Forming: The Polite Beginning of Every Great Team

The first stage, Forming, is the team's origin story, where members are polite, tentative, and avoid conflict. Excitement is high, but so is ambiguity; a Gallup study found that only about half of employees strongly agree they know what is expected of them at work. This initial uncertainty is normal as individuals try to understand the team's purpose and their place within it. During this phase, team members look to a leader for guidance on tasks and processes.

For Team Architects, this is a critical setup phase. Establishing clear objectives and defining initial roles can prevent future friction. For instance, at the German Youth Hostels, clarifying roles from day one for new project teams reduced onboarding time by 30 percent. Defining the team's mission and vision early on provides an essential anchor. This clarity helps bridge the gap from polite introductions to productive collaboration, setting the stage for the inevitable storms to come.

Storming: When Teams Just Wanna Have Fun (But Clash Instead)

After the initial harmony of Forming, the Storming stage often feels like a sudden squall. As team members start to assert themselves, conflicts and differences in opinion naturally emerge. This phase is challenging, but it is a necessary part of the team lifecycle. A study by the Project Management Institute found that for every $1 billion invested, $122 million was wasted due to poor project performance, often stemming from unresolved team conflicts. This highlights the cost of getting stuck in the Storming phase.

Our Playful Tip: Acknowledge the conflict without fueling the fire. This is where a structured approach to roles and responsibilities shines. Using a tool like teamdecoder helps visualize and untangle overlapping duties, turning friction into a constructive conversation. For example, the tech consultancy Tech Solute used role mapping to resolve recurring conflicts in their development teams, leading to a 25 percent faster project completion rate. Openly addressing disagreements about roles builds trust and resilience. By providing a clear framework, you guide the team through the storm into a more collaborative state.

Norming: Finding Rhythm and Establishing Rules

Once a team weathers the storm, it enters the Norming stage, where a sense of cohesion and unity takes hold. Team members begin to resolve their differences, appreciate each other's strengths, and establish shared rules and values. This is where the team starts to hit its stride. Research shows that teams with clear norms and established communication channels have 15 percent higher success rates on complex projects. The focus shifts from individual agendas to collective goals.

Deep Dive: The Norming stage is where hybrid team governance becomes essential. With 74 percent of German employees preferring hybrid work, establishing clear protocols for communication and collaboration is vital. Here's how to solidify norms:

• Define communication cadences: Set clear expectations for daily check-ins, weekly meetings, and asynchronous updates.
• Establish decision-making processes: Clarify who makes what decisions to avoid future ambiguity.
• Document shared principles: Create a team charter that outlines values, goals, and working agreements.
• Utilize hybrid tools effectively: Ensure everyone is proficient with the digital tools that connect the team.

By formalizing these norms, you create a stable foundation for the team to reach its peak performance.

Performing: Where Sweet Teams Are Made of This

The Performing stage is the ultimate goal of the team lifecycle, where the group operates with a high degree of autonomy and efficiency. The team is strategically aware, and members are motivated and competent to handle complex tasks without direct supervision. Organizations with highly engaged teams, often in the Performing stage, report 21 percent greater profitability. This stage is characterized by a clear and shared vision, where human and AI collaboration can be seamlessly integrated to boost output. For instance, GLS integrated AI agents into their logistics teams to handle routine tracking inquiries, freeing up human team members to manage complex customer escalations, which improved customer satisfaction by 18 percent.

Architect Insight: To sustain this high-performance state, continuous feedback and development are key. Only 30 percent of employees strongly agree that someone at work encourages their development, a significant gap for leaders to fill. Effective leadership in this phase involves mentoring, providing resources, and removing obstacles. The leader's role shifts from directing to delegating and supporting. You can try teamdecoder for free to maintain this clarity and flow. This ensures the team remains adaptive and can handle new challenges without reverting to earlier stages.

Adjourning: The Graceful End of a Team's Journey

The final stage, Adjourning, involves the completion of the task and the dissolution of the team. This phase is often overlooked but is crucial for providing closure and recognizing the team's accomplishments. For project-based teams, like a task force for a product launch, this stage is a natural conclusion. Properly managing this phase allows team members to capture lessons learned and transition to new roles or projects effectively. A study on project management found that teams that conduct a formal closing process are 35 percent more likely to report project success.

Our Playful Tip: Celebrate the wins! Acknowledging the team's hard work and success boosts morale and makes individuals more eager to join new teams in the future. At LYNX, the completion of a major platform migration was marked with a team event that celebrated individual contributions, which was cited in employee surveys as a major morale booster. A well-managed Adjourning phase turns the end of one project into a positive foundation for the next. This completes the lifecycle, leaving a legacy of success and a roster of experienced individuals ready for their next challenge.

Navigating Change: The Team Architect's Role in Transformation

The lifecycle of a team is not always linear; change can send a Performing team back to Storming. Unfortunately, about 70 percent of change initiatives fail to meet their goals. This is often due to a lack of clarity and employee buy-in. For Team Architects, guiding a team through transformation, whether it's a restructure, a new strategic direction, or downsizing, requires a clear plan. Only 43 percent of employees in 2023 said their organization is good at managing change, a drop from nearly 60 percent in 2019.

Deep Dive: To improve these odds, focus on role clarity and communication. When employees understand how their roles contribute to the new vision, resistance decreases. Here's a checklist for leading change:

1. Communicate the 'Why': Clearly articulate the reasons for the change and the intended benefits.
2. Map Out New Roles: Use a tool like teamdecoder to visually define new responsibilities and workflows.
3. Involve the Team: When employees are involved in planning, the probability of success increases by 11 percent.
4. Provide Support and Training: Only 27 percent of employees feel their leaders are trained to lead through change.

By proactively managing the impact of change on team structure, you can navigate the turbulence and accelerate the return to a high-performing state. For more on scaling roles, check out our insights on team structure optimization. You can also improve transparency by checking out our pricing page.

Try teamdecoder for free - shape your team and make change feel like play!