Team Development and the Five Traits of Great Teams

 Use Team Building as a Catalyst for Team Development!

Anyone interested in team development will be pleased to hear that all great teams have the same five traits in common with one another. 

When you see great teams working together, it is inspiring to know that - while talent is important - the same things that make them a more cohesive team can be achieved by your group if you are willing build using a proven blueprint for construction.

You have likely heard that team development occurs in four stages: forming, storming, norming, and then performing.  These four stages were first identified by Bruce Tuckman of the Naval Medical Research Institute in a 1965 research paper, and have since simply been referred to as "Tuckman's Four Stages."

Forming is when the group comes together to identify their mission and resources.

Storming is when conflicts over roles or personalities my emerge.

Norming is whenthe group becomes comfortable sharing feelings and information.

Performing is when teams achieve interdependence and strong productivity.

Not all teams will reach the final stage that Tuckman describes, though - and the most crucial of the four stages as he describes them would be the stroming stage. 

If you are a team leader, it is during the storming stage that teammates must be given the time and opportunity to learn the personality types, communication styles, personal needs, and individual talents of those they will be working with.  Teachers who do this during pre-planning, athletes who do this during the pre-season workouts, and project teams in virtually any business field who do this early on in their time together gain a tremendous advantage over their competition in building a more cohesive and and focused culture.

And while Tuckman's four stages have often been used to describe the common stages of team development, I believe that the five traits described below, which ALL great teams share, are even more important for team leaders to identify.

To ensure that your people reach Tuckman's performing stage and truly become a high performing team, you will want to focus on each of the ingredients listed below.  

Whether in business, schools, or athletics, the traits of great teams remain the same, and are the things that will be emphasized throughout our time together...

All GREAT Teams Share These Five Traits:

G  -  Goals and Gear

R  -  Rapport and Relationships

E  -  Expectations and Encouragement

A  -  Accountability and Adjustments

T  -  Toasts and Transfer