The Team Development Process

Personal & Virtual Skills

Team development is a natural process occurring whenever individuals are placed in a situation where there is a common purpose. The shared purpose of the team starts the process of team formation which occurs in five stages.

· Forming Stage- in this stage team members identify and socialize which is a form of evaluation of themselves and others in terms of leadership and other skills. This stage is key to the accept of the leader of the team as members build value in other members (Engleberg & Wynn, 2012).

· Storming stage- in this stage, members begin assigning, assuming, or choosing positions and leaders will either emerge or be chosen providing no one is assigned to the task. This stage will also reveal other informal leaders who will help guide the group (Engleberg & Wynn, 2012).

· Norming stage- in this stage members begin integrating and collaborating by operating towards the group’s goal but most important in this stage is the assignment and acceptance of positions. Members may continue wrestling with positions and authority but this stage will need to settle the hierarchy and individual responsibilities before the next stage can be entered (Engleberg & Wynn, 2012).

· Performing stage- The team will become a functioning group working in each individuals capacity towards the group mission (Engberg & Wynn, 2012). This is the stage where problems become clear if storming stage has not settled positions and responsibilities appropriately.

· Adjourning Stage- When the team finishes its goal the team will review the outcome before disbanding (Engleberg & Wynn, 2012). This is an important stage because if it is bypassed it will not provide the valuable experience of team building and work.

Team Skills

Team skills are typically chosen for the purpose of the team such as architectural engineers needed for building projects. There are universal skills needed for teams such as listening, organization, and collaboration that should be considered because these skills will enhance the teams effectiveness.

Groupthink

Groupthink occurs when teams are formed with lack of diversity or when teams have strong personalities that override other members of the team and a situation of constant agreement occurs between members. Two things are needed to avoid this problem starting with control placed over the storming stage to ensure that members are assigned leadership based on effective skill rather than personality. The second tool needed to avoid groupthink is the communication plan which outlines how discussions are to be carried out and how people should communicate ideas as well as requiring feedback from all members.

Controlling the Team Development

While teams will form naturally, the process can be guided in a manner that allows for a more organized approach that takes all members into account. Allowing teams to develop of their own accord is not a good idea because they will likely be diverse and this can create cultural differences that can breed conflict. Knowing the stages of team formation can allow leaders to structure teams effectively and guide the natural formation.

References

Engleberg, I. Wynn, D. (2012) Working in Groups: Communication Principles and Strategies 6 Edition Pearson

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