In nearly any industry, the best work is accomplished by teams. The best teams are those that grow together and have some stability. Team stability is important because teams go through Tuckman’s stages of group development. It takes time to make it to the performing stage, at which point trust, psychological safety, and comfort working […]
In nearly any industry, the best work is accomplished by teams. The best teams are those that grow together and have some stability. Team stability is important because teams go through Tuckman’s stages of group development. It takes time to make it to the performing stage, at which point trust, psychological safety, and comfort working together can lead to high performance. When team members move in and out on a regular basis, the team has to constantly reset; they might never escape Tuckman’s forming phase.
However, while team stability is the ideal, it is not always a reality. Sometimes, management’s hands are tied, people are needed elsewhere, and a team will have to make do with a routinely changing set of personnel.
Transient teams can benefit from some permanency in the form of a team charter. That way, as people rotate in and out, the values and culture remain consistent. Struggling with team instability at your organization? Here are a few suggested transient team norms to help you get started:
While many experts preach team stability as desirable, you may not have control of it. That does not have to slow you down. In fact, the freedom from micromanagement and the fresh perspectives of frequent new additions to the team may be a competitive advantage. With a stable team charter like the example posed here, your transient team can thrive!
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