The stages of IT team development

Forming this is the initial stage in the process of forming an IT team; when participants get to know each other and establish contact. At this stage, it is extremely important to build trust between participants, facilitate adaptation to the new environment and define roles.

Effective communication and cooperation in the group are a key factors in the successful completion of this stage, which ensures the establishment of friendly relations and encourages the exchange of information.

Storming, at this stage, conflicts and misunderstandings may arise. Participants engage in active discussions, offer their views and ideas, which may cause disagreements.

An important aspect of the successful completion of this stage is the ability of participants to interact and resolve conflicts. In order to identify and resolve misunderstandings between participants, the involvement of a project manager or team leader will be effective.

Norming is a stage, when participants begin to unite and demonstrate mutual understanding and support.Having mutual goals, team members work to achieve them, help each other, maintain a sense of team spirit and develop their skills in interaction with colleagues. The project manager must support the formation of this stage in order to move on to the next, most productive one.

Performing it's a stage when the participants are fully engaged in solving tasks and achieving goals, since all other problems have already been solved before this stage. The team works highly efficient, which allows to achieve the set goals within the specified time. Participants are satisfied with the results of their work and have a stable team spirit, which contributes to the growth of productivity and the improvement of interaction processes in the future.

It is important to involve a project manager to maintain a high level of team spirit for consistently high performance over a long period of time.

Adjourning is the last stage in the team formation process, when all projects are completed and joint work ends. At this stage, team members may feel emotionally drained and need to recharge. Any achievements and successes of the team should be evaluated and celebrated to draw attention to joint efforts and increase motivation for subsequent projects.

Each team goes through all five stages of development at its own speed. It is important to involve management in a timely manner, to easily pass difficult stages, and to make maximum efforts so that the stage of highly effective team performance lasts as long as possible.