The ‘perfect’ team- is it possible to achieve?

Is your team at work reaching its potential? Is every member happy and do you function effectively together? If you answered ‘yes’ to both of these questions then you may consider yourself lucky, as developing a team to this stage is not an easy overnight job.

Realistically most of us have issues at work and that is completely normal. Whether a colleague is lazy or your boss is overly demanding, there is usually something people would like to change about the team they work in. Becoming an efficient team requires commitment from every member and a good level of trust and communication. Team development is a process that can take time. But is striving for perfection unrealistic?

In the 60’s and 70’s, five stages of team development were proposed. The idea is that teams naturally work through each of these stages- it is an evolutionary process.

• Forming is when the members of a team meet for the first time, learn about one another, decide on a set of objectives and their individual roles within the group.
• Storming comes next, when individuals have clashing ideas and must discuss them to resolve conflicts.
• Norming occurs when conflicts have been resolved and individuals focus on the objectives of the group. Members of the team treat each other with respect and talk openly about issues and ideas.
• Performing is when a team is functioning at a high level and individuals can work through their jobs interdependently without the leader overseeing operations.
• Adjourning is the final stage wherein a team project concludes and members take time to reflect on their work.

Whilst opinions will differ on what makes the ‘perfect’ team (or even as to whether or not such thing exists), teams will generally aim for the ‘performing’ stage. This can be difficult to achieve and it is important not to rush through the earlier stages, as overcoming issues of conflict is a vital part of team development.

Rather than expecting people on your team to simply start behaving a certain way take some time to rate yourselves and consider what you can do to improve.  Become conscious of whether you need to decide common goals, take the time to learn about one another, discuss openly the different opinions you hold and set aside specific responsibilities.

Learning to work well together is the secret to a happy and successful team that can provide focus to the rest of your organisation. We offer team development services and can help you improve your team’s performance. If you would like more information on what we can do for your team, please visit our team development page.