Forming, Then Building, a Team

Abstract

We open this chapter by exploring a common leadership myth that an effective leader can transform others through the virtue of their skills and abilities. We then share five key considerations to help managers build a new team and support that team’s growth and development. When selecting team members, managers should focus on the extent to which they clearly demonstrate talent, a positive and enthusiastic attitude, and an ability to adapt to changing circumstances and work with different types of people. Drawing on the foundations of andragogy, we describe effective team training techniques that include building training experienced based in relevance, embed personal meaning, active practice, team member autonomy, sustainability in application, and create a sense of community. Supervising team members requires aligning team members with work relevant to their skills and preferences, showing appreciation for each team member’s individual contributions, and showing that you care for their development over and above only the team’s success. We describe the popular Tuckman model for team development (e.g., forming, storming, etc.), which provides helpful language to understand different experiences when working in a team, but state that it is not a linear roadmap to team success. Lastly, we shared our recommendations for leveraging team meetings to support the team’s development and collaboration. Rather than emphasizing control and direction, we view the manager’s role as a facilitator of the meeting.