Creating High performing teams and organisations In the first module we looked at leadership and the difference between leading and managing. We also focused on transformational leadership, where the leader creates a vision, which they then communicate to others to gain their ‘buy in’. We started to look at your personal vision, and how this relates to what you care about at work. You were asked to start to work on your personal plan and SMART goals. You were also asked to meet with your line manager to discuss changes you would like to make. In the second module we started to think about how we influence others and get them to help us to achieve our vision and the vision of the team or organisation. We looked at theories of motivation and then thought about how you are perceived by others. One key focus of this is developing your emotional intelligence to build more successful relationships. Now we are going to look at how to manage performance to create high performing teams and organisations. We will focus on performance management, goal setting, team development, learning styles and coaching. When does a group of people become a team? Tuckman's group development model Leadership and management development module 3 Page 1
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Creating High performing teams and organisationsIn the first module we looked at leadership and the difference between leading and
managing. We also focused on transformational leadership, where the leader creates a
vision, which they then communicate to others to gain their ‘buy in’. We started to look at
your personal vision, and how this relates to what you care about at work. You were asked
to start to work on your personal plan and SMART goals. You were also asked to meet with
your line manager to discuss changes you would like to make.
In the second module we started to think about how we influence others and get them to
help us to achieve our vision and the vision of the team or organisation. We looked at
theories of motivation and then thought about how you are perceived by others. One key
focus of this is developing your emotional intelligence to build more successful
relationships.
Now we are going to look at how to manage performance to create high performing teams
and organisations. We will focus on performance management, goal setting, team
development, learning styles and coaching.
When does a group of people become a team?
Tuckman's group development model
The performing model of group development was first proposed by Bruce Tuckman in 1965,
who maintained that these phases are all necessary and inevitable in order for the team to
grow, to face up to challenges, to tackle problems, to find solutions, to plan work, and to
deliver results. This model has become the basis for a lot of theory around team
development.
Forming
In the first stage of team building, the forming of the team takes place. The individual's
behaviour is driven by a desire to be accepted by the others, and avoid controversy or
conflict. Serious issues and feelings are avoided, and people focus on being busy with
Leadership and management development module 3 Page 1
routines, such as team organisation, who does what, when to meet, etc. Individuals are also
gathering information and impressions - about each other, and about the scope of the task
and how to approach it. This is a comfortable stage to be in, but the avoidance of conflict
and threat means that not much actually gets done.
The team meets and learns about the opportunities and challenges, and then agrees on
goals and begins to tackle the tasks. Team members tend to behave quite independently.
They may be motivated but are usually relatively uninformed of the issues and objectives of
the team. Team members are usually on their best behaviour but very focused on
themselves. Mature team members begin to model appropriate behaviour even at this early
phase. Sharing the knowledge of the concept of "Teams - Forming, Storming, Norming,
Performing" is extremely helpful to the team.
Supervisors of the team tend to need to be directive during this phase.
The forming stage of any team is important because, in this stage, the members of the team
get to know one another, exchange some personal information, and make new friends. This
is also a good opportunity to see how each member of the team works as an individual and
how they respond to pressure.
Storming
Every group will next enter the storming stage in which different ideas compete for
consideration. The team addresses issues such as what problems they are really supposed
to solve, how they will function independently and together and what leadership model
they will accept. Team members open up to each other and confront each other's ideas and
perspectives. In some cases storming can be resolved quickly. In others, the team never
leaves this stage. The maturity of some team members usually determines whether the
team will ever move out of this stage. Some team members will focus on minutiae to evade
real issues.
The storming stage is necessary to the growth of the team. It can be contentious,
unpleasant and even painful to members of the team who are averse to conflict. Tolerance
of each team member and their differences should be emphasized. Without tolerance and
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patience the team will fail. This phase can become destructive to the team and will lower
motivation if allowed to get out of control. Some teams will never develop past this stage.
Supervisors of the team during this phase may be more accessible, but tend to remain
directive in their guidance of decision-making and professional behavior. The team
members will therefore resolve their differences and members will be able to participate
with one another more comfortably. The ideal is that they will not feel that they are being
judged, and will therefore share their opinions and views. Normally tension, struggle and
sometimes arguments occur.
Norming
The team manages to have one goal and come to a mutual plan for the team at this stage.
Some may have to give up their own ideas and agree with others in order to make the team
function. In this stage, all team members take the responsibility and have the ambition to
work for the success of the team's goals.
Performing
It is possible for some teams to reach the performing stage. These high-performing teams
are able to function as a unit as they find ways to get the job done smoothly and effectively
without inappropriate conflict or the need for external supervision. By this time, they are
motivated and knowledgeable. The team members are now competent, autonomous and
able to handle the decision-making process without supervision. Dissent is expected and
allowed as long as it is channeled through means acceptable to the team.
Supervisors of the team during this phase are almost always participative. The team will
make most of the necessary decisions. Even the most high-performing teams will revert to
earlier stages in certain circumstances. Many long-standing teams go through these cycles
many times as they react to changing circumstances. For example, a change in leadership
may cause the team to revert to storming as the new people challenge the existing norms
and dynamics of the team.
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Action steps: “forming” to
“Storming”
Action steps: “Storming” to
“Norming”
Action steps: “Norming” to
“Performing”
Set a mission
Set goals
Establish roles
Recognise need to move
out of forming role
Leader is directive
Build trust
Define reward structure
Take risks
Bring group together
regularly to work
towards shared goals
Assert power
Decide to be on the team
Team leader should
actively support and
reinforce team
behaviour, facilitate
group wins, create
positive environment
Leader must ask for an
expect results
Recognise and publicise
team wins
Agree on individual roles
and responsibilities
Listen to each other
Set and teak team time
together
Everyone works actively
to set a supportive
environment
Have the vision: “we can
succeed”
Request and accept
feedback
Build trust by honouring
commitments
Maintain traditions
Praise and appreciate
each other
Self-evaluate without a
fuss
Share leadership role in
team based on who does
what the best
Share rewards and
success
Communicate all the
time
Share responsibility
Delegate freely within
the team
Commit time to the team
Keep raising the bar –
new higher goals
Be selective of new team
members, train to
maintain the team spirit
Belbin’s team roles
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When a team is performing at its best, you'll usually find that each team member has clear
responsibilities. You'll also see that every role needed to achieve the team's goal is being
performed fully and well.
But often, despite clear roles and responsibilities, a team will fall short of its full potential.
Dr Meredith Belbin studied team-work for many years, and he famously observed that
people in teams tend to assume different "team roles." He defined a team role as "a
tendency to behave, contribute and interrelate with others in a particular way" and named
nine such team roles that he argued underlie team success. (see your hand-out
questionnaire for team roles)
Performance management
Effective Performance Management is a holistic, on-going process that brings together many
aspects of best practice people management, but in essence focuses on development, both
of individuals and teams.
Research on what transforms an organisation into a high-performing organisation clearly
shows that five factors determine whether an organisation can successfully become and
remain a high performing organisation (HPO). These are:
• Management quality
• Openness and action orientation
• Long-term orientation
• Continuous improvement and renewal
• Employee quality
Leadership and management development module 3 Page 5
The quality of its management, i.e. the attitudes and behaviours of its managers, is the most
important of all of these. Excellent managers are the very foundation of a true HPO, and
effective performance management is a key component to producing high performing
individuals and teams.
What Is Performance Management?
Performance Management can be defined as:
'A process which contributes to the effective management of individuals and teams in
order to achieve high levels of organisational performance’
Effective performance management establishes shared understanding about what is to be
achieved and facilitates an approach to leading and developing people which will ensure
that it is achieved.
Performance management should be:
Strategic - it is about a shared organisational vision and longer-term goals
Integrated - it should link various aspects of the organisation, people management,
and individuals and teams.
On-going - a combination of managerial activity that runs throughout the year as an
on-going cycle of planned and ad-hoc interactions between managers, teams and
individuals.
It should incorporate:
Performance Improvement - throughout the organisation, for individual, team and
organisational effectiveness
Development - unless there is continuous development of individuals and teams,
performance will not improve
Managing Behaviour - ensuring that individuals are encouraged to behave in a way
that allows and fosters better working relationships, both internal and external, and
encompassing all stakeholders.
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At its most effective, performance management is a tool to ensure that managers
manage effectively; that they ensure the people or teams they manage:
know and understand what is expected of them
have the skills and ability to deliver on these expectations
are supported by the organisation to develop their capacity to meet these
expectations and are given regular feedback on their performance
have the opportunity to discuss and contribute to individual and team aims and
objectives.
It is also about ensuring that managers themselves are aware of the impact of their own
behaviour on the people they manage and are encouraged to identify and exhibit positive
behaviours.
So performance management is about:
Establishing a culture
It is about sharing expectations.
Performance management is about interrelationships
It is also about planning
It should apply to all employees
It is a continuous process
It is holistic
Leadership and management development module 3 Page 7
How Does Performance Management Work?
Because performance management is (or should be) so all-pervasive, it needs structures to
support it. These should provide a framework to help people operate, and to help them to
help others to operate. But it should not be a rigid system; there needs to be a reasonable
degree of flexibility to allow people freedom to operate.
Performance management is a process, not an event. It operates as a continuous cycle of
development.
Organisational strategic goals provide the starting point for business and team goals,
followed by agreement on performance and development, leading to the drawing up of
plans between individuals and managers, with continuous monitoring and feedback