One of the biggest problems a coach faces is guiding his or her team through the various stages of team development. If a manager is not knowledgeable or has very little knowledge of team dynamics and teams, the task of taking over the team and managing that team could be very stressful. Every manager must be aware of the various stages of growth are for teams that are developing and know how best to guide teams through the phases without a lot of hassle and stress. However, many managers don’t receive the required training or coaching on this aspect of team development. As a result, these teams are subject to lots of anxiety and tension when this could be reduced significantly.
In the coming pages, I’ll walk you through a basic team development model that I consider to be the most efficient out of all the models that I’ve studied. The names for each stage summarize exactly the things you will encounter to see at every stage!
Psychologist B.W Tuckman in the 1970s, invented this model. Tuckman claims the existence of four development phases that teams need to go through to be successful. The four stages include:
The team is formed when it meets and begins working in a group for the first time.
The team is in a state of chaos, as the players of the team begin to “jockey” to position themselves and when fights for control begin to take place.
Normalisation is when rules are approved and accepted and also when team rules are being followed.
The team is performing when it begins producing through efficient and efficient practices of working.
Certain teams can traverse the four phases quite quickly and then move from forming to performing within a short amount of time. It all depends on the makeup of the group, the skills of each individual as well as the task at hand and, of course, the management’s leadership. There is one thing that is certain: every team must pass through the storming stage.
Each team has to be prepared to face the tough and stressful moments and reap the rewards of productive times. The job of the coaching manager is to determine the point in the process of the team developing their team is and then to move into the next phase with minimal effort and without a lot of hassle.
Let’s examine each stage in greater detail.
Forming:
This can be a difficult time when teams that are new come together. Everyone is wary of one another, especially in the case of not knowing who they are and especially in the case of a manager who is brand new. It can be even more difficult when the gossips regarding the manager aren’t positive!
The first meeting can be a nerve-wracking one. A good coach will recognize the issue and take steps to ensure that the team is at ease. The forming stage is when cliques may form. The coach should recognize this fact and be aware of any alliances that can develop at this point. Some alliances are detrimental to the team’s success, but it’s important for the coach to be aware of and observe the behaviours of possible cliques. The main challenge for the coach manager is to provide an inert group of individuals who do not know each other the best beginning as a brand new team. The coach must try to follow the steps below to ensure that his team members have the best possible beginning.
Define the specific task that the team is required to complete.
Be clear about each individual’s part in the team’s work.
Explain how the team came together, and provide reasons as to the reason why the team members were joined to form the team.
Be honest about how you manage your team. What do you have to improve, and what are the weaknesses? Set out your expectations for both your team members and individuals in the group. This means you need to begin by negotiating with the team.
Encourage everyone in the team to follow suit.
Make sure that the team follows guidelines and rules. Guidelines, and also that the team is given the ability to influence how these rules are formulated and agreed upon.
Discuss rewards and acknowledgement. What do you think the team would like to recognize its accomplishments?
What is the process for the team to make choices?
What is the plan for the team to give the other’s performance?
Through an open discussion prior to the beginning of the team’s mission, participants are able to express their views, questions, concerns and concerns. The coach will allow this to occur with the result that the team members feel they’ve been heard and are able to contribute, they are aware of how to operate and the guidelines under which the team operates and feel more comfortable with the colleagues they work with.
Storming:
The storming phase can be a difficult one, and the coach who has guided teams through this initial stage with ease and is beginning to feel very happy about the progress made may be in for an unexpected shock. The storming phase always comes in a shock regardless of how the coach is preparing and leading the group to the moment. This is when the leadership skills of the coach will be put to the test to the max. I’ve had the pleasure of working with managers who have managed this phase effectively and have also observed (and have suffered) from managers who had no idea of what they should do to get the team ahead.
It is usually the result of roles, goals and rules becoming muddled and unclear. However clear the team was to goals the roles and rules at the process of formation, it’s usually the case that team members’ individual perceptions of the roles and rules are quite different from the reality. This can lead to confusion as the different behaviour of team members are obvious, and conflicts could be created, leading to factions being created within the group.
At this point it is at this point that the coaching capabilities of the coach manager must emerge. Individuals and the team as a whole must be trained to assist and assist them in ensuring that there is a consensus on what the roles, goals and rules are with regard to the team and what it means for each person. A lot of managers are annoyed at this point because they believe they have completed the task of defining the roles, goals and rules in the initial phase of the formation of the group. I’ve seen managers move from a feeling of great joy over the way that they’ve guided your team in the initial stages to an attitude of anger in which they seek to blame the team as well as its members. What do they mean by “Comes before a fall”?
The coach has to review the agreements reached by the team members during the formation stage and make sure that the team’s understanding is consistent throughout the team. The earlier this discussion is revisited, the better. This is where the conscious coach comes into their own. The manager who is not aware will be prone to blame and panic and be unable to manage the behaviour of the team, even though they could take an authoritative stance and then begin to make demands on the team members to behave. What they achieve is compliance, and the team members will be in the same confusion about what’s happening. This is because there is a lot of discussion going around “behind the back of the boss” This is extremely unhealthy for the team.
When the coaching manager has gotten his team through the storming phase, they need to be aware of any challenges that may come out of the blue. That is the issue of a new team member. Once a coach manager helps his team navigate the “storm”, then they are welcomed by a new member who begins to question their methods of working and could begin to disrupt the team. Any new members joining the team must be aware of team goals, roles, and guidelines prior to their joining. In addition, they should be aware of the procedures in place or the process of giving and receiving feedback in the event that they have suggestions on how they can improve the ways they work for the team. It is an area in which I have witnessed managers fail to realize the progress they’ve made with their team. Instead of taking the time to get a new employee up to speed with the rules, roles, and goals, managers let new members be a part of the team without much of a discussion. This can lead to chaos. Beware.
It is common that there are people who prefer to delay the process of storms or delay the duration. The people who do this have a choice to make. Choose to join the majority or leave. There is no room for business for an individual to delay the flow of business. This may sound like a difficult task coming from the perspective of a “coaching” manager, but it is the reality, and, in many instances, management is a difficult job. This is just one of the situations.
Norming.
Do you recall what it was as a result of a true storm is passing? The wind drops while the sky lights up. The bird’s chirp. It’s the same with teamwork. There is calmness and equanimity. The goals are clearly defined. The roles are clearly defined. Rules and guidelines are being observed, and the people are working in a positive way. The bonds between people strengthen as they become more aware of their fellow. We are aware of our strengths and weaknesses and exploited according to. Norming is defined by acceptance. In the earlier stage of the storm, the people would protest rapidly, but this is no longer the case. If there is a complaint or complaint, then the appropriate procedures are followed, and people are heard.
The responsibility of the coaching manager at this point is to make sure that this peace is maintained and any actions that could threaten the peace are directed in the correct direction. Additionally, the coach plays an important job in communicating information specifically in relation to the accomplishments that are beginning to take place inside the teams. The coach must spend a significant amount of time with team members and help them develop their skills that align with the role of each team member and the roles they are expected to complete with respect to team goals.
Performing.
Some teams fail to make it to the stage. Many are stuck at Norming, and even though everything seems normal but there is a lack of motivation and energy towards reaching the crucial team goals. It’s like the team is at ease at this point and doesn’t want to go any further in fear of reverting to a chaotic stage which is likely to be extremely uncomfortable for the majority of people.
It is during the performance stage that team members focus on the goals of the team. They are determined to achieve these goals since they know what benefits await them upon their accomplishment. They also know the strengths and weaknesses of the team and appreciate them, and strive to improve the weak points. It is a time that is a time of tremendous personal growth among team members. There is a lot of sharing of personal experiences, thoughts, feelings and opinions, along with the formation of deep loyalty to the team members. There are going to be disagreements, arguments and conflicts, but these are facilitated in a positive way as the team will live and die according to its own rules. The coach in this phase will be an uninvolved role in focusing on the strategy and determining the next steps. The team will operate in various ways, self-directing, maybe even self-appraising, with the manager playing an almost passive role. Another role for the manager is to help assist in communication and to ensure that achievements are communicated and recognized.
In summation:
Forming. The most successful coach ensures that the team is in sync and is aware of the team’s goals and the roles they need to fulfil, and the rules that they must play. The coach will realize that even though there’s lots of consensus and adherence to what’s discussed, many will differ on the terms of the agreement. There will be a need for help. However, there are bound to emerge undercurrents of discord regarding what exactly has been agreed upon.
Storming. After the conflict and blame begin, bring the team quickly to talk about what the disagreements and concerns are. The manager of the coaching team at this point is strong, direct and equally fair. The team is in need of direction at this point, and maybe people have to hear something that they aren’t keen on hearing. Bring things out in the open. Let the team go through slightly and then start your healing by helping facilitate the team’s joining.
Norming. Take a step back to spend some time talking with each individual, beginning to guide the team members in regards to their roles in teams and the roles they must complete. While doing this, the coach will be encouraging team members to assume more responsibilities in order to take the team to the next level.
Performing. Remain in the background and let your team be self-directing. Keep them in mind and keep your role of coaching for both the team and individuals. Let people assume the leadership role and encourage the rotating roles. Reward success and communicate success in a manner that is appropriate.
