Leadership Team Development

If you are interested in the cyclical approach to Team development, then this article will take you through the 6 stages that increase the efficiency and the effectiveness of the journey.

Stage One:  Formation

The main focus during the Formation stage is to create a team with clear structure:

– goals

– direction

– roles

The members begin to build trust. During the Formation stage, much of the team’s energy is focused on defining the team. This includes responsibilities. Team members tend to be expectant, increasing involvement at this stage.

Like the old adage goes: “an hour of planning will save three hours in execution.” The same principle applies to the team cycle. Being organized is key. The more thorough you are in the Formation stage of team development, the more likely it is that the team will successfully transition through the next stages:

• – Stabilization
• – Actualization
• – Maturation
• – Termination

Stage Two: Stabilization

In the Stabilization stage, the team learns about each other. The tasks that are allocated is an essential step in corporate team building. The Team begins to settle into their assignments. Patterns of interaction start to emerge as team members experience the process of working together. Therefore, having excellent interpersonal communication skills is essential to success. People skills make the cycle a smoother ride. (See: http://carnegieconnection.com/people-skills/ for a list of vital skills at this juncture.)

This stage is critical to successful team outcomes. Some teams never experience stabilization. Working in those teams is an uneasy experience, because the team never achieves its footing. Role definitions are fuzzy, responsibilities are fluid, and team members never quite get to the point of feeling comfortable with one another.

Stage Three: Integration

Team members feel an increasing acceptance of others on the team, recognizing that the variety of opinions and experiences makes the team stronger and its product richer. Members start to feel part of a team and can take satisfaction from the increased group cohesion.

This is the stage for the team to focus on its goals, breaking larger goals down into smaller, achievable steps. The team may need to develop both task-related skills and group process and conflict management skills to smoothly transition to the next stage. (See: http://carnegieconnection.com/organizational-development-training/ for team building skills to remediate conflict in the workplace.)

Stage Four: Actualization

During the Actualization stage of leadership team development, team members experience an increased sense of comfort in expressing their ideas and feelings. They develop an acceptance of others on the team.  (See: http://carnegieconnection.com/leadership-training/ for leadership skills, such as coaching for improved performance.)

They learn to value the variety of experience and knowledge in teammates. During the Actualization stage, team members start making a conscious effort to set aside differences and achieve group harmony.

Communication is emphasized and becomes more efficient. Team members take themselves less seriously and a team sense of humor emerges. Typically, the team becomes more productive.

Stage Five: Maturation

In the Maturation stage of team development, members feel satisfaction in the team’s progress. They share insights and are aware of their own strengths and weaknesses. Members feel comfortable with the team’s patterns and processes.

The Team will feel confident in their individual abilities and those of their teammates. Team members become more accepting of each other and value differences. In the Maturation stage, the team makes significant progress toward the goal of presenting valuable information up and down the corporate ladder. (See: http://carnegieconnection.com/presentations-training/ for increasing your presentation skills, such as presenting complex information or presenting to persuade.)

The commitment and competence of team members is high. Team members continue to deepen their knowledge and skills, including working to continuously improve their leadership team development. Accomplishments in team process or progress are measured and celebrated.

Stage Six: Termination

Some teams, such as project-specific teams or cross-functional teams, come to an end when their work is completed or when the organization’s needs change. It is important for any team to pay attention to the ending or termination process. It is highly likely that, at any given moment, individuals on the team will be experiencing different emotions about the team’s termination.

During the Termination/Ending stage, some team members may become less focused on the team’s tasks and their productivity may drop. Other team members may find that focusing on the tasks at hand is an effective response to their changing team involvement. Their task productivity may actually increase.

For further information on the cyclical approach to Team development, email us at: info@carnegieconnection.com