The storming phase of development for teams is useful and necessary. It reveals the team’s character, encourages tolerance and respect of each other’s talents and contributions and tests their problem resolution skills. Unfortunately, leaders are occasionally blessed with a team that seems to be stuck in the “Storming” phase of development. [i] If the team feels hopeless, expends a lot of energy complaining or sniping or isn’t solving problems then they are likely stuck in storming. What can you do?
First, if this is a new team, make them aware that storming is a natural part of the growth process for a new team. They will work through this stage if they are aware of it and you provide appropriate guidance. For an overview on the stages of team development, http://bit.ly/3iQlcg.
Next, if this is an established team, look at recent changes. Was a new member recently added to the team? That new member might even be you, the leader. Changes in team composition can cause a team to temporarily regress into storming. Once the new member is accepted and the relationships established, the team will quickly move out of storming and into “performing”.
If the problem isn’t a new team or a change in membership, then look at the conditions that must be present for a High Performance Team to develop. You should:
- Review and clearly define the team’s mission.
- Review and clearly define member roles and responsibilities (including the chain of command).
- Model respect for the team by acknowledging and deferring to another’s expertise, promptly responding to correspondence or turning off your cell phone in meetings.
- Give authentic trust to each member (http://bit.ly/aPvCB).
Assuming the problem isn’t the leadership (look closely at yourself first), it may be time to examine personnel. Some personnel may need to develop leadership skills. Others may need to be moved into more appropriate positions within the team or off the team.
How long will storming last? As long as the leader allows it to continue. Doing nothing will demoralize and eventually destroy the team. The quicker they move through “storming”, the sooner they emerge as a High Performance Team.
[i] For an overview of team development http://bit.ly/3iQlcg
Leslie Knight is the founder of Knight Performance Management (www.KnightPM.com) and author of Navigating the I.T. Minefield (www.ITMinefield.com). Leslie has over 20 years of experience with Fortune companies in various leadership positions and Information Technology. She applies her corporate experience to small to mid-sized businesses, saving them time and money.
Leslie is also the Executive Director of Staff for CEO Space, producing the CEO Space Forum, a conference for entrepreneurs (www.CEOSpace.biz www.IBIGlobal.com).
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