Building a Team

Building an effective team is one of the project manager's most important responsibilities. Task 6 of the People Domain focuses on appraising team member skills, acquiring team resources, and understanding team development dynamics. High-performing teams don't happen by accident - they are deliberately built and nurtured.

Tuckman's Stages of Team Development

Tuckman's Ladder, developed by psychologist Bruce Tuckman in 1965 (with a fifth stage added in 1977), describes the typical progression teams experience as they form, work together, and eventually disband.

The Five Stages

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Stage 1: Forming

Characteristics:

• Team members are uncertain about roles, rules, and expectations
• Behavior is polite but cautious
• Individuals focus on getting to know one another
• Low productivity as team orients

What Happens:

• Members test boundaries and relationships
• Dependence on the leader for guidance
• Individuals wonder: "How do I fit in?" "What's expected of me?"
• Little conflict on the surface (but uncertainty underneath)

Leadership Approach:

• Provide clear direction and structure
• Define roles, responsibilities, and objectives
• Establish initial ground rules
• Facilitate introductions and team-building activities
• Set expectations and answer questions

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Stage 2: Storming

Characteristics:

• Conflict emerges as individuals assert themselves
• Competition over roles, ideas, and influence
• Resistance to tasks and leadership
• Frustration and tension are common

What Happens:

• Members challenge each other and the leader
• Subgroups may form
• Productivity may decrease as focus shifts to conflict
• Some members may withdraw or dominate

Leadership Approach:

• This stage requires the most leadership effort
• Facilitate open discussions about conflicts
• Use the team charter to establish/reinforce ground rules
• Help the team work through disagreements constructively
• Avoid taking sides; remain neutral and supportive
• Normalize conflict as part of team development

Important: Many teams get stuck in storming. Without effective facilitation, the team may not progress to higher performance.

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Stage 3: Norming

Characteristics:

• Team finds its footing and establishes working patterns
• Conflicts are resolved or minimized
• Trust and cohesion develop
• Team members appreciate each other's strengths

What Happens:

• Collaboration increases
• Agreement on how to work together
• Members take responsibility for team success
• A sense of unity emerges

Leadership Approach:

• Support emerging team norms
• Step back from directing and focus on facilitating
• Encourage continued collaboration
• Reinforce positive behaviors
• Begin to delegate more responsibility

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Stage 4: Performing

Characteristics:

• High productivity and effectiveness
• True interdependence among team members
• Flexibility and mutual support
• Focus on achieving goals

What Happens:

• Team operates efficiently with minimal supervision
• Members adapt to help each other
• Problems are solved collaboratively
• Both personal and team achievement are high

Leadership Approach:

• Delegate significantly
• Focus on removing obstacles (servant leadership)
• Provide resources and support
• Trust the team to manage themselves
• Celebrate successes

Note: Not all teams reach the Performing stage. It requires successfully navigating through earlier stages.

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Stage 5: Adjourning

Characteristics:

• Project completion and team dissolution
• Sense of closure (and sometimes loss)
• Transition to other assignments

What Happens:

• Team completes final deliverables
• Relationships wind down
• Members may feel sadness or relief
• Knowledge transfer and lessons learned

Leadership Approach:

• Recognize and celebrate team achievements
• Conduct lessons learned / retrospectives
• Help with transition planning
• Provide references and feedback
• Maintain relationships for future collaboration

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Teams Don't Always Progress Linearly

Teams may also oscillate between stages, particularly between Norming and Storming as new challenges arise.

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Building the Team: Practical Steps

1. Skill Assessment

Before building the team, understand what skills are needed:

2. Resource Acquisition

Obtaining the right team members:

3. Team Charter

A team charter is a document that establishes the team's operating agreements.

4. Virtual Team Considerations

Virtual and distributed teams face additional challenges:

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Key Points for the PMP Exam

1. Tuckman's stages: Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing, Adjourning
2. Storming requires the most leadership effort - expect conflict
3. Teams can regress when membership or circumstances change
4. Not all teams reach Performing - it takes successful navigation of earlier stages
5. Team charters establish ground rules and operating agreements
6. Virtual teams need extra attention to communication and trust