Team Development

A Building Process

Teams are generally assembled in different phases to allow for a smooth transition and building process.  There are a few things to consider while assembling a team. What are the roles and functions of the team, and how will the individual team members interact with one another?

Depending on the goal of the team, the team members may be assigned to their roles which are broken into individual or group tasks. Group tasks are defined as tasks performed by two or more persons on an interactive basis. Individual tasks are usually assigned to members of the team who are particularly geared towards that type of task. Roles can also be defined in terms of hierarchy. These groups are made up of a team leader or manager who assigns the tasks, delegates responsibility, motivates the team, and has a clear perspective of the big picture. Team leaders may or may not share the decision making process depending on their leadership style and level of inclusiveness. Under the team leader, there may be additional leadership roles or even a chain of command based off of seniority.

The ways in which ateam interacts can determine their success or failure. The team may require various types of interaction. There may be channels of support, coordination, and execution of tasks that all function separately but congruent with one another. Communication between these channels may be essential to the proficient completion of the task. Knowing how the team will need to interact with one another requires planning and anticipation.

The development process can be approached as steps towards performance. The team is readying itself, each with their own individual parts to play. Taking the development process in steps allows the team member to adapt to the group norm and learn their role in reaching the objective.

1. This step allows the team member to get a clear idea of what their job entails. It’s the opportunity the team has to express their standards and rules. And it’s the opportunity for introductions to be made.
2. This is the step where team members after orientating, begin to think of themselves as a team. Getting people on the same page isn’t always easy. Some team members may express a great willingness to coalesce and others may not be so enthusiastic. Conflict may begin to arise during this step.
3. Organizing. A team has a purpose and this step is where the team begins to discuss how they will work together to complete the objective. This step takes a while in a great many cases as the opportunity for internal conflict among team members is at its highest.
4. Functioning. This is the last step in the process of developing a team. By this time, most internal conflict will have been resolved and the team members have a good working understanding of their jobs and their roles. This is where productivity will be at its highest and the team will be functioning proficiently.

Developing a team in the workplace comes with its own set of challenges. Developing a strategy that formalizes the process can assist in transforming those challenges into steps. Anticipation of the roles and interaction this requires of team members is proper planning. Orienting team members, then helping them to assimilate will assist them in organizing and functioning as a team.

To learn more about Ivan Lasater and Team Development, click on his link. Also, visit Ivan on Wikipedia by clicking this link.