In order to fully understand the concepts of organizations and how they develop it is important to understand the steps it takes to actually build teams within the group. According to Organizational Behavior (5th ed.), the development of a team is divided into 5 steps. The steps are Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing, and Adjourning. In an effort to give each of these very valuable parts of the process their due this offering is going to stretch a few months. So here goes, starting with the genesis of a team; FORMING.
FORMING would appear to be the easier part of the process since it seems merely to be a chance to throw 5 to 10 people from a group onto a “team” and let them get to work. The key to this process is choice and assigned roles for the members of the team. If the entire manager wanted to do was circle the wagons and then give the group work then what you have is less a team and more of what a division or section is made up of. However, in contrast, if what you want is a cohesive group of people to come together to develop, build, and organize processes so they met the needs of the organization then a great deal of care must be placed in the build.
Within the government sector we all know we have people who don’t play well with others and maybe great at what they do but cannot be placed in a team setting without creating disharmony. They are the oil to others water in any setting and must strive in ways apparent to all but themselves to avoid becoming part of the collective. They fight against policy, they fight against change, and they fight against free lunch if it means they can fight. Let’s face it they have been here too long. Engaging these folks is done at your own risk and likely will make the rest of the team who is compelled to work with them miffed at you for forcing it. They also have a tendency to drain the very morale of an entire work group like a life sucking vampire.
Here’s the rub, they are part of the group and as such need to be productive. Some methods for developing them can seem awkward and downright insane but have seen some success if you have the stomach for it. When adding them to a group, praise them for their ability to sniff out a problem and then empower them to also identify a solution. Encourage the group to follow their lead; even giving them the ability to lead the group through the team exercise can help them develop skills. Identify what each person, including the tough nut, brings to the table and why this is so important to their success. Meet with them enough to start the on the path so all players know why they were brought together and you have done forming and started the storming stages. The stages will almost always overlap.
