The days of working in a siloed environment and completing your individual assignments are fading fast. They are being replaced by individuals with varying degrees of knowledge, skill and abilities. These talented individuals will be clustered together and will form a team. Working in a team environment is nothing new, in fact, many enjoy the benefits of collaborating in this type of environment. Building and challenging your team isn’t something that magically happens by chance. The long-term effects of neglecting and/or failing to bring your team together can be a costly and time consuming battle to overcome. So, how can you can ensure success on your team?
To answer this question, we must first understand where opportunities exists for team failure. In an article published by Jeff Boss for Forbes, Boss identified the following reasons for team failure:
· Missed opportunities to build trust;
· Incentives favor individual performance; and
· Misunderstood team dynamics
While there are many reasons why teams can (and will) fail, it appears that taking time to understand team dynamics will aid in building a strong team and avert unnecessary challenges. Bruce Tuckman, a scientist and consultant, is best known for his study and work around group development. His theory, Tuckman’s Stages, focused on his collective research around team dynamics. He identified the five stages of team development which include: Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing and Adjourning. Although adhering to every stage of team development doesn’t guarantee that a team will be without challenges, it does provide an opportunity to set a team up for success, which should be one of your main objectives if you are tasked with leading or sponsoring a team.
Are you seeking more information on how to set-up your team for success? In our Building Team Excellence workshop, we discuss in detail the stages of team development, strategies to promote individual engagement and keys to developing effective team communication. The success of your team is something that you should intentionally care for, not leave for chance.