This past weekend I was in a training with two other churches about team building. Our coach was Mel Ming. He showed us a chart and explained the four stages of team building, I want to share them with you. They are taken from the "The One Minute Manager Builds High Performing Teams by Kenneth Blanchard, Donald Carew and Eunice Parisi-Caren, William Morrow, 1990. Here they are:
- Stage One Orientation: this is the time period where those on the team ask "Where do I fit?"
- Stage Two Dissatisfaction: this is a difficult time when the team members lose their self-confidence and will express this frustration in fits of anger. Members may say "I can't do anything right."
- Stage Three Resolution: this is the time you will hear the team members say "I think I am getting it." This is a sign that trust and self esteem is being built into the team.
- Stage Four Production: this is the fun part of the process where performance as a team and morale meet in the middle.
One word of caution. Be very careful and very intentional how you handle delegation and empowerment.Why you may ask? If you delegate or empower too prematurely you will set up a power struggle. Secondly you must understand that even though it doesn't seem that the team needs your direction, they most certainly do need your direction. The work of the leader is to have the end in mind and pursue this goal ethically but persistently. The heart of the leader is to be patient and loving towards the team and at some times carry them along.
Team building is a wonderful thing when it is done right, but it is a process and should not be hurried so that "we can get on with things." Teamwork is a concept that needs more practice and less conversation. Go team!
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