Building Effective Teams

1. Forming

• Members rely on safe, patterned behavior.
• Members look toward the leader for guidance and direction.
• Members seek acceptance from the group and need to know that the group is safe.
• Members are gathering impressions and data about others in the group.
• Members keep things simple and avoid controversy.

2. Storming

• Competition and conflict arise as the members begin to organize for their task.
• Individuals have to bend and mold their feelings, ideas, attitudes, and beliefs to suit the group organization.
• Increased desire for structure or clarification and commitment to structure.

3. Norming

• Members engage in active acknowledgement of all members' contributions, community building and maintenance, and solving of group issues.
• Members actively engage one another to modify ideas and seek answers.
• Leadership is shared and the group begins to know and trust one another, adding to the cohesion of the group.
• Information flows within the group. Creativity is high.

4. Performing

• Members become interdependent.
• Their roles and authorities dynamically adjust to the changing needs of the group and individuals.
• Group identity is complete, group morale is high, and group loyalty is intense.
• The overall goal is productivity through problem solving and work.

5. Adjourning

• Termination of task behaviors and disengagement from relationships.

Tuckman, B.W. & Jensen, M.A.C. (1977). Stages of small-group development revisited. Group and Organization Studies, 2(4), 419-427.

Define the Following with Your Group:

• What goals need to be accomplished with a team building session? What are your group's needs?
• What are your team's overall goals?
• What are your team's long-term goals? Where do you, as a group, want to be in 1, 2, 3, 4 years?
• What are the roles and responsibilities of team members and leaders?
• How should decisions be made?
• Who makes which decisions?
• Are members satisfied with your organizational structure?
• Evaluate team morale. Can it be improved? How?
• Identify team strengths and weaknesses. Are you using your strengths optimally? How can you improve your weaknesses?

Important Aspects of an Effective Team:

• Team roles and responsibilities are clearly defined
• All team members feel that their input is valued
• Freedom of communication between team members
• Include team members who are less assertive
• Team members are supportive of one another and of the team's goals
• Team members agree on the purpose and direction of the team
• Problems are met with solutions
• Periodic updates and assessments of the team

BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Dyer, William G. Team Building. Reading, Mass: Addison-Wesley, 1987.