The document outlines strategies and tips for effective team building, highlighting the importance of trust, communication, and structured development in creating high-performing teams.
Stages of Team Development:
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Forming:
- Members are anxious, getting to know each other, unclear on goals.
- Leaders should plan introductions, use icebreakers, establish ground rules.
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Storming:
- Members eager but may face conflicts and notice differences.
- Leaders should model behaviors, enforce rules, manage conflicts.
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Norming:
- Members recognize similarities, get social, and lose focus on tasks.
- Leaders should observe behaviors, encourage positive expression of differences, keep focus on objectives.
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Performing:
- Members are mature, understand roles, self-motivated.
- Leaders should ensure ideas are considered and avoid unnecessary intervention.
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Adjourning:
- Members wind down, set future goals.
- Leaders should celebrate contributions, encourage productivity.
Types of Teams:
- Natural Work Groups: Regularly work together, supervised.
- Business Teams: Cross-functional for specific product/service.
- Management Teams: Group of managers reporting to a senior manager.
- Virtual and Remote Teams: Connect via web, rarely meet in person.
- Self-Managed Teams: Manage themselves without a single leader.
- Product/Service Design Teams: Task forces for specific projects.
Building Trust:
- Essentials: Honesty, openness, consistency, treating people with dignity and fairness.
- Tips: Do what you say, treat everyone fairly, be consistent, support employees, build relationships, value diversity, create a "we" atmosphere.
Becoming a Better Team Player:
- Tips: Engage in icebreakers, check in regularly, use degrees of support to facilitate discussions, benchmark and share results.
Becoming a Better Listener:
- Tips: Decide to listen, don't interrupt, maintain eye contact, carry a notebook, ask questions, demonstrate good listening skills.
Sample Team Contract:
- Code of Conduct: Proactive, positive, informed communication, team-focused, respectful, open to new ideas, positive about conflict and change, collaborative, follow best practices, celebrate achievements.
- Ground Rules: Timely meetings, agendas, prepared members, clear conduct expectations.
The TORI Model: Developed by Jack and Lorraine Gibb, the model includes:
- Trust: Interpersonal confidence.
- Openness: Free flow of information.
- Realization: Self-determination.
- Interdependence: Shared responsibility and co-leadership.
Degrees of Support:
- Fully Agree: Complete support.
- Mostly Agree: Support the decision.
- Partly Agree: Needs more work.
- Do Not Agree: Won't stop progress.
- Completely Disagree: Do not support.
Conclusion: Effective team building requires understanding team dynamics, fostering trust and communication, and leading with clarity and consistency. By following these guidelines, leaders can create cohesive, high-performing teams.
