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If your team… …has members who:
- lack confidence in each other’s intentions and motivations
- are defensive
- unable to admit their mistakes, weaknesses, or ask for help
your team will not perform to its potential.
In fact, these characteristics describe a group of people who have not yet developed into a functioning team. They are at the beginning stages of team formation.
You need to… …
support the development of the social and emotional aspects of the team.
Specifically you could… …
facilitate activities that help team members relate to each other, e.g. icebreaker activities, or to understand their own and each others preferred working styles and personalities, e.g. Belbin team role types or MBTI.
Lencioni, P. (2002) Cure team dysfunction. Executive Excellence. 19, 12; 16.
Lencioni, P.M. (2003) The trouble with teamwork. Leader to Leader, 29, p 35.