Team cohesion is important for strengthening the teams and to get the productive results.
Our team was involved in decision making process to know how the communication
between the team members could be reduced. It was realized that delays in communication
impacted the performances and this impacted the project works. This situation also reflected
the differences in the team members and thus posed a serious condition. Improper
communication affected the strength of the team and in conducting the business works in the
right manner. Such issues quite prominently existed at the workplace and thus needed a
quick resolution (Pramlal, 2004).
A faster and reliable communication helped in dealing with the situation and in improving
the strength of the team. Positive communication increased trust between the members and
this was the key requirement for improving the team performances. I would recommend my
supervisor to conduct a team meeting on a regular basis, as it was needed for resolving the
issues faced while conducting the tasks. A direct communication strategy in the form of
team meeting will be used where the good and challenging points faced by the workforce
would be discussed. With this strategy the managers will be aware of the situation faced by
the staffs and in adopting new process for increasing the performances. I prefer to use this
strategy to increase the work ability of the team members which will then strengthen their
performances. The four phases of group development are "Forming, Storming, Norming and
Performing" In my experience forming a group could mean getting a group of people
together and doing your best to form a well synergized, organized and perfected machine.
Roles in a team are incredibly important because every good, well oiled machine is built
with good parts. Picture each person as a part of that machine. you want to have each part of
your machine focusing on one job so that the other parts can focus 100% on their roles as
well. once you have that down you have perfected forming a team. Strategies that can help
form strength among teams would be good communication I.E group chat in a text message
about the day at work so every employee is on the same page when they come in for their
shift. The four phases of group development are forming, storming, norming and
performing. During the forming stage, the team members are introduced together in the same
setting with unknown intentions. Perhaps you may be new at your job and are looking for
which role you will contribute to. Within the storming stage, conflict between members arise
and cause problems if there is strong tension. In the norming stage, teams follow certain
routines or ‘norms’ they use to accomplish tasks. At the performing stage, the team achieves
a level of synergy and understanding of each other enabling them to accomplish common
goals. In my last job, we went through the first three stages but returned to the storming
stage. The supervisors created conflicts with associates because of their differences. I would
be a harmonizer for some time because I resolve conflicts. However, despite my own and
others’ best efforts, this stage persisted and I left. If a supervisor asked me what it means to
‘strengthen a team’, I would reply by saying, “Strengthening a team is taking every
individual into account and applying everyone’s strengths and resolving weaknesses together
effectively”. Some strategies I would use to effectively strengthen teams are explicit
communication, listening skills and understanding conflict. I have used these strategies in
my previous job to harmonize other members. The stages of group development are forming,
storming, norming, and performing. Forming is the first stage of team development. During
this stage, the people are initially brought together and have limited interaction with each
other. Storming is the second stage of group development. During this stage, the team
members will begin to interact more, but will also experience conflict. The third stage is
norming. During this stage the team environment begins to “normalize” with people falling
into a rhythm within their job. During the final stage, performing, the priority is
maintenance. I have experienced the first three stages of group development. I was hired at
an organization and within 6 months, the company hired a new executive and changed
directions for our team. We ended up hiring a full staff (there were only 3 of us at this time).
Initially the team members did not interact, and then slowly the staff began to engage.
Although since the program was new, there was a lot of conflict as people were trying to
figure out what they were supposed to be doing. It took a good 5 years before we truly hit
the norming stage. When setting up a team there are many steps; Choosing a team , choosing
a leader or someone in charge of the team, and even roles of each team member. In any
group situation there will be some miscommunication or what is called a storming stage
,because we all have different reactions to each situation, however there is no " I " in team
and in most team or group situations everyone will have to play their part to execute
whatever assignment is given and to stay away from the power struggle . I think its
definitely important to give someone a role of team leader so that person can be in charge of
strengthening the team and provide motivation and keeping conflict down, because everyone
cant be in charge. At my current job everyday someone takes lead so the day runs smoothly,
basically the designated person is in charge of the schedule. At the end of the day its makes
our days go by easy by forming a team and a leader. When its all said and done when you as
a team perform the task at hand and you see it start to work you can begin to appreciate each
person role. Forming is the very first stage of developing a group, everyone is usually polite
and ready to take on the task at this phase. Taking on the responsibilities of which group
member will be in charge of certain tasks. Storming is the next phase of group developing,
and is usually when the conflicts come in. This stage is often referred to as the power
struggle, where sometimes boundaries are crossed and push back is given. Next is the
Norming stage, where you have made it pass the power struggle. Group members have
resolved their differences, and can now work with each other respectfully. The performing
stage happens when the group has start to see progress and has made or is even close to
reaching the teams goal. Group members start to see achievements and it is becoming more
and more easier to work your group members. When working through each stage I always
tired to remain calm and respect others opinions and views weather or not I agreed with the
decisions. When working at one of my first jobs there was definitely a power struggle,
everyone wanted to be in charge when it was going good, but when goals were not meet no
one wanted to take ownership. I believe it takes a strong leader to strengthen a team, trusting
your team members, recognize and respect the efforts of others. In forming, this is where
group members are selected, trained and also develop ground rules for what types of
behaviors are acceptable. Storming is where hostilities and conflicts arise because group
members have an understanding of their roles and also where team members challenge
management and fight for positions. However, when group members agree on their shared
goals and norms and closer relationships develop, norming occurs. Norms are shared belief
about how people should think and behave. Norming is where members develop a stronger
commitment to the team goal and starts making good progress towards goals. In performing,
where groups work together to perform their assign tasks. Whenever conflicts develop
within a team, the most important thing is to talk to them and find out what’s in their mind.
Some members might have poor understanding of what their roles are and become frustrated
about the teams’ task. Strengthen a team is a vital part of any company because without
team members working together, organization can certainly suffer. Typical situations that
some groups can have is, having difficulty communicating. A lot of the time when people
are put into groups that don’t want to be, they can be stubborn and not want to be a team
player. And have a attitude of you want it done you do it yourself! They also rather do what
they have to do and be done with it and not care if the group needs help or not. Now when it
comes to being on a team everyone have a specific job that helps make everyone else’s jobs
easier and faster to get done. When working as a team there is always room for
improvement, always communicate with one another if you are finished before someone else
and you see that they may need help ask what you could do to help them out. Kind little
gestures go a long way with people and also making people more willing and wanting to
work you again. Some of the typical situations that may occur in a team would most likely
have to do with performances. In order for a team to function properly u need to focus and
see how everyone works. By doing that you have to look for there weaknesses and strengths.
After doing that you need to come together to come up with some ideas to get everyone on
the same page and work on the things they struggle with. I mainly have to go through this at
my job. We are all assigned tasks that the managers know and feel confident that we can
handle it and do it well. There have been times where we have to have multiple people
working together to get something done a lot faster. It has been difficult sometimes working
with people how look confused and I have to stand there trying my best to explain it so that
they can understand and sometimes that doesn’t work. The main thing In doing to improve
your team is to encourage them and make them and showing them what could happen if we
all worked together and did a great job. Some typical situations that may occur in each phase
of group development are: Setting up the team, Setting Goals for the team, The team has to
perform and it is a good idea to select a leader for the team. Within a team there may be a
power struggle. While working with my team I have encountered each and everyone of these
phases in group developments. My reaction to each of these situations have varied. I know
that I have been reluctant to share ideas in a team setting. I have tended to kind of go with
the flow. I do not do good with the power struggle stage. If my supervisor asked what it
means to strengthen a team I would say that it is important to recognize and respect the
efforts of others. It is important to work together for a the common goal of the team. The
team has to have good communication. It is also important to recognize the success of each
milestone. These strategies are the same and can be effective in straightening teams. I use
these strategies at work. There are four different types of typical situations that may occur in
each phase of group development which is forming, storming, norming, and performing. The
first phase is forming which defines when people come together and just starting to get to
know each other. The second one is storming which is where people start to push against
boundaries in that stage. The norming is more when others may start to socialize and be
comfortable in asking for help. The last stage would be performing which means that you
feel more confident, motivated and that everyone is on the same page. I have dealt with this
situation when being a new employee at my job. It can be tough at first because you don’t
really know anyone and as time passes by you get to know how the work is and also the
people around you. If my supervisor would ask me what it means to strengthen a team I
would say that it’s important to have that bond when working together and have good
communication with others. Some strategies that I could share to effectively strengthen
teams would be to build trust, remain calm, and have patience. I try to use these strategies
every time I work with others on a daily basis. In the first stage, the group is formed and the
members may still be trying to understand the subject and what needs to be completed. In
the second stage, members may start to introduce themselves and start the discussion on the
topic. In the third stage, the members will begin to see who strength will help the team the
most and the contribution each member will have on the project. In the forth stage, members
will begin to work smoothly together and now they would have understood what needs to be
completed and how to be successful. I have encountered every phase and situation in very
team I have participated in. I usually like to skip the first phase to avoid the awkwardness. I
like to introduce myself and get to know the people I work with immediately. I feel it helps
the mood of the group and starts off with knowing others as quickly as possible. If my
supervisor asked me what it means to "strengthen a team?", I would respond with making
sure that everyone understand each other and how each member can contribute evenly.
Some strategies that can be used to strengthen a team would be to get to know each other,
understand each other strengths and weakness, and make sure that everyone has a say
towards the work that needs to be completed. I use these strategies in every team I work
with, school or work related. Different situations occur in the workforce, sometime not by
choice or volunteering for that group. At first there are people who don’t want to interact
with the group but must be there. This group of people will likely be making excuses why
they can complete assignments or why they do show for meeting. They will feel that they
are not hurting anyone, but they are pulling the team down. Then you have achievers to help
encourage and motivate the group to be the goal. They are focused and are great leaders. If a
supervisor, ask me to “strengthen a team” I would accept the challenges. I only want the best
for anyone who is willing to do the work and prove that this what they want out of a career.
I will have a meeting to find out what the group has to offer, hidden talents, and what they
want out of the company, to have open communication with the group. I am put the group
together by their individual strengthens and be open minded. I use this technique everyday at
work and it seems to be working out great. We have such a strong team that it makes coming
to work worth it. Different situations occur in the workforce, sometime not by choice or
volunteering for that group. At first there are people who don’t want to interact with the
group but must be there. This group of people will likely be making excuses why they can
complete assignments or why they do show for meeting. They will feel that they are not
hurting anyone, but they are pulling the team down. Then you have achievers to help
encourage and motivate the group to be the goal. They are focused and are great leaders. If a
supervisor, ask me to “strengthen a team” I would accept the challenges. I only want the best
for anyone who is willing to do the work and prove that this what they want out of a career.
I will have a meeting to find out what the group has to offer, hidden talents, and what they
want out of the company, to have open communication with the group. I am put the group
together by their individual strengthens and be open minded. I use this technique everyday at
work and it seems to be working out great. We have such a strong team that it makes coming
to work worth it. In the first phase of group development, you have people come together
with little interaction and much uncertainty. This is known as the forming stage. Next is the
storming phase, in this phase there is a little trust with one another but begin to experience
conflict. The third phase is norming. During this phase, there is more progress. Here you
being to notice people getting into their work rhythm and working better with each other.
The final phase, performing, is pretty much maintenance. You recognize good performance
and try to maintain the environment by removing any barriers that can potentially interrupt
this phase.
I have experienced every single one of these phases when working with a team. The first
phase was probably the most challenging because you don’t know one another very well.
But I am an easy going person so that has always made it easier for me when it comes to
working with others. If I were to be asked what it means to “strengthen a team,” I would say
to provide a safe and comfortable environment, have clear and effective communication and
build trust. One suggestion would be to have team builders every 2 months or so to help
build that trust and camaraderie amongst the team to become for efficient and build or
maintain those relationships. Team builders have been very effective with my teams. In the
first phase of group development there is very little communication going on. Everyone is
still trying to figure what their job is and where they fit into the group. The first step has
little to no trust within the group. The second phase is where people have had a little bit of
time to get to know each other and develop a sense of where they stand and what their tasks
to preform are. Some problems get run into and the group gets to work out the first issues.
The third phase is when everyone knows one another and have a good understanding of
where they fit in the group. The fourth and final phase the group has a good sense of trust
within each other and are the most productive.I have experienced all of these phases, i
typically try to enter the group with an open mind so that i can look at the situations and
members from all angles. I would answer my manager telling her that trust is what truly
strengthens a team. Ways to build trust would be to have everybody get familiar with each
other possibly even outside of work, allowing one another to form a bond. I have done this
with my coworkers at my current job, being able to meet in a relaxed environment allows
one another to get along in turn building trust. There are four group development phase.
Some typical situations that may occur. First is forming stage the first stage here people
initially come, the have little interaction with each other. The storming phase is when the
team know each other better and experience some conflict. They interact more now than the
forming stag. The norm stage is when everyone is familiar with each other and everything is
running smoothly. Work is getting done money is being made. Performing phase is your job
as an effective manager. You encourage your team and the efforts they made.I have
encountered all these phase especially when I first started the job I'm in now. First starting a
new job can be scary but I stuck it out and now I love my job so much I'm studying for my
BS in education. If my supervisor asked me what strategies to use I would say to look ahead
and watch for changes in the work environment and always have encouraging words for the
team members performances. I think we use these strategies everyday and don't realize that
we do it happens so much it has become the norming stage. In the forming stage of group
development is when the group first is set up together and everyone tries to figure each other
out. In the storming stage of group development is when the personality starts to show, and
sometimes this is when the problems starts to show up. The norming stage of group
development is when the group has found it's identity and everyone knows the role in the
group. In the performing stage of group development the group has learned how to work
well together as a group and everyone works well together. I encounter these stages at work
every time new staff is hired to work in a group and sometimes the team dynamics changes
based on the people in the group. If my supervisor asked me what does it means to
strengthen a team I would tell her it means to work together as a well oiled machine. I would
play up everyone strengthens and find a way to strengthens every ones weakness because we
are only as strong as the weakest member of the group. In the first stage which is forming
they will have little interactions with each other, they will be confused and uncertain, trust
level is low, and performance is virtually non-existent. With storming members experience
conflict, interact more but still experience little trust with one another and the organizational
leadership. In the norming stage progress is shown and members will get into the rhythm of
working and relating with each other. In the final stage performing you look ahead, watch
for changes in the environment and encourage the performing efforts of you team members.
