Week 6: Discussion Assignment

Team development in terms of project management.

The process of developing a project team is an activity that allows improving internal and
external interactions of team members, developing their competencies and skills, and optimizing
the overall team environment for the purpose of enhancing project performance. Team
Developing takes five major stages which includes;
● Forming
● Storming
● Norming
● Performance
● Adjourning

Each of these stages has a key role to play in the entire lifecycle of the team.

Advantage of the 5 stages Disadvantages of the 5 stages

Provides a clear framework for May oversimplify the complexity of team

understanding the stages of team dynamics
development and the challenges that
arise at each stage

Helps team members understand the Assumes that teams progress through the
dynamics of the team and their role in the stages linearly, which may not always be
process the case in reality

1. According to you, how can team development stages, such as forming, storming,
norming, and performing, help in understanding and addressing the challenges
faced by the newly formed multicultural team?

The initial stage is the forming stage. At this point, team members are generally
concerned about their role in the team and who calls the shots. But in a culturally diverse
environment, another problem of acceptance will have to be considered at this stage.
Though the shortest of the five stages, it can be tricky if not handled with care.

At the storming stage, the team addresses the problems they are going to solve and how
they are going to function as a unit. Team members will become more open with each
other as they express their own ideas and thoughts and will often confront the project
manager about certain aspects of the project. I once worked on a team of cultural
diverse group and since we often used the number 4 during our discussions, a team
member who is from China was not really comfortable with our suggestions as his
culture finds 4 to be a sign of Dead, that made us develop a strategy to always ask him
to add one or three to the four to make him comfortable.
 The norming stage is the stage in which the team members will begin to settle on the
task at hand. Conflicts will be resolved and they will develop “norms” around how they
work together. A hierarchy is established and the project will start to progress at greater
pace with less emphasis placed on team development. When our team mate from China
accepted he would have to provide 5 or 7 possible suggestions when we were targeting
4, he helped us see things we normally wouldn't have been able to see as our baseline
was 4.

That helped the team in terms of performance as the project manager’s job became
easier. Team members will work together as a unit and significant progress will be made.
Consistently, everyone in the team started gunning for 5 or 7 in tasks that involved
numbers.

During the adjourning phase of team building, since we observed he was very good and
dedicated at getting 5 or 7 possible solutions, we decided he should be handling such
tasks while others handled what they were good at. Some teams adjourn with silence,
some with celebration, and others with sadness. Regardless of the length or success of
a project, each team deserves a hearty affirmation of its concerted efforts. The
adjourning phase is a fantastic opportunity for leaders to encourage long-term
connections, reflect on the growth of the team, and celebrate the project closing.

2. Discuss the potential benefits and challenges of having a multicultural team in the
context of the scenario. Justify your answer with relevant examples.

Having and handling a multicultural team, has its "romantic moments" and times you
wished you were working solo. Team learning is often necessary to execute healthy
team development and providing the team with the tools they need to thrive is good for
them and the organization. These tools may include team development discussions,
training, or workshops.

Advantages of multicultural team Disadvantages of multicultural team

Provides a large pull of skills and talents There is always a time pressure involved
in providing services.

Increase in service coordination It requires frequent collaboration to be

effective.

You can easily refer to a member with the Different team members come from
desired skills unique backgrounds which can be a
challenge.
 It creates new avenues for service Their success is dependent on available
implementation resources.

It allows members to create goals for Incomplete decisions happen without

themselves. complete information

It foster collaboration and quality Since most often the cultural diversity
may not be documented, it's almost like it
didn't happen

Reference:

1. Black, J. S., Bright, D. S., Gardner, D. G., Hartmann, E., Lambert, J., Leduc, L. M.,
Leopold, J., O’Rourke, J. S., Pierce, J. L., Steers, R. M., Terjesen, S., & Weiss, J. (2022).
Organizational behavior. OpenStax. Licensed under CC 4.0.
2. MyManagementGuide, (2023). Project Team Developing. MyMG
3. Velopi, (2021, October 6). The Stages Of Project Team Development.
4. Simplilearn, (2023, September 1). Building a Strong Team: The Stages of Team
Development
5. Lukas Komar, (2023, August 2). 5 TEAM DEVELOPMENT MODELS: PROS, CONS & A
PRACTICAL GUIDE.