Group formation and

Team building
 Group Dynamics
 Group stage

Forming

Storming

Norming

Performing

 Group roles
Group/Team Development based
on Tuckman's Stages of Group
FORMING
People act politely, superficially.  No one mentions the elephant
in the corner, the nagging question: Will they accept me as a
member of this group? 
STORMING
Once people feel like legitimate members, they ask, “How much
influence do I have in this group?”  A battle for control
ensues. 
NORMING
Knowing how much (or how little) influence they have, members
tire of wrangling, develop their own rules (norms) and get
down to work.  Everyone acts alike. 
PERFORMING
Everyone’s acting alike proves inefficient.  As members accept
each others’ different talents, the group works better.
 Forming

 Testing
 Emphasis on defining the tasks of the group
 Look to leader for guidance and direction
 Avoid controversy
 Serious topics and feelings are avoided
 Form stage
 First stage – behavior of group members can be described as :
• Dependent on direction
• Members are polite
• Introduction and sharing of information
• Stereotyping individuals based on first impressions
• Conversations are about safe acceptable topics
• Avoid disclosure, feedback, and interpreting non-
verbals.
Forming

 To move on to the next stage each

member must relinquish the comfort
of non-threatening topics and risk
conflict.
 Storming

 Intra-group conflict over leadership, structure,

power, and authority
 Competition among group members
 Emotional expression
 Do we have common goals and objectives?
 Do we agree on roles and responsibilities?
 Use a table to share division of labor
 Do our task, communication, and decision
systems work?
 Do we have adequate interpersonal skills?
Storming

 Discomfort in this stage causes some

members to remain silent while others
attempt to dominate
 In order to move on to the next stage
members must move from a “testing
and proving” mentality to a problem-
solving mentality.
 Storm stage
 Second stage – behavior of the group can be characterized as:
• Counter-dependent: each group member strongly
feels the need to take care of himself/herself during
this stage
• Bid for power
• Competitive
• Rationalization
• Close-minded
• Conflict/hostility
• Cliques are formed
Storm stage - continued

• Unexpressed individual needs

• Creativity suppressed
• Try to reach resolution by vote,
compromise, or arbitration
Negotiating Conflict

 Separate problem issues from people

issues
 Be soft on people, hard on problem

 Look for underlying needs, goals of

each party rather than specific
solutions
 Find a creative solution that’s good for
both
Addressing the Problem
Problem Solving
• State your views in clear non-judgmental
language
• Clarify the core issues
• Listen carefully to each person’s point of view
• Check understanding of the disagreement by
restating the core issues
• Use techniques such as circling the group for
comments and having some silent thinking time
when emotions run high
 Norming

 Development of group cohesion

 Establishment of individual roles in the group
 Members willing to accept ideas and opinions of
other members based on facts presented
Norming

 Members share ideas and feelings

 Members solicit and give feedback

 Members feel good about being part

of an effective group
 Members may fear the inevitable
future breakup of the group
 Norm stage
 Third stage – behavior of the group can be characterized as:
• Independent and constructive
• Real listening takes place
• Attempts to gain and maintain control lessen
• Progress toward objectives
• Creativity begins
• Roles identified
• The leader may become somewhat less identifiable
or necessary to the group
 Guide for Giving
Constructive Feedback
 When you …. describe behavior
 I feel ….. how behavior affects you
 Because I … why behavior affects you
 (Pause for discussion) …. let other person(s)
respond
 I would like …. what change would you like
 Because …. why change will alleviate problem
 What do you think …. Listen to other person’s
response and discuss options
Giving Constructive
Feedback
 Be descriptive
 Don't use labels
 Don’t exaggerate
 Don’t be judgmental
 Speak for yourself
Giving Constructive
Feedback (cont.)
 Talk first about yourself, not about the other
person
 Phrase the issue as a statement, not a
question
 Restrict your feedback to things you know
for certain
 Help people hear and accept your
compliments when giving positive feedback
Receiving Feedback

 Breathe
 Listen carefully

 Ask questions for clarity

 Acknowledge the feedback

 Acknowledge the valid points

 Take time to sort out what you heard

Performing

 Most productive phase

 Members are highly task oriented and
highly people oriented
 Group identity is complete

 Group morale is high

 Emphasis on achievement
 Performing

 Functional stage
 Not reached by all groups
 Interdependence
 Roles and authorities adjust to changing needs
 Perform stage
 Fourth stage – behavior of the group can be characterized as:
• Independent
• High group morale and esprit de corps
• Intense group loyalty
• Individual creativity is encouraged
• Disagreement is ok
• No cliques
• Group adopts an identification symbol
Recipe for Successful Team
 Effective systems and processes
 Clear communication
 Beneficial team behaviors
 Well-defined decision procedures
 Use of scientific approach
 Balanced participation
 Established ground rules
 Awareness of the group process
Recipe for Successful Team
 Commitment to shared goals and objectives
 Clearly defined roles and responsibilities
 Use best skills of each member
 Allows each to develop in all areas
 Adjourn stage
 Fifth stage – behavior of the group can be characterized as:
• Less task ability
• Regression to less productive behavior
• Separation, grieving behaviors
• Re-definition
• Termination or mini-death
Adjourning

 May create apprehension

 Members give up inclusion in group

 Need strategies that facilitate task

termination and disengagement
 Stages of team development and
associated management
challenges
1. Establish structure, rules, communication networks
FORMING 2. Clarify relations and interdependencies among members
(Orientation) 3. Identify leader roles, clarify responsibility and authority
4. Develop plans for goals accomplishment.

STORMING 1. Identify and resolve interpersonal conflict.

(Internal problem 2. Further clarify rules, goals, and structural relationships
3. Develop participate climate among group members
solving)

NORMING 1. Direct group activity toward goal accomplishment.

(Growth and 2. Develop data-flow & feedback systems for task performance.
3. Promote more cohesion among group members
productivity)

PERFORMING 1. Leader role emphasis on facilitation, feedback, and evaluation.

2. Renewal, revision, and strengthening of roles and group
(Evaluation interdependencies.
and control) 3. Show of strong motivation toward goal accomplishment
Nine Team Roles
 Plant  Creative , imaginative,
unorthodox, solves
difficult problems

 Extrovert , enthusiastic,
 Resource
communicative.
investigator
Explores opportunities ,
develops contacts.
Nine Team Roles
 Coordinator  Mature confident , a good
chairperson, clarifies
goals, promotes decision
making , delegates well

 Challenging , dynamic,
 Shaper thrives on pressure, has
the drive and courage to
overcome obstacles.
Nine Team Roles
 Monitor, evaluator  Sober, strategic and
discerning , sees all
options and judges
accurately
 Cooperative, mild,
 Team Worker perceptive and
diplomatic , listens
and builds averts
friction , calms the
waters.
Nine Team Roles
 Implementer  Disciplined , reliable ,
conservative and
efficient, , turns ideas
into practical actions.

 Painstaking ,
 Completer conscientious, anxious,
searches out errors and
omissions, delivers on
time
Leadership styles

Solo leader Team Leader

 Plays unlimited role  Chooses to limit

 Strives for role

conformity  Builds on diversity

 Collects acolytes  Seeks talent

 Directs  Develops
subordinates colleagues
 Projects objectives  Creates mission.
 Self managed work teams

 Much of the authority rests with the team

 Distinct product or service

 Interdependent activities

 Mission, scope and budget

predetermined
 Authority for operating decisions

 Potential Challenges
What an effective team leader
can do 

 Realize the need for individuality

 Teamwork is an ongoing negotiation

 Facilitates different views into

consensus
 Challenges team to meet individual
needs
 Provide work alone or with team
The L.E.A.D. Model 

 Lead with a clear purpose

 Empower to participate

 Aim for consensus

 Direct the process

 Aim for consensus 
 Consensus?
 Help people move toward general agreement
 Bring as many ideas, opinions, and conflicts to the table
 Help find the approach that best meets the needs of the
organization & team members
 Responsibility of leader to act on decision or to empower
the team to direct the process
 Use various techniques to help the team complete their
work
 Be aware of methods and practices that help team
members work well together
 Direct does not mean to order the team around
 Building High Performing
Teams

 Check for the “it” factor – Great teams

are built on communication and not on
the content of what they communicate.
The key is the “how” of communication in
teams
 Watch how this works:

 https://hbr.org/2012/04/the-new-science-
of-building-great-teams
What does a great team look
like?
The Science of Building
Teams
Key Characteristics of High-
Performing Teams
o Everyone on the team talks and listens in roughly
equal measure, keeping contributions short and sweet
o Members face one another, and their conversations
and gestures are energetic
o Members connect directly with one another—not just
with the team leader
o Members carry on back-channel or side conversations
within the team
o Members periodically break, go exploring outside the
team, and bring information back
Three steps to Building a
High Performance Teams
 Visualization :
 Clearly create maps of how team is managing its energy,
engagement, and exploration. Focus on any weaknesses that
teams may not have recognized. Identify disengaged members who
have been ignored

 Training : A communication map will help teams improve

performance through a visual feedback which when given to non-
participating members would help improve their performance

 Fine-tuning performance: When the level of energy and

engagement is mapped against performance metrics and when
visualizations have helped improve patterns of communication, the
high-performance ideal is achieved through higher productivity
scores. You may use subjective metrics where hard metrics are not
available for measurement
A Sociogram of a Group
Some approaches to manage
team performance…
 Change of office seating arrangement to
infuse energy

 Encouragement from managers for face-to-

face communications and force change

 Change in policy

 Sometimes switching out team members

may help
Who is the ideal team
player?
 This is a “natural leader”
 A “charismatic connector”
 This person circulates actively, engaging people in short,
high-energy conversations
 This is a democratic person with his/her time—
communicating with everyone equally and making sure all
team members get a chance to contribute
 Not necessarily an extrovert, although he/she feels
comfortable approaching other people.
 Listens more than they talk and is usually very engaged with
whomever he/she listens to “energized but focused
listening.”
 He/she connects his/her team members with others and
helps spreads ideas around. They balance engagement with
exploration
Read More at HBR…

 https://hbr.org/2012/04/the-new-
science-of-building-great-teams
Be in a “Just Like Me”
Reflection
 This person has beliefs, perspectives, and opinions, just like
me.
 This person has hopes, anxieties, and vulnerabilities, just like
me.
 This person has friends, family, and perhaps children who love
them, just like me.
 This person wants to feel respected, appreciated, and
competent, just like me.
 This person wishes for peace, joy, and happiness, just like me.
 Read more at
 https://hbr.org/2017/08/high-performing-teams-need-
psychological-safety-heres-how-to-create-it