The Stages of Team Building
Its a well know fact that groups go thru 1 or 2 stages before they start to perform well. It’s very important to understand this point as well as grasp the incontrovertible fact that conflict is a normal and crucial part of any team formation. Like the universe that started with a big bang then turbulently flew around in all directions before beginning to form attractive stars and planets. Well perhaps not as violent but certainly similar is style.
How many groups have you seen formed where everybody is finding their place. It will take time for everyone to get comfortable and start to trust. At its simplest it is relationship building.
So we chatted about stages at the start. What are the stages? There are 5 of them. Heres a short description of each.
Stage 1 – Forming
This is right at the start. In this stage team members are normally respectful and can be a little reserved. Its at this point that people are looking to be accepted and there may be a scent of excitement in the air.
Stage 2 – Storming
The second stage is where we'll start to see some turbulence begin to form. It’s during stage two when you can begin to see leadership being formed and team members begin to compete for position and begin challenging the results of the team.
Stage 3 – Norming
Now we are starting to see some cooperation as a sense of team unity ignites. Its at about that point that responsibilities and roles become more clear and expectations are being decided.
Stage 4 – Performing
At this point the team knows what its about and how to reach it. Not that many teams make it this far. Now we are beginning to see maximum work achieved and smooth workflow with a little hint of interdependence.
Stage 5 – Dorming
The final stage is one of decline. Its when a team become complacent with its purpose and finds itself sliding into a comfortable daze, stuck on past accomplishments and start to suspect that others can handle it now.
Understanding the stages of team formation is crucial but there’s more. You’ll be able to find team building ideas to get you though these stages and much more over at our blog www.buildateam.co.