Building Effective Teams
Building effective teams consistently is one of the most difficult, crucial and yet misunderstood concept in management and leadership.
Effective teamwork has an array of benefits for the organisation, the team and for the individuals involved, as well as the positive ripple effect it provides. Effective teams drive innovation, foster a positive work environment, and contribute significantly to an organisation’s success.
Nonetheless, building and sustaining an effective team is not an easy task. This requires the leader to understand the dynamics of team development, as well as implementing the correct tactics to nurture both individual and collective mindsets.
This blog explores key strategies for managers to build cohesive, high-performing teams, emphasising the five stages of team development and practical tips for team enhancement.
Five Stages of Team Development
To understand how to build an effective team, we must first understand how a team develops. Whilst a plethora of models exist, we will use Bruce Tuckman’s Model of Team Development.
Tuckman's 5 Stages of Team Development
Step 1: Forming
This is the initial stage where team members are getting to know each other and understand the team’s goals. There is excitement, but also uncertainty.
Leader’s Role:
Facilitate introductions, establish clear goals, and create a positive atmosphere. Encourage open communication and ensure everyone understands their roles. This can be established through two primary methods:
。Continual ice breakers
。Knowledge giving activities
Step 2: Storming
Personal and professional clash will frequently occur during this stage. The reason why conflict may arise is due to people vying for position, disagreement on working styles and formation of cliques. Personal opinions may also lead to group tension. These factors will likely interfere with team performance and stall the team’s progress.
Leader’s Role:
。Act as a mediator to resolve conflicts
。Encourage respectful dialogue and reinforce the team’s goals and values
。Clarify roles and responsibilities to mitigate power struggles
。Break larger goals into bitesize chunks
。Develop conflict management skills within the team
Check out our training on conflict management to aid your team into developing successful conflict management skills:
https://www.thetrainersquared.com/training-packages/p/conflict-management-an-introduction
Step 3: Norming
Small conflicts tend to become less and less. Team members start to resolve other differences and appreciate their colleagues’ strengths. Work patterns, as well as norms and standards are established. It is evident that most teams usually fluctuates between the storming and norming stages.
Leader’s Role:
。Promote collaboration
。Look to build a sense of team community, within and outside of the department
。Recognise and reward team achievements
。Encourage stability by ensuring team’s processes and norms are well understood and folllowed
。Encourage members to engage in self-reflection and personal development
Step 4: Performing
A surge in performance occurs with creative problem solving, innovation and a higher level of efficiency and effectiveness. The line between individual performance and team success becomes blurred. Members have a higher level of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, with the team being able to be more autonomous, as well as being able to handle decision-making without supervision.
Leader’s Role:
。Provide support and resources
。Encourage continuous improvement and innovation
。Foster a culture of trust and accountability
。Acknowledge accomplishments and celebrate successes
Step 5: Adjourning
This stage normally involves the disbanding of the team or the reformation of the team with new members, after achieving its goals. Members may experience mixed feelings about the conclusion of their collaboration, with some members having little energy or enthusiasm for finishing tasks at hand.
Leader’s Role:
。Recognise and acknowledge the team’s accomplishments
。Offer support for transitioning to new roles or projects
。Encourage reflection on experience, learning and growth, as well as methods of applying new knowledge and skills to future roles
Cultivating the Right Mindset
In order for success to be achieved by both the team and the individual, a strong mindset needs to be cultivated. For fostering a strong team mindset, the leader should focus on the following:
Fostering Collaboration: Encourage team members to share knowledge, support each other, and work towards common goals. When forming mini teams, leaders should look to ensure not the same teams are formed all the time in order to minimise formation of echo chambers
Building Trust: The leader should create an environment where team members feel safe to express ideas and take risks without fear of judgment
Promote Accountability: Ensure that everyone takes responsibility for their tasks and the team’s overall success
Create Safety: Create a growth mindset where innovation from teams are safe, ideas are safe to share and individuals are also safe with confidentiality when speaking to the leader
Whilst the team mindset is crucial, individual attitudes also plays a significant role. Leaders can help individuals develop a successful mindset by:
Encourage Growth: Support continuous learning and personal development. Provide opportunities for skill enhancement and career progression. Opportunities should be fair with all within the team having an equal opportunity for the same growth and success
Empowering Employees: Trust team members to take ownership of their work and make decisions within their areas of responsibility. Look to delegate different tasks to different members
Recognise Efforts: Acknowledge individual contributions and celebrate successes, both big and small
Provide Resources: Provide adequate resource for team members to not only be able to do their work efficiently and effectively, but resources where team members are allowed to grow and develop on a professional and personal level
Developing the Growth Mindset
Strategies for Team Development
It is important to always look on how the team can develop and be able to work cohesively together. Below are 4 easy strategies leaders can implement to enhance team development:
1. Effective Communication
This may seem obvious but unfortunately one reason for team issues is communication, or lack of. Foster open, transparent communication channels. Regular meetings, feedback sessions and collaborative tools (Microsoft Teams, WeWork etc.) can help keep everyone aligned and informed.
2. Team Building Activities
Organise team activities that strengthen bonds and trust, as well as fostering better communication and collaboration. These can range from workshops to retreats or even simple (fun) ice breakers during meetings.
3. Clear Goals and Roles
Define clear and achievable goals. Be SMART with the goals. Ensure each team member understands their role in achieving team. Make sure the goals are easily accessible both online and offline, as well as how to achieve the goals!
4. Conflict Resolution Mechanism
Conflict will occur. There is no doubt about that. However, the leader can develop a clear process for addressing and resolving conflicts. Encourage a culture where issues are dealt with constructively and promptly.
Conclusion
Teams will go through several stages. Building a high-performing team is a dynamic and ongoing process that requires strategic effort and attention to both team and individual mindsets.
By understanding the five stages of team developing and implementing practical strategies, leaders can create a cohesive, motivated and successful team capable of achieving great results. Investing in your team’s development not only enhances performance but also fosters a positive and productive work environment.
Check out our training on building your team to gain more information on how to help your team succeed.
