During the storming development phase, team members develop a sense of their relationship to the leader and each other.  As the members grow in their appreciation of each other’s talents and expertise, they begin to express a willingness to accept leadership and direction from others within the team and the storming subsides.  At various times within a High Performance Team, leadership will shift as tasks unfold so that the team takes advantage of each member’s strengths.

Unfortunately, there are times when the team simply does not respond well to a member and refuses to accept their leadership.  In fact, the team will often ignore the person which leads to more storming. Sometimes the problem is that this person isn’t really an expert in their area…and the team knows it.  Sometimes the one desiring to be recognized as a leader self-sabotages. They lack the skills (or are unaware of the skills needed) to create the environment where members give their permission to lead.

How do you help these members and move your team through storming?

-          Remind the team of basic leadership principles.

• The privilege of leading others stems from the permission of those you would have follow you. Your ability to influence is more important than seniority, position or authority.
• Permission to lead is granted only after others perceive you as:
  • Authentic.
  • Genuinely interested in them.
  • Willing to follow, serve or share power.
  • One with integrity to lead.

-          Respect their expertise and defer to it when possible. I’m not suggesting that you placate anyone, but that you model respect.  It isn’t necessary for teammates to always like each other, but they do need to treat each other professionally and with respect.

-          Remember that leadership is a set of skills that can be developed. As the leader, you may need to guide the team member to an appropriate leadership development program or commit to mentoring the member.

Unfortunately, there are times when you simply must remove the team member, particularly if they are not willing to accept responsibility for their own development for the good of the team. When that happens, ask yourself, “What about my hiring practices caused me to place the wrong person in the team?”  That’s a subject for several future posts. Include your own thoughts in the comments.

Have a great day!

___________________

Leslie Knight is a trusted advisor to small businesses. She has over 20 years of experience in Corporate America which she applies to smaller entrepreneurial enterprises. She is also the author of Navigating the I.T. Minefield – Straight Talk for the Small Enterprise. To purchase your copy, please visit http://bit.ly/SNL4W.

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.

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).

Every 8 weeks or so, I am granted the privilege of leading a group of volunteers (mostly CEOs and business owners) to produce CEO Space, a conference for entrepreneurs (www.CEOSpace.biz, www.IBIGlobal.com).  We start at noon on Sunday, not knowing each other.  By Tuesday afternoon, a group of individuals has gelled into a High Performance Team: meeting and exceeding performance objectives and networking with and for each other to further their business objectives.

What conditions must be present for a High Performance Team to emerge?

-          Clarity of Purpose. As the leader, you set the direction for the team. What result are we producing? What is the path to the result? The clearer the team is on their purpose and the path, the greater their focus and determination.

-          Performance Standards. What defines excellent service or excellence within the team? You and your client determine performance standards. Communicate them and then gain the team’s commitment to them.

-          Accountability. How do you deal with a breach of team agreements or performance standards? The process should not be punitive or personal. It should focus on the breach and allow the team (or individual members) to express their disappointment. Then it allows the member(s) to recommit to the team. A High Performance Team is able to hold each other accountable for meeting the standards.

-          Clearly Defined Roles.  The term “Keystone Kops” often refers to a team that expends a great deal of energy unproductively or displays an amazing lack of co-ordination in their effort. It conjures a picture of people running into each other in pursuit of something.  Clearly defined roles and responsibilities encourage smooth team operation.

-          Respect. Each member on the team needs to know they are valued for their skills and contributions.  Respect must be shown by the leadership to the members as well as among the members.

-          Trust. Trust must exist between the leadership and the members and among the members themselves. Authentic trust creates the space for team members to discover their potential and grow and take on more responsibility.

How quickly the High Performance Team emerges depends as much on you, the leader, as it does on the team members.  If your team is struggling, upon which of these areas do you need to focus?

_____________________

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).