other whether you offer team building activities or just a listening ear. Help your team leader clarify each of these assignments so that the team succeeds. Norming The team has consciously or unconsciously formed working relationships that are enabling progress on the teams objectives. The members have consciously or unconsciously agreed to abide by certain group norms and they are becoming functional at working together. As a sponsor, ask for periodic updates from the team. Regularly check the teams progress at agreed-upon intervals and critical steps on the path to a successful conclusion.Performing Relationships, team processes, and the teams effectiveness in working on its objectives are syncing to bring about a successfully functioning team. This is the stage at which the real work of the team is progressing. As a sponsor, ask for periodic updates from the team. Help solve problems and provide input as needed. Make sure that team members are communicating with all of the other appropriate parties in your workplace. Adjourning The team has completed its mission or purpose and it is time for team members to pursue other goals or projects. As a sponsor, make sure that the team schedules an ending ceremony. Whether they debrief the project and discuss how the team could have been more successful or they just order pizza, you will want to mark a clear ending to the team or project. These stages can be applied to all teams. However, in the case of ongoing teams, such as a department team, social media team, a customer service team, the Ending stage is not applicable. The length of time necessary for progressing through these stages depends on the experience, knowledge, and skills of the members and the support they receive. In addition, teams may work at varying rates based on issues and obstacles they may encounter, such as changing team members, tasks, and goals. Closing Thoughts The purpose of creating teams is to provide a framework that will increase the ability of employees to participate in planning, problem-solving, and decision making to better serve customers. Increased participation promotes A better understanding of decisionsMore support for and participation in implementation plansIncreased contribution toproblem-solvingand decision makingMore ownership of decisions, processes, and changes In order for teams to fulfill their intended role of improving organizational effectiveness, it is critical that they develop into working units that are focused on their goal, mission, or reason for existing. They do this by effectively progressing through the stages of development.