The facts about team development in a work environment.

The facts about team development in a work environment

When it comes to team development, there are a few key terms and concepts that you should be aware of. Belbin's Team Role Model is one of the most commonly used frameworks for understanding team dynamics and identifying potential areas for improvement. The model describes nine different team roles that individuals can adopt to contribute to the overall success of the team.

Bruce Tuckman’s Bruce Tuckman’s 5 Stages of Team Development model is another popular framework for understanding team dynamics.

This model describes the different stages that teams go through as they develop and mature over time. Each stage represents a different set of challenges and opportunities that the team must face to become truly high performing.

If you're looking to build a high-performing team, it's important to have a clear understanding of these concepts. By doing so, you'll be in a much better position to identify potential areas for improvement and make the necessary changes to help your team reach its full potential.

Belbin’s Team Role Model:?

Belbin’s team role model is a framework that describes nine different team roles that individuals can adopt to contribute to the overall success of the team. The model is based on the belief that successful teams are those that have a balance of different types of personalities and skillsets.

The nine team roles described by Belbin are as follows:

• Plant: A creative individual who comes up with new and innovative ideas.
• Resource Investigator: An individual who is good at exploring new opportunities and generating new ideas.
• Coordinator: An individual who is good at organising people and resources.
• Shaper: An individual who is good at challenging others and driving the team forward.
• Monitor Evaluator: An individual who is good at critically analysing ideas and making decisions.
• Specialist: An individual who has in-depth knowledge in a particular area.
• Implementer: An individual who is good at taking ideas and turning them into reality.
• Completer Finisher: An individual who is good at seeing projects through to the end and ensuring that all the details are taken care of.
• Teamworker: An individual who is good at working well with others and building relationships.

Bruce Tuckman’s Stages of Team Development Model:?

Tuckman provides a framework that describes the five different stages that teams go through as they develop and mature over time.

The five stages of team development described by Tuckman are as follows:

• Forming: The team is new, and members are getting to know each other. There is a high level of uncertainty and anxiety at this stage.
• Storming: Members start to challenge each other, and conflict begins to emerge. This is typically the most challenging stage of team development.
• Norming: Members start to work together and resolve differences. There is a greater sense of trust and cooperation at this stage.
• Performing: The team is high-functioning and members are working together effectively. This is the stage at which teams can achieve their full potential.
• Adjourning: This stage is all about the well-being of the team and the team leader needs to ensure that there is time for the team to celebrate team successes and recognise future best practices or lessons learned.?

It's important to note that not all teams will go through all five stages – some may skip straight from forming to norming, while others may never reach the performing stage. However, understanding the different stages of team development can be helpful in identifying potential areas for improvement.

If your team is struggling, it may be helpful to take a step back and assess which stage of development it is currently in. This can give you a better understanding of what challenges your team is facing and how to best address them.

With a clear understanding of Belbin’s team role model and Tuckman’s team development model, you will be in a much better position to assess your team's strengths and weaknesses, identify potential areas for improvement, and make the necessary changes to help your team reach its full potential.

When would you use these tools to help your team to develop?

You might use Belbin’s team role model to help you assess the strengths and weaknesses of individuals on a team, as well as identify potential areas for improvement. You might also use Tuckman’s model to understand the different stages that teams go through as they develop and mature over time. These tools can be helpful in making sure that your team is working to its fullest potential.

What makes a high-performing team?

A high-performing team is one that can work together effectively to achieve its goals. To be a high-performing team, members need to trust and respect each other, have a shared sense of purpose, and be able to communicate openly. Additionally, each member of the team needs to be aware of their own strengths and weaknesses, as well as the strengths and weaknesses of the team.

By understanding and utilising the different strengths of each team member, a high-performing team can achieve its full potential.

What are some of the challenges that teams face when trying to develop?

One of the challenges that teams face when trying to develop is that they can get stuck in a certain stage of development and not be able to move forward. For example, a team might get stuck in the storming stage, where members are arguing and disagreeing with each other, and not be able to move on to the norming or performing stage. Another challenge that teams face is that they might not have a shared sense of purpose, which can make it difficult for them to work together effectively.

How can you overcome these challenges and help your team to develop?

One way to overcome these challenges is to have regular check-ins with your team to see how they are progressing. This can help you identify any areas where the team is struggling and make the necessary changes.

Additionally, it is important to make sure that each member of the team understands the team’s goals and objectives, as this will help them work together more effectively.

Finally, it is also helpful to encourage team members to share their ideas and thoughts openly, as this can help to create a more cohesive team.

If you are interested in learning more about how to establish more streamlined and aligned processes, reduce stress in the workforce and increase employee engagement, I run a weekly simultaneous live stream for 30 minutes on Facebook and YouTube called The Power of Improvement. You're all welcome to join me.

Thanks for reading

Liz