Teams - does the “forming, storming and norming” ever end?
(The answer is no BUT we can learn how to move through these phases more skillfully 😎)
You are probably a part of many teams in your workplace (and, really, life!).
And those team dynamics are probably constantly changing. Just when you think there is stability, things change. A leader or key contributor leaves. A teammate takes an indefinite leave. Your team gets a new project, or must collaborate across functions. (This forms a new team with its own cycle of forming, storming, and norming!)
So the question is does the forming, storming, norming ever really end?
From what I can see, the answer is no.
In the modern workplace, changing directions is a constant. Plus, on average, people now stay in jobs for less time. So, teams must constantly be developing and iterating to perform at their best.
So how do we help our teams do this … in the fastest period of time?
We think about "teaming" as a teachable skill. And one that is vital for anyone in a leadership role.
So if teaming is a critical skillset for leaders, what do leaders need to know?
Trust & psychological safety is the start point - and must be actively cultivated.
“Change happens at the speed of trust” is one of my favorite quotes (Stephen Covey). It underscores the reality that if trust is not present on a team, it will simply be much harder than it needs to be to get things done.
The oversight that I see leaders make is to presume that trust is the default. Trust is simply NOT the default for most people and teams.
Sure, some of the trust-building process happens organically as we come to know people and see them follow through on their commitments.
But leaders also have an opportunity to speed up and deepen this process. They can do this through simple exercises, check-ins, and meeting practices that help people to better connect, and understand the motivations, values, strengths, preferences and pet peeves of the people that make up the team. Yes, there is a way to hack trust-building 😉.
The obvious isn’t that obvious - we must make the implicit explicit.
Each of us approaches our work differently and we tend to assume that our colleagues will apply the same approach. This is the source of many avoidable conflicts, misunderstandings and wasted time.
Leaders who spend the time discussing, clarifying and defining the team’s optimal ways of working are making an investment in future efficiency and optimization. I use a "High-Performing Teams Playbook" with my clients. It has profiles for each team member, lists team values, and defines behaviors for success. It also includes specific norms for recurring team activities such as communication, meetings, planning and decision-making processes.
Conflict needs a rebrand - we must build skills to work together across difference.
Whenever the topic of “conflict” comes up in a workshop, I can visibly see people get tense. Conflict is hard for many of us. There is often a lot at stake. In its face, we often use unhelpful strategies. We may shut down and avoid it, or take an aggressive, binary stance.
Leaders play a big role in modelling how teams can work together in a productive way across difference. As a leader, what does your team see of you when you are in conflict with one of them? With another leader in the organization? When you disagree with a decision? When you receive feedback you don’t like? Your starting point for helping your team work together across difference starts with you.
Leaders can also use specific tools like pulling for constructive feedback on a regular basis (“what is going well?”, “where could we be 10% better?”), using specific language (“we all seem to be agreeing too fast here - what might we be missing?”) and focusing on feedFORWARD instead of feedback.
As a modern leader, your teams change often. They are under constant pressure to perform. To help them do that, it's vital to invest in your "teaming" skills.
If you’d like my help, let me know at megan@meganmcallister.ca.
PS: I have spent this fall in a ICF-qualified certification for Team Coaching, so I can bring even more value to my clients and the work I do with their teams.
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