Summer Softball takes Teams through Storming

Intramural Softball Means it's Time to Take a Look at Our Teams

It's summer time again, and for me, that means one thing... Softball!

Each summer, the teams I play on get new team members as others move to different leagues or levels, and sometimes we even get new coaches. Or, I may be the one to move to a different team or league.

Through it all, there are important ways that softball teams should function through these changes that directly apply to how teams at work can function better.

1. Start Over at the Forming Stage When Changes to the Team Happen

With new team members, new coaches, or the creation of an entire new team, it is vital to the team health to start at the Forming stage of Tuckman's stages of group development. The goal is to have a team that is able to reach the Perform stage.

The issue with most teams is that they try to immediately Perform, skipping the Forming, Storming, and Norming stages that are so important.

"Why do we need to go through all the phases? We've all played softball before. Let's get out there and start Performing now!"

What is missing is that it takes time for people to understand their roles and purpose on the team, and get to know each other on a personal level (Forming Stage).

After the team is through the forming stage, the team should storm. The outcome of the Storming stage is a team that knows how to resolve their conflicts and is focused on the goal at hand (in my softball team, it is when we are able to work together to play the best we can).

Let's Norm together next. Now, the team wants to work together towards that one goal with mutual agreement and a strong sense of unity.

Unfortunately, management (just like softball coaches) want to disrupt teams, change them around, and expect them to immediately perform without the realization that there are steps that need to be taken in order for any team to get to the Performing stage. Or, it is easy to join a new team and expect that since they were in the Performing stage, you can join right in. In this case, it is important for the entire team to start at the Forming stage with you and go through all the stages.

The time needed for either of the above mentioned scenarios will vary based on the people's backgrounds and expectations, as well as the coach who is helping them get to the Performing stage.

2. Allow Teams to Self-Organize and See the Positive Results

One major thing that happens when a new softball coach comes onto a team, or when I join a new team with a directive coach is that he/she wants to assign you to a position. This is especially true in the more competitive leagues (but, it still happens in the leagues I play in, which is only recreational. I never said I was a great softball player...).

What happens when the coach says you are going to play infield, even though you despise infield because you know you're not good at it (or vice versa with any position)? You now have to play a position that you don't like, know you're not good at, and most likely will not excel at which will set you up for failure.

Think of the opposite scenario. The new coach comes in and asks people what position they like to play, and as a team, they decide who will play where. There may still be conflict between two people if both want the same position, but by now the team is into the Norming stage where team members work together towards their common goal. Maybe there's compromises to be made, or maybe someone decides to try a new position. Now it is the team who is empowered to make decisions, and thus in return, will want to work harder for the common team goal. Each individual now feels accountable to each other because they chose their own positions and now will want to show why they thought they were best to play in that position. When someone directs you to play somewhere you don't feel comfortable, the intrinsic need to show how well you can play in that designated position is not as strong. "Why should I care?"

The same goes with teams at work. A team that is self-organizing and empowered, feel a stronger sense of team, want to accomplish more, and feel more accountable for what they are delivering.

3. Domination is for those Teams who Stay Together

There is one team we play against that has somehow managed to keep the same players year after year (at least for the past 5 years I've been playing in one specific league).  You may think that this team has gotten bored of each other, or that they're not growing as players since they're around the same people. However, these assumptions are farthest from the truth. This team continues to dominate, and it's not because they're that much better players individually.  It's because they're that much better players as a team. Since they have been playing together for so long, they know how each other plays, they support one another, they listen to one another, they know how to quickly deal with conflict, and they grow because they trust each other and are allowed to grow as players.

They are in the Performing phase, and every season it shows.

Teams at work that stay together, even as they work on different projects, will show this same domination. A dedicated team has a rhythm, knows how to resolve conflict properly, feels accountable to each other, has better quality, and most importantly, they work as a team to get the product delivered.

Conclusion

Admittedly, my softball skills may not be the best, but one thing I do know is that I play so much better when I am on a team that doesn't force its players to rush into the Performing Stage, allows for self-organization, and stays together as the seasons go by. This is the team I want to be on, and stay on!

(Oh, and I don't mind being on a team that knows what fun is; see the below comic...)