People working in teams can accomplish great things, sometimes much more that the sum of the individual efforts of the same people working independently. But that is not guaranteed, and some team experiences are very frustrating and non- or even counter-productive. Fortunately, these issues have been extensively studied, and there are some basic concepts we can learn and use as the basis for concrete steps to promote team performance and member satisfaction. We will briefly review both in this paper.– the task assignments, the documents, the written decisions, the words spoken, etc. These are created through some interpersonal process that occurs between the individual team members (and other players impacting the team,) that includes: • The steps taken to create and operate the team • The emotional and interpersonal dynamics between members, and • The visible or hidden messages and agendas that may play out over the course of the team’s existence The process is often invisible and not actively managed by team leaders or members, but becoming aware of process and taking explicit team control over it is a major factor in increasing the likelihood of positive team performance and member satisfaction. TEAM LIFE CYCLE STAGES Teams have been shown to pass through a very consistent pattern of stages over the time of their existence. (1) The stages of Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing and Transforming can be observed, but more importantly, actively guided by the team. In Forming, the group is somehow created, and initial purposes, membership, and procedures are set up. Like the dividing up of a group of children into softball teams, unresolved issues of why are we doing this, who is included, who does the selecting, and do the members like each other can all create immediate frustrations. Teams often then descend into the Storming stage, where leadership, control, and other emotional struggles occur, sometimes including major rebellions. All of these can cripple its subsequent actions or even prematurely end the team’s existence. In Norming, the group works through the Storm conflicts by establishing more effective group roles and behavioral ground rules (“norms.”) The team may then progress to the Performing stage, where the team meshes well, gets to work, and produces most of its useful output. Eventually the team will end its work and transform out of existence or to some significantly different form. GETTING EFFECTIVE Those sponsoring and participating can use the knowledge of these stages to consciously and deliberately undertake an approach to team effectiveness. Here are a few specific approaches: 1. Openly discuss “process,” as well as “content” issues from the very beginning. Process is very legitimate and necessary, and should be established immediately as everyone’s right and even Greg Backlund 2 1/7/02 obligation to address. Everyone should raise appropriate process questions and make helpful suggestions throughout the team’s existence. 2. Ensure that the team’s overall purpose is clear and accepted. Negotiate the required outcome or impact of the team’s work. Identify what will be “in it for me” to benefit the members, as well as the sponsoring organization. 3. Define the end product in terms of tangible “deliverable items” – like “a 5+ page report covering these topic areas…,” “the publication of a final, VP-approved product design specification,” “the implementation of an improvement approach for problem ‘X’ and the results tracking measurements,” etc. Also define the criteria that will define the desired level quality and final acceptance or evaluation of the deliverables. 4. Openly discuss the criteria used for team member selection, and adjust the member roster to ensure that the needed range of skills are present. 5. Discuss team roles, including leadership, to get sufficient agreement that the “right people are in the right jobs.” List out different responsibility and decision areas, and decide who will take the primary responsibility to make them happen, and who else must support that action. This can be very effective in minimizing “Storm” difficulties. 6. Draft a list of team behavioral ground rules, such as when meetings are held or assignments are due, requiring respectful language even during disagreements, how decisions will be made, etc. This is another very powerful “Storm”-avoiding approach. 7. Explicitly ask members occasionally for a “process check:” a. Is the group being effective? b. Are process concerns getting raised and properly dealt with? c. Are assigned roles being fulfilled? d. What steps can be taken to resolve any open issues? 8. Plan for the final transition: Celebrate accomplishments. Provide recognition. Decide on transitional activities. Decide on post-transition activities and role assignments. Achieving team effectiveness can and should be an explicit effort by everyone involved. While there are many more elements than those discussed here, using these basic concepts and approaches can help a team improve their individual and organizational performance and satisfaction.
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