Teams are a common feature in modern organizational structures across all industries. They handle various projects and contribute significantly to overall business success. Different individuals can leverage their complementary skills to accomplish tasks and handle processes. As such, it is critical to ensure you form efficient teams for performance. Gathering the right individuals with the proper skills ensures harmony and cohesiveness.
So, how can supervisors form the best teams for organizations? You can leverage a team formation checklist. It will outline the steps in the development of your team. It will cover the main issues you, as a supervisor, must consider when creating a team. Checklists also act as a point of reference throughout the team formation process.
This article explores the team formation checklist and its components. Let's prepare you to form effective teams.
What Are the Five Stages of Team Development?
Before diving into the checklist, let's explore the different stages of team development.
1. Forming Stage
This is the first stage involving the team members getting to know each other. Supervisors ensure that the team members break the initial awkwardness and get comfortable. You'll provide a safe and welcoming environment where members can share their backgrounds. You should create an itinerary of activities to keep the members engaged while learning about each other. This is also the stage where you introduce the project to the team members.
2. Storming Stage
Many supervisors find the storming stage to be one of the most difficult to handle. It is plagued with conflicts and issues. As you discuss goals and processes, disagreement may arise. It may result from competition to stand out from the rest of the team. You must take charge and encourage the members to work as a unit. You should also allow disagreements to avoid silencing others. Resolve disputes between conflicting ideas by presenting compromises.
3. Norming Stage
This stage happens as team members adapt to each other and settle into their roles on the project. During this phase, there will be less arguing and planning and more collaboration. Members will follow their supervisor's lead and start working as a team. They resolve interpersonal differences, and a sense of cohesion and unity emerges.
4. Performing Stage
During the performing stage, the team exhibits high levels of consensus and collaboration. The team is mature, organized, and operates effectively, with a clear and stable structure. Members are dedicated to the team’s mission to deliver results. Every team member knows their role and can complete their tasks efficiently.
5. Adjourning Stage
The team has accomplished its mandates and delivered on its goals. This stage focuses on documenting your team's efforts and ensuring results. You can encourage the team to reflect on the project to find gaps and opportunities. The stage may end with reassignments or the disbanding of the team.
Team Formation Action Checklist
Let's explore the different actions that a team formation checklist will feature.
Define Your Team Goals
The main goal behind forming a team is to leverage it to accomplish a project. As the supervisor, you must establish goals and objectives for the team. You can also make the goals specific to certain team members. Setting objectives ensures you have a guide on what you want to achieve. It is essential to ensure the goals are clear and understandable. You must ensure all team members have a common understanding of what the team needs to achieve. The goals musta also align with the general organizational goals.
Create a Team Identity
Team identity is crucial to cohesion and promoting team spirit. It helps foster a sense of unity where members feel connected and inspired. Start by identifying shared values and goals for the team. Engage the members in the process to foster a feeling of ownership. You should also provide opportunities for bonding and team building. Assess such attempts regularly to ensure they are working and make necessary adjustments. You can also leverage team rituals that promote a sense of belonging among members.
Establish Team Roles and Responsibilities
A good team is as effective as its team members. Success is more guaranteed when the supervisor ensures each member understands their roles. You must also ensure they have the skills and expertise to handle specific roles. Break down responsibilities into particular tasks that members can handle. You must also effectively communicate the roles and expectations to the team. Members who understand their roles dedicate time to them, rather than seeking their place. Effective communication ensures you can communicate new responsibilities to the team members.
Set Ground Rules
Teams usually include individuals from various backgrounds and temperaments. Agree on processes for decision-making and reporting to be maintained throughout the team's existence. Define the timing and frequency of meetings and the management approach. Promote an environment of open and honest communication, enabling team members to share opinions. It ensures everyone is heard without the fear of retaliation. Operating ground rules ensure you have a point of reference when solving issues. As such, ensure you reach a consensus on the rules you established initially.
Foster a Culture of Trust
Trust is essential for various individuals to work together harmoniously and effectively. It helps cultivate the spirit of collaboration and teamwork among employees. To build trust, you must create a culture of transparency and respect. The two make your staff feel valued, seen, and supported, which leads to improved productivity. You can also build trust through open communication, where members exchange ideas freely. You can lead by example and demonstrate integrity and honesty through behavior. Members can also build confidence when they have opportunities to collaborate on projects.
Promote Open Communication
Communication is crucial to the cohesiveness of any group of individuals. As a supervisor, you must ensure that your team has effective communication. This is how they relay information, ideas, and perspectives to each other. Ensure you create an environment that encourages open and effective communication. Encourage them to be comfortable in the workplace and share their thoughts. Promote active listening among team members to ensure everyone's voice is heard. You can also schedule meetings where employees get an opportunity to communicate. Creating a feedback loop can help leadership and team members relay critical insights to each other.
Recognize Accomplishments
People feel encouraged when their efforts are recognized and highlighted. Your team formation checklist should include how you'll acknowledge team and individual member accomplishments. Recognition boosts morale and inspires employees to perform better. You can recognize accomplishments through various actions such as awards and shout-outs. You must also communicate the plans to celebrate achievements and ensure everyone is aware. Conduct the celebration activities and make sure team members feel acknowledged and valued. You should also document the celebration and share the success stories with the team.
Promote Collaboration
This task involves promoting collaboration within the team by fostering cooperation. Collaboration enables team members to work as a unit and not independently. It ensures that they can accomplish tasks and projects through complementary work. A spirit of cooperation also ensures members can effectively share ideas and resources. Assign group projects or tasks that require members to work together and collaborate. Organize various team-building activities that foster collaboration and cooperation. Regularly evaluate the effectiveness of collaborative efforts and make adjustments as needed.
Resolve Issues
Your team formation checklist must include strategies for resolving issues in a team. Conflicts are sure to happen when people relate in the workplace. This task ensures you have a plan for conflict resolution in the workplace. It requires identifying and addressing conflicts constructively to promote a positive team dynamic. Encourage collaboration during such processes to achieve a resolution that all parties can agree on. You should also seek consensus among the members on your chosen strategies and make adjustments. The goal is to solve problems quickly and effectively while promoting cohesion.
Cultivate Your Team Formation Skills at Atton Institute
Team formation is a vital step toward getting an effective group. As a supervisor, you must approach the task carefully and structurally. You must avoid relying on intuition and use a structured approach. The best way to achieve this is by using a team formation checklist. It will guide you on what to do when assembling a team for a project or department. It also ensures uniformity when creating teams, making you more efficient.
You can sharpen your team formation and other management skills at Atton Institute’s courses. Our Management Skills for New Managers and Supervisors program covers various topics. You'll learn how to behave at every stage of the team formation process. Our tutors will also cover setting inspirational and realistic goals for yourself and your team.
The program lasts four days and happens in a conducive environment. Our certificate of completion is also highly recognized.