Stages of Team Development

Stage One: Formation

In this first stage, it is actually safe to say that you have a group of people who work together, rather than a true team. People in this stage will gather together to share information, or to decide what actions will help individuals better fulfill their specific job functions, but there is not a committed focus toward a common goal. Some of the key characteristics of groups in this stage include:

If you were the team leader observing these characteristics on your team, the question becomes, “What can I do to help move the team forward?” The following five suggestions will help move a team through the team development process.

1.  Meet often. When new teams come together, team members feel a lack of “belonging” to the team. Because of this lack of belonging and the unknown relationships, along with unclear roles and responsibilities, it is sometimes easier for individuals not to meet at all. Everyone will go on doing their own jobs without feeling a need to come together as a team. By meeting more often in the beginning of team development, the members get to know and trust each other earlier in the process.

2.  Conduct introductions. If people do not know each other well, it will be helpful to have people introduce themselves. As the leader, it is your responsibility to give people an opportunity to get to know each other.

3.  Give a proper orientation to the team. Any time a new member joins a team, this addition has the potential to send the team back to the forming stage. It is helpful to give new members the proper history and background of your team.

4.  Clarify team goals. We know that one of the key characteristics of a great team is a challenging goal. It is important that all team members have been involved in the goal setting and clarification process.

5.  Ask for commitment. When teams are new, we do not know who is really committed to the team’s goals and who is not. You will find it helpful to ask people directly for the commitment to helping the team be successful. You may also find it helpful to ask team members what they would like to personally achieve by being a member of the team.

Stage Two: Conflict

As members get accustomed to working with each other, conflict or feelings of hopelessness or helplessness may arise. We have listed some of the outward characteristics of this stage of team development:

These characteristics are not bad, but rather a natural course of direction in the team-building process. As the supervisor or manager, it is part of your job to know what you can do to help move the team forward. The following five suggestions provide specific guidance.

1.  Address team members in conflict. The worst thing you can do when conflict arises on your team is to ignore it. You may ask two team members to sit down and resolve their conflict, or you may sit down and play the role of a mediator in resolving the conflict. Either way, you are addressing the conflict, rather than ignoring it.

2.  Maintain conversations in the aim frame. We advise supervisors in our seminars to be “aim frame thinkers” vs. “blame frame thinkers.” Aim frame thinkers ask two questions: “Where do we want to be?” and “How do we get there?” These two questions keep all conversations healthy and productive. Blame frame thinkers also address two questions: “What’s wrong?” and “Who can we blame?” With these last two questions we only have two guarantees—nothing will be accomplished and it will divide the group.

3.  Meet often. Groups in conflict will actually stop meeting because they would rather avoid each other than discuss the conflict. Force the group to meet and discuss the sensitive issues. If you stick to the aim frame, it will go well.

4.  Ask participants to sit in different seats. Groups in conflict have set seat assignments that many times they will refuse to change because that may mean they have to sit next to someone they do not like. Prior to each meeting, tell people they have to sit in a different seat next to someone new. In fact, you might even lead by example. It works!

5.  Focus on results. This is the stage when many managers spin their wheels concentrating on making the relationships “right.” You may find it more productive to focus your energy on the results the team produces. When the team members are totally focused on results and are held accountable for the results, many of the relationship problems will be resolved by the individuals involved.

Stage Three: Functional Work Group

This stage occurs when teams get their jobs done. There is not a lot of conflict, but then again, there is not a lot of excitement either. Teams come together each day, do their assigned duties, and then leave. Some of the key characteristics of this stage include:

You may ask the question, “If the team is not broken, why try to fix it?” The reason is because a team in this stage is capable of much more. With a few adjustments, you can help to improve the level of commitment, the level of productivity, and the amount of fun and satisfaction individuals gain by being a part of the team. Some actions to help the team move forward include:

1.  Set new goals. If the team is comfortable where they are, see if the team can come up with any new challenges. It is during the times when we are challenged that we succeed and do our very best.

2.  Provide training. In the functional work group stage, people may begin to feel like they have stopped growing. Find out what people would like to learn and help them promote their personal and professional growth.

3.  Encourage innovation. This is the stage when you will hear the line, “But we have always done it that way, why change?” Change creates growth in individuals and teams, and growth helps to increase satisfaction.

4.  Recognize what is right. In this stage, supervisors tend to become involved when something is not right. This means that people only hear from you when something is wrong. Make a commitment to also recognize those things that are going well.

Stage Four: A High-Performing Team

This is the stage where the definition of teamwork, listed at the beginning of this chapter, fully develops. You will begin to see some of the key characteristics of a high-performing team:

This time, the discussion is not centered around what can you do to move the team forward, but rather, what can you do to help keep the team performing at high levels. Some ideas include:

1.  Celebrate successes. In watching great teams perform, we have observed that they will find a reason to celebrate every success. Part of their motivation is knowing they will recognize the superior accomplishments of the team.

2.  Do a team audit. When things are going great, most people will feel comfortable addressing the question, “What could we have done even better?”

3.  Change your role to facilitator. High-performing teams will operate whether the leader is present or not. Knowing that, become a facilitator, rather than the “supervisor.” High-performing teams know what needs to be done.

4.  Set new goals and vision. If the group is not continually setting new challenging goals, the team will lose its drive and motivation. People want to be a part of a team that is accomplishing something great.

5.  Have fun. There is no greater reward than being a part of a fun team!