Jesse Jackson once wisely observed that many want to bask in the glory of the metaphorical resurrection. But, he noted, “no one wants to go through the pain of crucifixion. Religion aside, his words apply to many different spheres. There are, for example, many aspiring authors who wish they had an entire book with their name on it.” the cover. However, many of those authors are unwilling or seemingly unable to go through the lengthy process of achieving that goal. And the same goes for teamwork. Each group is initially eager to achieve a self-imposed objective or goal. directed by the manager, however, roadblocks often prevent them from achieving the success they once hoped for.
Teamwork is a word that is thrown around. But there is nothing casual about the process of creating a team. You will find tips for team building in the next section.
When divisions are healed, teams can multiply their efforts. Without that collaboration, little can be achieved. Former Ford Motor Company CEO Don Petersen has often pointed out that to achieve the results we want, we have to maximize the benefits of good relationships.
TEAM DEVELOPMENT
Many of you may not know Bruce Tuckman’s name, but his four-word rhyme that describes how teams evolve you’ve probably heard it before. Form, Storm, Norm, Perform reflects the typical stages of team development. But, team building doesn’t happen in a straight line. Yes, teams exit one stage and advance to the next. But just because the party has resolved important issues in the Storm phase, for example, doesn’t mean the conflict will never arise again.
Generally speaking though, the rhyme is a useful construct to help team members know that their progress can be identified. Calibration may be required if the team occasionally goes backwards instead of forwards, but it’s reassuring to know the predictable phases almost all teams go through.
shape
When team members meet, they often worry about what to expect. This is where the team leader comes in. He or she must provide information, presentations, and guidelines. The leader can exert considerable influence at this stage, helping the team define its structure and the path to ultimate success.
This stage will find members cautious, perhaps confused, and not likely to reveal too much about themselves. So it’s up to the leader to create a sense of harmony, to start building trust so that time and talent can be truly optimized. And, because members are likely to have questions they may not want to ask, the leader must anticipate what those questions might be. The team leader assumes a “tell” position at this stage.
Storm
In the next stage of team building, we find members beginning to let their voices be heard. Disagreements are likely to occur at this stage, as team members may try to rebel against decisions they don’t like. At this stage, there are likely to be clashes. They are normal, especially if the team wants to know how individual members are feeling. Growth rarely happens if we don’t survive such interpersonal storms.
Standard
Commitment is the word that best describes this next stage of team building. We see members beginning to share ideas, to ask questions, to recognize the importance of their task. The leader can begin, in the Norm stage, to share the leadership role. The mission begins to unify the group and their personal needs take a backseat. As commitment is growing, the criticality of the mission begins to override the importance of the needs of individuals. At this stage, team members begin to explore ways to perform their tasks in a more organized and efficient manner.
Carry out
The final stage of team building provides the ideal, in terms of group effort. The leader shares responsibility and power. Team members at this stage are united around a common goal; they cooperate voluntarily; they know what they can offer and respect the efforts of others. In the Execute state, team members ideally know that criticism is not personal. Rather, negative feedback is given only to optimize efforts toward goal achievement. The pride in what has been accomplished as a united whole is evident.
Contribute to a positive working relationship among team members if each member’s job. If you have the special gift of achieving harmony when groups come together for a singular purpose, you have a special gift. However, even without that gift, you can work cooperatively.
JACKSON’S PERSPECTIVE
Legendary Chicago Bulls championship coach Phil Jackson once observed that “the strength of the team is each individual member. The strength of each member is the team.” He can “resurrect” his struggling team, no matter its members, no matter its goal, by exploring what it means to be a team member and then building on the strengths each member and the team itself possess.