TEAMWORK AND TEAM DEVELOPMENY

People too often share phrases like “Together Everyone Achieves More,” or “teamwork makes the dream work,” but seldom understand exactly what they should be seeking to build when teamwork is their stated desire.

Teamwork is best defined as “the coordinated activities of a cohesive group that contributes diverse skills and resources to accomplish a compelling common goal.” Let’s briefly discuss each of the important parts of this teamwork definition.

1) “Coordinated activities” suggests that there should be a harmonious and organized plan for orchestrating the efforts of everyone involved. Rather than being a chaotic undisciplined bunch of individually determined behaviors, a team works within roles.

2) “Cohesive group” suggests that the members of the team are aware of and concerned about the background, needs, and talents of the other contributors. Stronger rapport and quality relationships actually improve team communication and commitments.

3) “Contributes diverse skills and resources” suggests that the team is built with different and complementary parts. Creative contributions from different backgrounds, skill sets, and team personality types can offer ideas that a homogenous group might miss.

4) “Compelling common goal” suggests that the team is put together for the sole and clear purpose of accomplishing something that apart, as individuals, the teammates would struggle, or be unable, to achieve.

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 the stage when the group comes together and identifies their mission and resources.

· Storming is the stage when conflicts over roles or personalities may emerge.

· Norming is the stage when the group becomes comfortable sharing feelings and information.

· Performing is the stage when teams achieve interdependence and strong productivity.

The most crucial of the four stages as Tuckman describes them would be the storming stage. 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. 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.

1. What is teamwork?

2. What ideas are implied by this definition?

3. What are the stages of team development?

4. What stage is of greater importance? Why?

TEXT 3

Read the text and speak on the Belbin’s “team roles”. Do you know any other models of classification? Which ones?