Introduction

Team development is the formulation, bringing together and training of individuals with different skills to achieve a predetermined set of goals. Developing a team usually incorporates training and support throughout individuals’ career in a company or organization. According to research, the organizations that use various teams in their operational level of management tend to produce better results as opposed to those that do not have teams (Day, Gronn, & Salas, 2014). Team development is an essential task of a team leader or an experienced manager.  To develop a team the leader must be in a position to know how his or her members work and know what type of training they need to perform roles effectively. According to research the best ways to develop a team is through the Tuckman’s model of team development which includes the forming, storming, norming and finally performing.

Team Development

Forming

During the forming stage, it is essential to be able to establish the limits by which individuals can interact. Since most members are new to each other and are not used to each other, it is valuable to encourage members of the team to ask questions and understand the purpose of the group. One important strategy that can help minimize the number of disruptions is forming manageable groups that are composed of individuals who possess differences (Raes et al., 2015).  Creating a platform by which people ask questions is vital in the forming stage. Setting the ground rules is also critical as it helps minimize time wastages and unnecessary interruptions. As a leader of the group, removing barriers is one step that could work in the way of creating a healthy, robust and active group during the formation stages. Since the lasting phase can last for a while, it is vital for a group leader to communicate the basics as well as what is expected of each member of the group (Natvig & Stark, 2016).

Storming

According to Natvig & Stark, the storming stage is the most challenging. During the storming stage, most group members are against the ground rules set during the forming phase. Team leaders are tasked with seeing the group survive beyond this stage. In minimizing distractions at this stage, the focus would be in encouraging peer to peer assessment and reduce the weaknesses that come with individuals working independently (Raes et al., 2015).  Encouraging networking sessions at this stage could also be vital in easing the pressure during the storming stage. Allowing team members to work in pairs will help them to understand each other and help them overcome the challenges that come with having unique personalities in a single sitting. To discourage team members from challenging the authority, encouraging fair and equal contribution will help in a significant way.

Norming

The norming stage is an essential stage as most differences will be resolved. To maintain consistency and productivity in the group, it will be necessary to allow individuals to work most comfortably. Since team members at this stage can appreciate their uniqueness, maintaining this flow will be easy (Raes et al., 2015). To ease pressure and minimize distractions, the group will be called upon to work in the most comfortable way for them. Division of tasks will be done in a synchronized manner to ensure that one activity does not conflict with the other one. Reminding the team members of the ground rules set in the forming stage will be instrumental at keeping distractions at bay (Natvig & Stark, 2016).

Performing

During the performing stage, the goals of the group are set transparently. Controlling how individuals work with each other is essential at this stage. Falling short of the objectives of the group will mainly be blamed on the team leader. Achieving goals will be dependant on the structures that have been set in the forming and storming stages (Natvig & Stark, 2016). Minimizing distractions at the performing stage will require a dedicated approach that aims to identify the individual members who will be responsible for every action. Peer to peer reporting will also be an asset at this stage.

Leadership in team development

According to the leadership theories in Module 1 the type of leadership that suits the development of a team is that of the democratic or participative leadership. This type of leadership assists the leader to bring harmony and freedom of communication amongst the team members. Here the team leadership lets the team members share their views and the ways that they see best to help improve the organization. This is much the opposite of the authoritarian type of leadership which involves the leader dictating every activity that the team undertakes without involving the opinion of the team members (Day, Gronn, & Salas, 2014). In the democratic type of leadership the team members are involved in the decision making, and this helps in brainstorming the team through the exchanging of ideas. The most important aspect that helps the team in improving is by giving the members the feeling that they can make an impact on the organization.

Having organized and robust leadership is one of the best ways to achieve the desired results in a team. Teams with weaker leadership tend to fail and stumble at some instances. Democratic or participative leadership also involves the leader using a training assessment to determine who needs to advance skills. The other step to develop a team is to choose the right training method. After identifying the areas that need improvement, the leader can select better training that suits individuals. Coaching is another approach to develop a team. In this approach, the performance gaps get closed by better communication through a relaxed one on one conversation between team members and the leader (Day, Gronn, & Salas, 2014). Other team development methods include delegation of duties, managing talents and ensuring an effective succession plan.

Conclusions

Team formation, on the other hand, requires more than just abstract commitment, as it demands a lot of input from managers. The first step in team formation or building is establishing leadership. Leaders must have the right leadership skills so that employees can carry on task even in the absence of the manager. Building good leadership skills, foster trust in judgment. A team is also formed through proper interrelationship with each other. When leaders learn about members, they determine their set skills, likes and dislike or what motivates people. Such knowledge is invaluable to team leaders as it allows correct matching of workers’ competencies and expertise to particular challenges. A team is built through a proper interrelationship when members learn to listen to both sides and freely deliver opinions and arguments. Also, a good team if formed through setting ground rules for the members to follow. In that way, each knows what he or she is required and functions towards a common goal.

References

Day, D. V., Gronn, P., & Salas, E. (2004). Leadership capacity in teams. The Leadership      Quarterly, 15(6), 857-880.

Natvig, D., & Stark, N. L. (2016). A project team analysis using Tuckman’s model of small-  group development. Journal of Nursing Education, 55(12), 675-681.

Raes, E., Kyndt, E., Decuyper, S., Van den Bossche, P., & Dochy, F. (2015). An exploratory     study of group development and team learning. Human Resource Development   Quarterly, 26(1), 5-30.