ClintMaun
Novice
/ Moderator
Apr 5, 2010, 11:25 AM
Post #1 of 1
(2245 views)
Shortcut
|
By Clint Maun CPS
The Five Stages of a Team
A team-based approach is critical to the success of healthcare organizations. Not only do teams allow leaders and management to effectively delegate work, but teams also create an enjoyable experience for its members. In other words, being on a team can be fun and rewarding. Of course, creating and maintaining successful teams is easier said than done.
Forty-five years ago, Dr. Bruce Tuckman coined the five stages of a team: forming, storming, norming, performing and adjourning. He laid the groundwork as to how teams effectively start, mature, perform and close. Below, we'll take a closer look at these stages. By understanding these stages, you can systematically move your team from its first meeting all the way to its ultimate goals.
Forming
When teams first come together, they go through what's called the forming stage. In this stage, introductions are made, and team members are generally positive and polite. They are eager to learn about the goals and tasks ahead. This stage is usually brief. In fact, it might only last for a single meeting if you have a clear idea of who will be doing what.
The team leader must provide leadership and structure to the team because at this point, the team doesn't know much. The members' roles and responsibilities aren't clear yet; so this is the direction the leader must provide in this initial stage. Provide an opportunity for members to introduce themselves and to get acquainted.
Storming
Once the team has formed, it moves into the storming phase. This is when people try to figure each other out; who's going to do what. As the leader of this team, it's important for you to know that this can be a cumbersome process. It's like learning to dance. People will stumble all over each other until they figure out how to move in-synch. Just remember that in this stage there's going to be some tension and unrest and some stumbling around, but this is normal and it happens in every good team.
Norming
After the storming phase takes place and people learn who can be relied on for what and what roles each other are going to play, the team can move on to the norming stage. And just as the name suggests, this is when things become normal. Team members settle into their roles, see each other regularly and begin to socialize. They can even start providing constructive criticism together. They really begin working as a team and you start seeing good progress because things are becoming normal and a little bit more comfortable.
Performing
Once a team has arrived to the performing stage, they know who's doing what; they know the roles and responsibilities; they've established relationships with people and now they're really starting to dance with one another. They're starting to perform. This is when it gets fun. This is what setting up a team is all about. During this stage, you as a leader can delegate large amounts of work and your primary task at this stage becomes empowering others. Just remember that it takes some time to get to this point. You have to dedicate appropriate time to the first stages before you can get to the performing stage. You must provide some structure and an opportunity for people to learn about each other and how they can best work together.
Adjourning
In this stage, teams break up. This doesn't have to be a negative experience. In fact, when you arrive at this stage, make sure you celebrate your successes. It's also ideal to garner as much feedback as you can.
It's important to remember that you can't expect a new team to perform optimally or exceptionally from the very outset; it's likely that the team will experience some tension as members get to know one another. Team formation takes time and usually follows some of these easily recognizable stages as the team journeys from being a group of strangers to becoming united with a common goal.
"If you put good people in bad systems you get bad results.
You have to water the flowers you want to grow."
-Stephen Covey
By Clint Maun, CPS - www.maunlemke.com
---
|
MAIN
SEARCH
WHO'S 
LOG 