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How did you feel when you were in the different stages of team development? What did your manager do? What worked (or not)?
ForumHow did you feel when you were in the different stages of team development? What did your manager do? What worked (or not)?
ForumHow did you feel when you were in the different stages of team development? What did your manager do? What worked (or not)?
Re: ForumHow did you feel when you were in the different stages of team development? What did your manager do? What worked (or not)?
I fell that the most important stage for me is the storming one; I usually fell imaginative and try that the rest of the time feed the stage with their thoughts. I also think that it is a never-ending stage.
It also truth that most of my managers didn't take a lot of time in this stage focusing more in norming and performing. It also great because you can get lost in ideas and not achieving your objectives if you don't take the time to work on all the stages.
What works for me is trying to translate goals in objectives (numbers and figures) and from time to time, take time to have a look on the big picture.
Re: ForumHow did you feel when you were in the different stages of team development? What did your manager do? What worked (or not)?
My experiences of being in a team are quite low, related to me working as an associated professor, researcher and university teacher. However, I have been in different boards and associations as so. In some of the teams forming and stormning were quite easy related to all of us knowing each other. In others, the opposite. I do believe that I am a person that in most of the cases like to set up a common goal rather quick, as well as sub- goals. I also like to divide responsibilites rather fast, maybe to fast, meaning before people are less confused about agendas etc. I am eager to perform, something I need to work on, I need to be more patient. Meaning that I may be too unpatient in the stages of forming and storming, which I know now is essential for getting to the stage of performing.
Re: ForumHow did you feel when you were in the different stages of team development? What did your manager do? What worked (or not)?
Me and Zabihulla discussed the differences coming to an existing team vs a team where you have to start from the beginning, i.e. the forming stage. He came to Sierra Leone and joined an ongoing team already in the performing stage. For him it was no problems connecting with other team member and got his assignments quick and easy. I asked if the team sometimes needed to start from the beginning, with forming, since MSF team always changes by people leaving and coming. He said that they seldom did, but sometimes they needed to highlight the goals again. Since I have not yes worked in a team like the one he is in at the moment, we discussed a little bit of my experiences as a member of different boards and association. And I said that I am too eager to jump into the performing stage. But I realize that I also can be more withdrawn in teams that are in the beginning of forming, with people that I don´t know. I then watch and listen before I act.
Re: ForumHow did you feel when you were in the different stages of team development? What did your manager do? What worked (or not)?
I cannot really elaborate this answer because I will do my first mission with MSF.
I will feel very sensitive if I will find a "Forming" stage, always hopeful to improve.
In "Storming" I would like to be able to understand the best way to reach the Norming stage,
In "Storming" I would like to be able to understand the best way to reach the Norming stage,
but really I would like to work in a Performing behaviour with all the staff members
and the best working situation will be the Adjourning stage.
Re: ForumHow did you feel when you were in the different stages of team development? What did your manager do? What worked (or not)?
My feelings at the different stages of development was that of excitement. Willingness to learn from the team, bringing in/or sharing with the team my previous experience gained. Best practice(s) adopted. Building interpersonal relationship with the team, confidence and common understanding was key. In total, characteristics of high performing team was practicable.
- My manager was much more task/result oriented. He pays little attention to the team's morale. He takes credits for optimal productivity but refuse to take responsibility for failures or mistakes done by the team.
-Team leader's listening ability to members didn't worked out well.
Re: ForumHow did you feel when you were in the different stages of team development? What did your manager do? What worked (or not)?
At work place, I felt in a time that nothing was moving forward as people in a team have no clear responsibilities and tasks. In response, the new manager tried to assign task and responsibilities to each member of the team. People felt empowered because they have had challenging opportunities. The problem with this initiative is that, the manager did not assign activities equally among team members resulting in a conflict of responsibilities and work overload for some people.
Re: ForumHow did you feel when you were in the different stages of team development? What did your manager do? What worked (or not)?
Through the different stages,I find the norming and storming to be very challenging where there is bound to be so much chaos until the sense of teaming comes along leading to the performing stage. Performing in my experience can either be easy if the team members understand their definitive tasks but when some team members underperform it makes a daunting task to other teammates. While adjourning can be a sad moment if the team bonded well, I have once or twice experienced a "I'm relieved am done with the team moment" because it was rather exhausting working with certain people. Overall the different stages can be fun when working with open minded individuals.
Re: ForumHow did you feel when you were in the different stages of team development? What did your manager do? What worked (or not)?
- Forming: I enjoy meeting new people and get to know them. It can be overwhelming to memorize all the names and functions inside the team. I find it especially challenging when I’m starting in a team that was already formed and had their equilibrium. Adapting to someone new, especially if it happens often, can be extenuating for both sides. A good manager should be there to support both sides and listen to everybody, to help the new members to adapt and to grow inside the team.
- Storming: I consider I have a strong personality and I like to feel that my opinion is taken into consideration. I like to express my views and try to find solutions for the problems the project faces. I have difficulties adapting when there is no communication and people are not frontal, honest, and kind towards each other. I understand that it is impossible to please everybody but, in the end, a good relationship between all team members is what is going to allow the achievement of the goal. A good manager needs to be able to give the correct space for collaborators to express opinions, actively listen, and understand what is going and why.
- Norming: for me it happens when I find my space and where understand where I’m valuable. This is important to me to keep a high motivation. A good manager should promote productive discussions, knowing where your collaborators can perform better, and keep good working relationships among team members. He should be sensitive and observe interactions in order to identify possible issues that can block team progression.
- Performing: I always try to accomplish the tasks that were assigned to me to the best of my capacity. I feel accomplished when the effort was valuable not only for me but mostly for the team members and project I’m working with, and especially for the beneficiaries. As a manager, I feel that it is important to have a mature presence, clear and honest attitude towards the team in order to function at its optimum capacity.
- Adjourning: change is inevitable and it can always bring new stimuli to the project. New persons, new ideas, new contributions. It’s hard but at the end positive and essential to continue growth. As a manager, I believe that be able to identify the best characteristics in all team members and let them flourish is essential to make people happy and the project going.
Re: ForumHow did you feel when you were in the different stages of team development? What did your manager do? What worked (or not)?
As described in Tuckman's model, the storming stage is the most difficult, especially if the people have different origins/backgrounds.
I have had 8 managers in 8 years in the same organization and it was not easy at all because each manager had his own philosophy and methods while the objectives were the same. Changing the working method or strategy was frustrating and the work was in low motion. After much times and several exchanges, compromises were found and we have moved on to the "norming" stage.
Re: ForumHow did you feel when you were in the different stages of team development? What did your manager do? What worked (or not)?
In the Formation stage I feel comfortable because it is a group of people who are getting to know each other and transmitting information is very interesting, as is the interpersonal knowledge stage.
As the model mentions, the Storming stage is the most difficult, especially because there are several people who demand different needs, or even more difficult when there are alliances between them; it is important not to fall into imposing or too flexible attitudes that divert the objectives. In any case, it is important to see this stage as a crisis, which can help to re-establish norms and agreements that allow people to grow as a team.
During the Normalisation stage and once the crisis has been overcome, it is time to establish the rules and roles clearly.
Once the first three stages have been overcome and strong foundations have been laid, the next two stages are easier and will be the result of the work done in the first stages.