Team building is divided into 4 different phases:
- The forming phase
- The storming phase
- The norming phase
- The performing phase
Each phase is an important stage in the process to melding your employees into a cohesive and happy working unit.
The forming stage is when team members are put into groups. Interaction between new members tend to be of a general nature and impersonal. To adjust to their roles within the team they will need to have the jobs and tasks defined. At this point the team leader needs to be able to communicate the task, goals, communication requirements and reporting structure. Team Building games are a good way to start “breaking the ice” between members.
In the storming phase team members may experience some level of clashing and confrontation with other team members. Resistance, opposing attitudes and personality conflicts will all play a part in this phase. Team leaders must be attentive to these issues and react fittingly. Team members must be made aware of their shared aims and necessary dependency on each other in order to make the team project successful. Spend time with each member learning their strengths and weaknesses. Identify the strongest members and decide whether they will be a valuable help or a hindrance. Team building games that focus on building trust and reliance upon each other will help achieve this goal.
The norming phase is the point when team members start to exhibit an interest in becoming a team, are amenable to constructive criticism, develop a better interaction and accept their place as members of “the team.”
The performing phase, this is the phase when the team members are working productively together. The leaders and the team members understand the team’s strength and weaknesses. The team members understand and exhibit the ability to solve problems in a methodical way. Team building games and activities should be directed towards fun and reward.
