"It is only with the heart
that one can see rightly;
what is essential
is invisible to the eye"

– Antoine de Saint-Exupéry –

Team development

We have all been part of a “fantastic team” before. Whether in sports or at work. You probably remember the trust, the bonding, the synergy and the results that all came from being part of this team..

What we sometimes forget is that a fantastic team is not effective right from the start. It is perfectly natural for a fantastic team to be stuck. According to Tuckman model, every team goes through various phases of development: forming, storming, norming, high performing and close-out. Changes, for example new or outgoing team members, or big changes in the external environment can lead a team to regress to the earlier phases. When these changes are recognised and acknowledged, collaboration will continue to be challenging and energetic. Because of our hectic lives, we tend to convince ourselves that we do not have time for our feelings. But by ignoring those feelings, and actually ignoring our basic needs, we could be sabotaging our efficiency and performance. Teamwork also requires courage, vulnerability and openness. The most effective team is the one where collaboration is based on the power of trust and sincerity and where everyone listens to each other with respect.

The more complex the work, the greater the underlying dependence between the team members and the more diverse the goals are: the more attention is needed on how the team functions together. Teams can optimise their performance when they are individually strong and together as one.

 

TM Advies runs team workshops tailored to the question from the organisation. Additionally, we run a special program for team leaders whose team members are spread all over the world. For those leaders, different cultures, functions, backgrounds, time zones can be a huge challenge. The Core Skills program is developed for companies in business services who can improve the services to their clients by professionalising their employees. This program is also run in an international context.