5 Stages of Team Development
- 1. Forming: A group of people comes together to accomplish a shared purpose. Their initial success will depend on their familiarity with each other's work style, their experience on prior teams, and the clarity of their assigned mission. As a sponsor, your role is to help the team members get to know each other whether you offer team building activities or just a listening ear.
- 2. Storming: Disagreement about mission, vision, and ways to approach the problem or assignment are constant at this stage of development. This struggle is combined with the fact that team members are still getting to know each other, learning to work with each other, and growing familiar with the interaction and communication of group members. As a sponsor, once again, your role is to help the team get to know each other whether you offer team building activities or just a listening ear. Help your team leader clarify each of these assignments so that the team succeeds.
- 3. Norming: The team has consciously or unconsciously formed working relationships that are enabling progress on the team’s objectives. The members have consciously or unconsciously agreed to abide by certain group norms and they are becoming functional at working together. As a sponsor, ask for periodic updates from the team. Regularly check the team's progress at agreed-upon intervals and critical steps on the path to a successful conclusion.
- 4. Performing: Relationships, team processes, and the team’s effectiveness in working on its objectives are syncing to bring about a successfully functioning team. This is the stage at which the real work of the team is progressing. As a sponsor, ask for periodic updates from the team. Help solve problems and provide input as needed. Make sure that team members are communicating with all of the other appropriate parties in your workplace.
- 5. Adjourning: The team has completed its mission or purpose and it is time for team members to pursue other goals or projects. As a sponsor, make sure that the team schedules an ending ceremony. Whether they debrief the project and discuss how the team could have been more successful or they just order pizza, you will want to mark a clear ending to the team or project.
SOURCE: thebalancecareers.com
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