Jun
26
The challenges of establishing a great team
Filed Under Leadership, Personal awareness, young people, teams
The young people I have been coaching through the project for Oracle have included their story in the final presentation to the client.
In the early stages, when things were a bit - *ahem* - chaotic ,I pointed them to Tuckman’s “Forming, Storming, Norming and Performing” theory (amongst others) and I was delighted to find that they had used this as a structure for the tale of their team. Because they have been working on this project for a specific period, for a specific purpose it has been relatively easy for them to track the stages. In the world of work though edges get blurred and timescales sometimes slip and it is harder to see.
It has been great to see a theory proved in action.
I understood the Forming part - sometimes that is organic and suddenly you find you are in a team - sometimes it is manufactured to fit a purpose by a third party - sometimes collaborators pull one together too formalise their working arrangements. At this stage members are still working as individuals and relationships of trust and depending on each other are developing.
The Storming part ( as the name suggests) is the tricky one though. My role as coach was to be there but to be non-directive. So I observed and asked questions at the time without offering any sort of solution. It was uncomfortable to watch but I am glad that I resisted the temptation to interject with my ideas or that could have thrown their progess off course. The group of individuals were competing for attention for their ideas. Loads of great suggestions were made at this stage but they had to agree and focus some and reject others. Some team members saw the rejection of their ideas as rejection of them and they removed themselves from the team. I did suggest at that point that the team needed to identify their leader - and they chose an election to do so. The duly elected leader then took hold of the project by the scruff of the neck and they were off!
They have been in the Norming stage for the past few weeks. They have not had much time but they have created the rules of operation, set up a wiki for communication and found a way to work effectively.
And finally - tomorrow - they get to Perform. Well actually -in their story - they consider that they performed half way through the project when they made an interim report to the client. And indeed they did - they pulled it together in a short time and supported each other to make it happen. That sense of unity collapsed for a short time but they appear to be back there now.
The young man whose role it is to tell this story mentioned that there are other stages in Tuckman’s theory - specifically Adjourning - or breaking up. It can also be known as Mourning. I will certainly miss working with them - I wonder how it will feel for them.
Jackie, this sounds like one of those satisfying experiences that is tough to separate from at the end.
It’s also one of those experiences where you can quietly smile and think, “You know, I did make a difference!”
It’s one of life’s great paradoxes that those things that make us the happiest will cause sadness when they end.
Thanks for the thoughtful comment Steve. I just love it when I see anyone - or group - that I have coached fly off using what the learned during our time together to take them to new places. But yes - along with the fact that I am immensely proud of them I will be sad not to be meeting them regularly.
Jackie, I have enjoyed reading this, especially under the heading you have choosen. They are a great team and they were outstanding. I know that they will take their experiences with them throughout their lives. I agree with you about the “mourning”, although I will continue to work with them over the next two years, realistically it won’t be the same, we will lose the intensity of the project. Thank you for all your help, I am sure that the project would not have been as successful without you.
Hi Debbie - I hope you had a great holiday!
I think we often try to hold onto and maybe replicate great experiences but often those still to come can be just as good. I am hoping that I can keep in touch to see how things develop.
The young people in this project were fortunate to have such great teachers supporting them!