Team Development Australia

Team Development is a process aimed at assisting teams to grow and develop through the stages of “team development” that were coined simply by Tuckman as “Form – Storm – Norm – Perform”.

 

Current neuroscience and insights from those applying it to team development have echoed Tuckman’s work, and whilst some elegantly devise new models and approaches, his simple model still has credibility.

 

To actually develop a team is not just a one-off event.  Teams can take months (or even years) on their journey from forming to performing. 

 

Factors such as leadership styles, the behavioural and personality dynamics with the team, daily pressures, stability vs rates of change can all contribute to the time taken.  

 

Some teams don’t make it to the final stages, and of course adding or subtracting members (especially if in leading roles) or imposing rapid changes can easily force teams up and down the stages.

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It is somewhat regrettable therefore that trending terms like “team building” have become used as Google catch all phrases that recklessly encompass all manner of events, activities and trends.

 

True ‘team development’ as a process sits above simple events or games, although it may engage some of the simpler event-based approaches at the right stages.

 

Team Development Australia is well designed and executed by Sabre Corporate Development using world-renowned tools such as The Belbin Team Role Model.

 

Evidence based measurement of individual and collective behavioural strengths and weaknesses is where Belbin truly comes into its own.

 

Once accurately identified, behavioural and cognitive biases can be better managed to accelerate the team development process in a way that best suits each team.

 

Thus team development should never be an ‘off the shelf’ approach, but rather a tailored and carefully crafted process matched to the unique dynamics of each team.

 

Using a good behavioural profiling model and language enables teams to better understand, and assume ownership of their own ongoing team development process. 

 

Integrating new team members and dealing with unexpected changes can become far less impactful when teams understand the behavioural dynamics that drive them.

 

One size does not fit all when it comes to team development.