The reason for this is that there are always different dynamics at play. You have the team members' own moods and levels of energy and enthusiasm at any given time; you've got group dynamics; and various different reasons for each team member being in the group and different things they each want to achieve.
What is important when working with teams (whether they are adhoc teams that come together to complete one task and are then disbanded, or teams that work together over months on complicated projects) is to understand what makes them stick together with a united purpose.
In my experience the most cohesive teams are those who are enabled to enjoy adequate forming and storming phases, as opposed to simply throwing the team together and hoping for the best.
According to Dr Bruce Tuckman all teams go through the following phases:
1. Forming
2. Storming
3. Norming
4. Performing
5. Adjourning
As a team leader you need to be able to recognise each of these phases and adapt your leadership style accordingly. You may also need to facilitate and manage these phases - if one is skipped over or not given enough focus it will hamper further group progress.
FORMING
In the forming stage no work is done. Instead, this phase is used for the group to get to know each other. There is usually a degree of uncertainty and anxiety around this time and team members are typically more subdued, avoiding conflict and controversy and simply getting to know each other better.
During this phase as team leader you should aim to achieve an outline of who will be responsible for what, what the major milestones of the project are, what the ultimate goal of the team is, and any group rules you would like to be adhered to.
Once this phase has been completed comes the storming phase.
STORMING
The storming phase, as the name suggests, is far more chaotic than the forming stage. Now that our team members are more familiar with each other we find all their questions, concerns and true feelings bubbling to the surface. No longer is everyone subdued and quiet (although our introverts may still be), with group roles being disputed, rules being tested, doubts being expressed, leadership being questioned … The list goes on….
As a team leader you should use this phase to address all the team's issues, drawing lines where they're needed and enlightening where you can. It is of the utmost importance that all questions are answered satisfactorily before the team can move on to the next phase.
For some teams the storming phase is as far as the road goes, with the differences and reservations expressed during the storming phase proving too great to overcome. For other teams the forming and storming phases are neglected; team members are chosen, given their tasks and left to their own devices, which then means these phases must in some way occur at the same time as what should be happening only in the norming phase.
In the best teams, however, all the phases are given the emphasis they deserve and teams are given the leeway they need to traverse the five stages of teamwork comfortably.
Staff Training presents various courses focused on Team Development, contact us for more info or browse our list of courses online.