Building solid team is indeed not easy

A.B. Susanto, The Jakarta Consulting Group, Jakarta

Whatever his assignment and wherever he is assigned, a leader has the duty of developing a team. However, developing a solid team is indeed not easy as it involves many factors, some of which can hamper the forming of a solid team.

The most crucial factor is the human factor itself, as illustrated by a local proverb which goes something like "most heads are covered by similar color of hair, but what's inside can be extremely different." The variations of mindsets, preferences, attitudes etc. can certainly be the stumbling block to forming a compact and solid team, especially when each individual sticks out his or her own ego.

Having similar aims and goals and the existence of an effective leadership are two of the preconditions of a solid team. A conducive working condition also heightens each team member's spirit to work together to achieve the set aims and thus become an ideal foundation to form the required solid team.

Another prerequisite is a smooth, transparent and two-way communication. This way each side is willing to listen and their voices can easily be heard. So, communication, which among other things consists of a focused exchange of ideas, opinions and information, is put to its best use.

Naturally, other aspects of the two-way communications are also expected to be conducted in the best way, such as: work orders, reports, advice, reprimands, complaints and evaluations.

As forming of a team is dynamic in character, anticipations have to be made so as to avoid lengthy conflicts that might disrupt the final aims. Generally there are five stages -- each with a unique characteristic -- involved in the development of a solid team. A deep comprehension of each stage would make it easier for the leader to forecast the steps required to improve the team's effectivity.

First is the forming-cum-orientation stage. Here, everyone is new, from the leader to members. Everyone tries to know each other and familiarizes himself with the team's aims and changes in the work environment. It is, in fact, an adaptation stage for everybody from top to bottom.

In the second stage team members normally warm up. Here each member makes his or her voice heard. Everyone dares to express different opinions. From these clashes of opinions, resisting attitudes and tense beginnings, further adaptation takes place. A fitting pattern of communication is then discovered in this "redefinition" stage.

After the storm subsides, the next stage -- coordination -- takes over. Here everybody has found and "agreed on" the norms of communication: how to express one's opinions and how to behave in an accepted mode within the organization. This leads to better internal cooperation and a stronger foundation of a solid team.

Performing or formalization is the next stage, which mostly consists of implementations or contributions by the individual team member and the team as a whole. Problems and difference are, of course, still there. But, due to the discovered matching work and communication patterns, these differences do not pose serious threats to the team's overall performance.

The last stage -- where relationships between members and the leader and among members themselves are strengthened -- is usually referred to as the perfecting stage. Obviously, here the entire cooperation and spirit of working in togetherness is enhanced for the progress and further development of the organization. This fifth stage rounds up a leader's task in forming a perfectly solid team.