Conservatives and Lib Dems - Are we really a team?

All the press talk is about whether the Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition will hold together.  This provides a real challenge for the PM and his deputy.  It seems they have made a good start, but what next?  As I was thinking about this, I was drawn to Tuckman's classic model of team development which describes the 4 stages that a team goes through before it achieves maximum effectiveness.  Understanding each stage can help a group to become high performing more quickly and less painfully.

The 4 stages are described as:

• Forming: as the group comes together individual behaviour is driven by a desire to be accepted by the others.  Serious issues and feelings are avoided and people focus on being busy with team organisation, setting dates, roles etc.
• Storming: as important issues start to be addressed the conflict will begin to surface.
• Norming: the 'rules of engagement' become established, and roles and responsibilities are clear and agreed.  Arguments settle down, people listen to each other and appreciate skills and experiences.
• Performing: not all groups reach this stage.  Everyone knows each other well enough to be able to work together and trusts independent activity.  Roles and responsibilities change according to need in almost a seamless way.  The high degree of comfort means the energy of the group can be directed to the task in hand.

The challenge for the leader is to provide direction and support for the team to get through the difficult first two stages, holding your nerve and recognising that this is normal!

So how can we accelerate the process of team development and move easily through the stages?  A model I use when coaching and facilitating teams is Lencioni's 'Five Dysfunctions of Teams'.  He  states that "a true measure of a team is that it accomplishes the results it sets out to achieve" but that on the way they have to overcome 5 dysfunctions by embodying the behaviours described for each one (slightly shortened for this blog):

1. Absence of Trust: members of great teams trust one another on a fundamental, emotional level...they can be completely open.
2. Fear of Conflict: teams that trust one another engage in passionate dialogue around issues and decisions.  They challenge and question to find the best answer to make great decisions.
3. Lack of Commitment: all opinions and ideas should be considered, giving confidence to team members that no stone has been left unturned.
4. Avoidance of Accountability: teams that commit to decisions do not hesitate to hold one another accountable for adhering to those decisions.  They don't rely on the leader as the primary source of accountability they go straight to their peers.
5. Inattention to Results: teams that trust one another, engage in conflict, commit to decisions, and hold one another accountable are very likely to set aside their individual needs and agendas and focus almost exclusively on what is best for the team.  They do not give in to the temptation to place their departments, career aspirations, or ego-driven status ahead of the collective results that define team success.

I think the fifth dysfunction is particularly interesting given that we are talking politics.  Let's see how they do.  But in the meantime ask yourself, "Are we really a team?"