Teamwork concepts and applications

Team Work

Kaisen-Teian Stages of team formation: Report to CEO

Forming:

The fact that our team was composed of people from all levels and functions of the organization was both a challenge and an asset. It was a challenge, because of the relatively small size of our individual organization, but also an asset because we were able to more easily pool collective knowledge and personal resources. Teams must be close, and have high levels of trust when they need form quickly (Chang et al. 2004, p.3).

A strong and close company dynamic fostered with frequent company-wide team-building activates and retreats could further facilitate team formation. Forming stages could be accomplished even more quickly, in such an integrated environment which stresses constant and consistent communication. Regardless from what aspects of the organization we were drawn, we had to share the same sense of mission. Developing credibility amongst the team members required a willingness to put aside individual egos and truly give one's self over to the project as a team member.

Storming:

We tried to keep storming to a minimum, as the focus was upon collaboration rather than hierarchies. Traditionally, in storming phases, team members jockey for position. But on our small team, given that the team pooled resources from various aspects of the organization, there was no one expert in everything; rather the entire workplace was engaged in the microcosm of the team. Having clearly established goals rather than leadership roles kept members 'on task' rather than focused on personal agendas. Keeping on the task, not on personal conflicts is always a challenge during 'storming.'

Norming:

The transition to the norming stage was less rocky than we had anticipated from organizational leadership scenarios. The challenge was to maintain our progress so there was no 'jolt' when individuals had to sacrifice certain individual power agendas and positions for the sake of the group. The aim was to "engage the entire workforce" at all times, and regardless of the personality or background of the team workers, all tried to consistently and continually engage in equitable discussions regarding the wide-ranging issues that could be useful in providing information to bring about change. On our own team, we found, a lack of hierarchy was actually task-facilitating. Instead of a series and carrots and sticks method of keeping on task, overall team goal accomplishment was stressed, rather than personal performance.

Performing

In this model of organizational development, the process of performing was always in our minds, one of the most successful aspects of the team. Quality control was maintained through feedback loops between team members. For our team, the project of data-gathering was evaluated on a daily basis, with an eye upon the implementation or reporting phase.