Team Building Sydney: Helping Your Team through the Stages of Team Development

November 9, 2016

Creating a team involves investment of time and effort. These are the factors that greatly affect the working relationship of a team. Good working relationships and seamless communication within a group is not just dependent on team building Sydney events. Experts agree that most team undergoes through five different stages. Along with these stages, the leadership style presented to them and their individual skills plays a crucial part to determine their success or failure.

Stage 1: Searching and Defining

The initial stage of team development is characterized by confusion, awkwardness and searching. In order for you to help your team during the first stage, they will need a leader that is directive. Make your presence known by guiding them. This is also the stage where clear goals should be established. Work roles and processes are also needed to be defined in stage 1. This stage is the best start for team building activities that will enable them to discover about themselves and their team.

Stage 2: Identifying

Open conflicts and competition for influence are the defining characteristics of stage 2. Your team encounters conflict because on this stage they become more focused with details and issues. The most vulnerable teams on this stage are those with low trust with each other. What a leader can do on this stage is to practice patience and tolerance. Your team can also be more decisive with the leadership style that they want and the work processes they need to be implemented. What you can do to improve the situation is to establish defined roles, outline acceptable team behavior and create a mutual feedback process to avoid conflict and improve team communication.

Stage 3: Processing

The third stage is identified by the clear processes of supporting the established group values and goals. Most teams on this stage make use of the effective methods and tools often used by the team to support and motivate each other. Individual characteristics of members during this stage are also utilized appropriately for team development. The role of the leader during this stage is for continued encouragement for support and inculcates professionalism.

Stage 4: Assimilating/Reforming

Fourth stage of team development will be characterized by group decision-making, trust and loyalty. The leader also has a new role during this stage, the first three stages was for directing and conflict resolution. The fourth stage will be about being the guide so that they won’t revert back to the prior stages. The leader may also observe a more self-directing work flow since the team has become more assimilated with the processes.

Stage 5: Adjourning/Transforming

After a team project is done, most companies adjourn and dissolve the team for them to be able to meet more challenges in their professional journey. What the leader can do during this stage is to serve as the bridge that will convey the organization’s gratitude for a job well done. A team workshop event Australia that will help you celebrate the success of the project will also be in order.