Effective Teams G.R.O.W

When a large or small group of people come together to work as a team, the team goes through a process as they get to know each other better.  Basically, this means that the team goes through different stages as they spend more time working together.  Hopefully, the team becomes more and more effective as they work together.  In many cases, there are four basic stages that effective (good) teams go through.  Here are those stages:

In this stage, team members might need to first introduce themselves.  Then, they begin to talk about different ideas on how to get the task / project done.  In this stage, each member should understand what the "shared goal" is.  Everyone needs to understand and agree with the shared goal in order to know what tasks need to be done to reach that goal.  As each team member expresses ideas and opinions about how to achieve the goal, other team members show respect by listening to and considering those ideas.  Each team member is expected to stay on topic as they discuss the goal.  In some cases, there is already a leader of the group who has been assigned.  In other cases, it might not yet be clear who is "leading" the team. 

This stage can be challenging sometimes because the team members might not know each other very well, but they have to communicate and respectfully share ideas on how to get the task done.

In this stage, the team decides what "role" each member will play.  When a person takes on a "role," it means they agree to work on specific tasks and have specific responsibilities.  If there is already an assigned leader (i.e. a supervisor or co-worker who has more experience), then that person might help assign roles.  If there is not already a leader, this stage is usually where one person becomes the leader.  This does not mean that they are in charge of everything.  It just means that they help keep the team focused on what they need to do. 

Other team members start to take different "roles."  In most cases, different team members take these roles based on their strengths and interests that relate to the work task.  They might volunteer for these roles, or they might be assigned to these roles.  As each team member takes a role, they start to understand what tasks they need to complete and what their individual responsibilities are. 

This stage can be challenging because it might be hard to figure out what "roles" to take.  It can be hard to divide up responsibilities in a way that makes everyone feel 100% happy.  It can also be difficult to divide up tasks in an even and fair way.

In this stage, each team member "owns" their role—this means that each team member takes responsibility for their role.  They get started on their tasks and responsibilities, and they do what they agreed to do.   Each team member completes their tasks based on how the team agreed that those tasks should be done. 

Each team member meets the deadlines that the team agreed upon.  Team members start to feel more comfortable with each other.  Each team member talks to the team about their progress, and they ask for ideas or help if they need it. 

This is the stage where the team determines if everyone is doing what they are supposed to do to get the job done. 

In this final stage, each team member brings their completed tasks back to the group.  The team puts all the "parts" together and determines if any changes need to be made.  The team members encourage each other and celebrate the fact that they are achieving their shared goal.  Sometimes, a team goes through Stages 2-4 over and over.  This is often true when a team has a bigger, longer-term project to complete. 

In some ways, these four stages might be compared to the growth of a flower.  When the team works together in a respectful and cooperative manner, then they can achieve their goal (and the "flower" will grow).

For many jobs, you have to work together with your co-workers.  This is called teamwork, and teamwork can be hard for many people.  To help you work as a team, remember G.R.O.W. Greet and get to know each other Introduce yourself to your team.  Discuss goals with your team members.  Remember to listen to their ideas. Role assignment Each team member is assigned a role. Having a role means you take on specific tasks. It is best if your role uses your strengths. Own your role, do your job Get started on the tasks that are a part of your role. Your team is depending on you. Make sure you meet any assigned deadlines. We did it! The team brings together all of the completed tasks. The team may have to repeat step 2 (role assignment) and step 3 (own your role) to finish the project. Once the project is complete, the team can celebrate!