Understating Team Growth — Manager’s Guide
Through my extensive experience coaching and mentoring new managers in the industry, I’ve observed a recurring misunderstanding about team growth. Many new managers mistakenly equate team growth with major organizational decisions such as mergers, headcount increases, or portfolio expansions. For instance, one manager might believe that simply adding more team members will enhance productivity, while another might think that securing a larger share of projects is the key to growth. While these elements can contribute to team growth, they do not define it entirely. True team growth is about enhancing the team’s efficiency, effectiveness, and cohesion, regardless of size or scope.
What is Growth?
Growth is the journey from being inefficient in doing something to becoming efficient in that area. Inefficiency might arise because you have never done something like that before, you might have failed previously, or you tried but the result was not optimal. Essentially, growth is all about getting better.
What’s Team Growth?
A team possesses a lot of potential and energy, but inefficiencies can slow down its progress, impacting deliverables and, in the worst case, team morale. Team growth involves identifying and overcoming these inefficiencies, ensuring that the team evolves and improves continuously.
A Manager’s Role in Team Growth
A manager’s job is to notice inefficiencies and help the team overcome them. This requires keen observation, effective communication, and strategic intervention.
How to Notice for Inefficiencies —
One of the common questions I always ask my managers is: “What inefficiencies have you noticed recently in your team?” This question encourages managers to pay attention to areas where the team might be struggling or could improve.
Phases of team —
Understanding the phases of team development can help managers identify where inefficiencies might occur and how to address them effectively. Bruce Tuckman’s model of team development outlines five stages that teams typically go through.
Forming Stage
In the forming stage, team members are getting to know each other and understanding their roles within the team. There might be a lot of excitement, but also uncertainty. Inefficiencies at this stage often stem from lack of clarity in roles and responsibilities, as well as unfamiliarity with team processes.
Manager’s Action: Facilitate introductions, clarify roles, set clear goals, and establish initial team norms.
Storming Stage
During the storming stage, conflicts and competition might arise as team members assert their opinions and challenge each other. This is a crucial phase where the team learns to deal with disagreements and find common ground.
Manager’s Action: Mediate conflicts, encourage open communication, and guide the team towards collaboration and mutual respect.
Norming Stage
In the norming stage, the team starts to establish a sense of cohesion. Members understand each other’s strengths and weaknesses, and they start to work more harmoniously.
Manager’s Action: Reinforce positive behaviors, promote team bonding activities, and ensure that processes are streamlined and understood by all.
Performing Stage
At the performing stage, the team operates efficiently towards achieving its goals. Team members are competent, autonomous, and able to handle decision-making without direct supervision.
Manager’s Action: Delegate effectively, provide opportunities for professional development, and recognize and reward high performance.
Adjourning Stage
The adjourning stage occurs when the team completes its objectives and disbands. This can be a time of mixed emotions as team members move on to new opportunities.
Manager’s Action: Provide closure by celebrating the team’s achievements, offering support for transitions, and gathering feedback for future projects.
Continuous Improvement
Team growth is not a one-time event but a continuous process. Regularly reviewing team performance, soliciting feedback, and making necessary adjustments are vital to sustaining growth.
Practical Tips for Managers
- Conduct Regular Check-Ins: Schedule one-on-one meetings with team members to understand their challenges and aspirations.
- Foster a Learning Culture: Encourage continuous learning through training, workshops, and knowledge sharing.
- Set Clear Goals: Ensure that the team has clear, measurable, and achievable goals to work towards.
- Encourage Collaboration: Promote an environment where team members can collaborate and support each other.
- Provide Constructive Feedback: Offer timely and constructive feedback to help team members improve.
- Recognise and Reward: Acknowledge the hard work and achievements of your team to boost morale and motivation.
In conclusion, understanding and fostering team growth is an essential responsibility of a manager. By recognising the stages of team development and addressing inefficiencies proactively, managers can lead their teams to greater efficiency, productivity, and success.