The success of any business largely depends on the effectiveness of its teams. But teams come in all different shapes, sizes, and scopes. Whether your team works closely together on shared projects and tasks, or work independently but connected, team building and development can make all the difference between a thriving, motivated team and one that feels fragmented and uninspired.
This article aims to help you understand the stages of team development, appreciate the benefits, and create effective team development strategies.
Team Building vs. Team Development
Terms like “team building” and “team development” are sometimes used interchangeably. However, understanding the distinctions between these concepts and their benefits is crucial for achieving long-term success.
Team Building
Team building is a collection of activities, events, or other structured interactions designed to provide social opportunities and improve interpersonal relations. It often involves fun and engaging exercises or events that encourage collaboration, communication, and trust among team members. But it can also target specific skills like problem solving and strategic thinking. Examples of team-building activities:
- Icebreaker activities
- Challenge-based or problem-solving activities
- Office games or friendly challenges
- Interactive workshops
- Team retreats
While team building fosters positive relationships, its impact on its own is often temporary and may not translate into long-term improvements in team performance. But team building activities that are part of a larger team development strategy can be extremely effective for targeting specific needs and goals.
Team Development
Team development, on the other hand, is a continuous process and plan aimed at improving the overall functionality and productivity of the team. It involves ongoing team building, training, skill enhancement, and structured interventions that address specific needs and objectives. Team development focuses on:
- Improving communication, collaboration, and trust: Helping team members practice conveying ideas clearly, active listening, and resolve conflicts constructively. This results in smoother workflows and fewer misunderstandings.
- Increasing productivity and efficiency: Well-developed teams are more efficient and effective in their work. They can delegate tasks appropriately, leverage each other’s strengths, minimize redundancies, and overcome obstacles, leading to higher productivity.
- Enhancing team skills and competencies: Teams that undergo continuous development are better equipped to tackle complex challenges. They can brainstorm innovative solutions, think critically, and approach problems from multiple perspectives.
- Sustaining engagement and morale: When a team works well together, trusts each other, and enjoy being around one another, it makes for a more pleasant and positive working environment for everyone. This leads to higher job satisfaction, increased motivation, and lower turnover rates.
Team development requires a strategic and consistent approach that integrates into the existing systems and processes of the organization or team.
The Tuckman Model of Team Development
The Tuckman model, developed by psychologist Bruce Tuckman in the 1960s is a well-documented framework for understanding the continuous dynamics of team development. The model outlines five distinct stages of development that teams typically cycle through:
- Forming: In the initial stage, team members get to know each other and establish ground rules. There is a sense of excitement and anticipation, but also uncertainty as roles and responsibilities are not always clear. Teams can revert back to this stage when a significant portion of the team is new or replaced.
- Storming: As the team begins to work together, conflicts and power struggles emerge. This stage is characterized by a clash of personalities and ideas as members assert their opinions and vie for their place within the group. In this phase, natural potential for innovation and problem-identification is at its highest, because team members are more willing to challenge one another.
- Norming: Gradually, the team starts to find its rhythm. Members resolve conflicts and develop stronger relationships. There is a sense of unity and cooperation as the team aligns towards common goals.
- Performing: In the performing stage, the team operates at its highest efficiency. Members collaborate seamlessly to achieve their objectives. The longer a team stays in this phase, the higher the risk for eventual burnout.
- Adjourning: The final stage occurs when the team has accomplished its goals and disbands. Members reflect on their experiences, celebrate their achievements, and prepare for future endeavors. Not all teams experience an adjourning phase.
While no team will fit perfectly into one single phase or box, the framework helps align team building activities, training sessions, and skill enhancement programs with the team’s unique needs and objectives.
How to Get Started with Team Development
1. Assess Team Needs
The first step in team development is to assess the current state of your team. Which phase(s) of the development model matches your team the best? Clarify what your team is responsible for accomplishing in the short term and long term. Collect data, identify key performance indicators (KPIs), strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities. Use tools like surveys, feedback sessions, and performance reviews to gather insights from your team.
2. Set Clear Goals and Expectations
Establish clear, measurable goals and clarify roles and responsibilities. Team development goals should align with the organization’s objectives and address the specific needs identified in the assessment phase. Break larger objectives into smaller milestones to keep up momentum and track progress. Include your team in the goal-setting process to ensure that all team members understand the goals and are committed to achieving them.
3. Create a Development Plan
Develop a comprehensive plan that outlines the steps, tasks, resources, and timelines needed to achieve your team development goals. Include applicable training programs, workshops, coaching sessions, and other strategic interventions. Think of this as a roadmap. Research and map out what must happen to get your team to the finish line. Just like with goal setting, including your team in the process will help bring them along.
4. Evaluate Progress
Regularly monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of your team development initiatives using KPI metrics and team feedback to measure progress and identify areas for further improvement. Celebrate achievements, big and small, and address challenges promptly.
Utilize feedback loops to foster a consistent flow of both qualitative and quantitative data. For example, surveying team members before and/or after formal team building sessions can help measure the effectiveness of these activities, and how to continuously improve them going forward.
5. Lead the Way
If you want your team to continue to grow and improve their performance, you must promote a culture where continuous learning and improvement are valued. Encourage team members to seek out opportunities for growth, share knowledge, and support each other’s development. This begins with the leader modeling desired behaviors and celebrating progress.
Additionally, team members must feel psychologically safe to participate in the process, for example, healthy conflict resolution and team building. Team members are more likely participate and give honest and meaningful feedback if they do not fear negative consequences for doing so, whether from their peers or their leader. Thus, it’s important to lead the way by modeling vulnerability, fostering open communication, and demonstrating a commitment to continuous learning. By setting the example, leaders can foster a culture where growth, trust, and collaboration thrive.
Conclusion
Team development is a vital component of organizational success. By understanding and appreciating the benefits, and implementing a structured approach, you can create engaged, high-performing teams that drive long-term success.
Strengths-Based Team Development
We streamline the process with customized development plans, team coaching, and curated activities.
- Improve team engagement, communication, and collaboration
- Identify and develop team and individual strengths
- Enable team members to form powerful partnerships
- Foster an inclusive, high-performing team culture
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