| If you have managed to create a group of individuals | | | | to turn your attention to the quality of implementation. |
| that support the common goals of the team over their | | | | This is the time to develop skills in decision-making, |
| individual goals and have established interdependence, | | | | problem solving, process improvement, and |
| then congratulations, you have yourself a team. So | | | | interpersonal behaviors. |
| what's next? | | | | Due to the global nature of many companies, the |
| It is widely accepted that teams go through the | | | | complexity of organizations has increased. As |
| phases of forming, storming, and norming before they | | | | complexity increases in an enterprise or a team, |
| start performing. Our approach to building high | | | | cooperation and trust tend to decrease unless a |
| performance teams helps accelerate the forming, | | | | conscious choice is made to counteract that tendency. |
| storming, and norming phases. | | | | A decrease in trust and cooperation is followed by a |
| Our intent in describing the journey of team | | | | significant decrease in productivity. |
| development is to help you understand the natural | | | | The skills and competencies required of team |
| phases so that you can provide your team with a | | | | members to work cooperatively are at the core of a |
| context in which to view its experience. When team | | | | high performance team. At the end of this stage a |
| members understand that what they are experiencing | | | | team can: |
| is a natural phase in their team's unfolding, they find it | | | | - Make decisions fairly and in alignment with the team |
| easier to weather inevitable storms by focusing their | | | | charter |
| efforts on incorporating high impact team practices to | | | | - Identify and resolve problems |
| accelerate the team's progress. | | | | - Eliminate inconsistencies, redundancies, and other |
| There are three steps in the process: | | | | flaws |
| Step 1: Chartering the Team | | | | - Establish an on-going process improvement |
| High performance teams cannot be summoned forth. | | | | methodology |
| The investment in team chartering lays the foundation | | | | - Address any behavior that does not enhance the |
| for superior team performance. | | | | synergy of the team |
| The chartering process is not a "feel good" exercise. It | | | | Stage 3: Sustaining the TeamThe difference between |
| is the time when the team establishes its definition, | | | | teams that perform adequately and those that |
| purpose and expectations, roles and responsibilities, | | | | achieve high performance status is based on the |
| and conflict and risk mitigation methodology. | | | | team's ability to: |
| Lack of purpose and clear expectations are the top | | | | - Recognize when it is not performing well |
| reasons groups do not become high performance | | | | - Analyze the situation without blame |
| teams. Additional problems can be traced back to initial | | | | - Take corrective action |
| issues such as unresolved conflict, role confusion, | | | | High performance teams are skilled at self-diagnosis, |
| inadequate time for communication, and other factors | | | | evaluating causes, giving non-judgmental feedback and |
| that should be resolved in the chartering process. | | | | taking appropriate corrective action even when it is |
| Step 2: Developing the Team | | | | painful. They know that this will ultimately create a |
| Once the team has been properly chartered, you need | | | | better result for all stakeholders. |