Part 3 - Effective Framework to Build Marketing Teams: Storming Stage

In a storm the strong stay and weak get swept away!

Founder’s hit the panic button when they see their teams getting disrupted. Surprisingly they do this even after knowing that the existing people and processes are wrong. This happens when their teams start rebelling.?

In almost all my consulting engagements the Storm hits between 2nd and 4th month.

I like this storm because it helps in understanding the resilience of the teams and processes. Sometimes even the Founder.

Let me touch upon the Founder's resilience before getting into others. Very few founders realise this storm is for good and stick to the process. And those that do it come out shining on the other side.

In one instance, one of the longest serving employees put his papers down when the restructuring started.

The Founder was very concerned and the particular team member was reluctant to talk. I had a one on one with him and made him open up. Two things influenced his decision “Speed and Guilt”.

1. He couldn't move things as fast as expected because he lacked fundamental knowledge of the tools and processes.

2. He felt guilty of not knowing these and not implementing them earlier in the company.

I counselled him to stay and he was able to get over both.

Continuing my four-part series on Tuckman's Stages of Group Development for marketing, today we dive into the second and often most challenging stage: Storming. The previous article can be found here: Forming Stage Article

In the Storming Stage (2-4 months), In the Forming stage there is an initial excitement or scepticism from team members. But it begins to wane, and the reality of the work ahead sets in during this period. This is when conflicts and disagreements arise as team members push against the boundaries set during the Forming stage.

Experience lowest morale at this stage but stick to the process. It works!

However, it's essential to understand that these conflicts are not only inevitable but also beneficial for the team's growth and development.?

I’ve segregated these important 5 areas. Every stage of Tuckman's principles will have a major impact.

The second one under “Product-Market Fit” is the most important of all. Assumptions kill performance rather than make data driven decisions.?

Team Alignment: Resolve conflicts and clarify roles to ensure everyone understands their contributions to the overall strategy.

Product-Market Fit: Validate assumptions and refine strategies through data-driven discussions to achieve a better market fit.

Tools Implementation: Involve the team in selecting project management and collaboration tools to streamline workflows.

Process Setup: Establish and regularly review standardised workflows for campaign execution and content creation.

Performance Metrics: Set clear performance metrics and review them regularly to ensure alignment and focus on goals.

This conflict management grid shows how different levels of assertiveness and cooperativeness shape how we handle conflicts—whether through Competing, Collaborating, Compromising, Avoiding, or Accommodating. Understanding these strategies can help team members resolve issues better and build a stronger, more productive team.

Challenges Managers and C-Suite Executives Face:

1. Managing Diverse Opinions: Balancing diverse opinions and ideas can be challenging but is crucial for innovative marketing strategies. Embrace diversity of thought and encourage creative problem-solving.
2. Maintaining Morale: Conflicts can lower team morale. It's important to keep the team's spirit high by celebrating small wins, recognizing individual contributions, and maintaining a positive outlook.
3. Ensuring Alignment: Ensuring that everyone remains aligned with the overall marketing strategy despite conflicts requires constant communication and reinforcement of the team's mission and goals.

Remember: The Storming stage is a critical phase in the development of a marketing team. Successfully navigating this stage will set the foundation for a cohesive, high-performing team ready to tackle the challenges ahead. I repeat “cohesive”, cohesive within the team and cohesive to the organisational goals.

Did you face rebellion from your team, how did you handle it?

#marketingteambuilding #teambuilding #cohesiveteams