Moving Your Team to New Horizons

Forming new teams is a difficult touch and go process as managers need to intuitively feel their way through the storming and norming process to create group cohesion. Once settled teams must continually find new meaning or they will lose their relevance. Creating shared visions, developing norms, encouraging full contribution by members and finding new challenges help keep the team motivated and active.

Create Shared Visions: Teams must have a vision of what they want to accomplish  and who they are as an identity. They must see their work as relevant and part of a lasting contribution that has meaning to the members. When members have a shared vision they are more likely to see the same possibilities and act together.

Develop Norms: All teams have norms and these norms ensure the team knows how to function during its day-to-day activities. Helping the team find norms based on diligence, civility, diversity, cooperation, etc... can make a difference in consistent achievement.

Allow Each Member Full Contribution: Team members have unique skills that can help them achieve their goals. The problems they face are that not all members contribute fully because the environment or motivations are lacking. Getting them to fully express their talents is helpful for performance.

Set Goals and Overcome Challenges: Teams eventually die if they don't share some important challenge. Keeping the team focused on a new challenge helps them stay charged and engaged. The purpose must stay alive and people must feel that they are an important contributor.