What Are The Different Types of Team Development Models?
Bradford R. GlaserWhat makes a great team great? Why do you sometimes get mediocre results when you assemble a dream team of employees? How do teams grow and develop over time?
Team development and effectiveness models try to answer these types of questions. Over the last several decades, researchers have developed various models that they believe break down what helps a team grow together and become more effective over time.
Each of the models on this list has ideal scenarios in which teams can use them. Depending on where your team is and what obstacles you face as a group, you might find one model particularly relevant.
Let's take a closer look at the different types of team development models and when they are most effective.
- Uncover producitivity issues
- Improve work satisfaction
- Improve group output
Table of Contents
- What Is a Team Development Model?
- The Different Types of Team Development Models
- The Tuckman Model
- The Hackman Model
- The Robbins and Judge Model
- The Lencioni Model
- The Google Model
- T7 Model
- The Katzenbach and Smith Model
- The GRPI Model
- The LaFasto and Larson Model
- The Salas, Dickinson, Converse, and Tannenbaum Model
- Team Development and Effectiveness: Where Does Your Team Stand?
What Is a Team Development Model?
A team development model is a system that enables groups of people to grow, tackle problems, face challenges, find solutions, plan their work, and deliver the necessary results.
Essentially, it is a model that teams can use to structure the growth and maturation of a team.
Are you wondering how one would define an extraordinary team? Check out this post to learn more about what makes for a stellar team experience.
The Different Types of Team Development Models
People have been studying and trying to understand the dynamics of a successful team for a long time. You can't simply put a group of people together and expect them to be effective and efficient in reaching a stated goal – there are many important factors to consider.
Let's look at some of the most notable team development and effectiveness models to help you understand how your team can grow over time.
The Tuckman Model
First proposed by Bruce Tuckman in 1965, the forming–storming–norming–performing model posits that a team must go through each of these phases to develop and grow. He also suggested that task activity and interpersonal relationships would enhance this model as a team works to create effective group functioning.
Since Tuckman first introduced it, the four stages of the Tuckman model have transformed into a five-stage model:
- Forming: The stage when teams first meet, get to know each other, and determine their goals and objectives.
- Storming: The stage when team members begin to open up with one another, build trust, and share how they prefer to work.
- Norming: The stage when everyone begins to understand the value of working together as a team toward the collective goal; for the sake of the larger group, quirks are tolerated and accepted.
- Performing: There is a shared motivation to work collaboratively toward meeting the stated goals, and trust is built.
- Adjourning: An assessment is conducted once the project is complete to evaluate the team's effectiveness, make necessary adjustments, and recognize individual contributions.
The Tuckman Model is beneficial when trying to understand how a team can grow and develop over time. It's worth noting that the stages of development in Tuckman's model aren't strictly linear – many different elements can change the nature of a team (such as new members joining), and the group may shift back to previous stages before moving forward toward the performing and adjourning stages.
Are you wondering how you can improve your team-building efforts? Take a look at these seven characteristics of effective team building.
The Hackman Model
Richard Hackman introduced a team development model in the 1970s, following his research into teams. He believed that the conditions that allow a group to thrive are the most critical aspects of team effectiveness, rather than the behaviors, personalities, or characteristics of individual people within the group.
Five essential factors make up this model:
- Being a real team: Each individual has a defined role and set tasks they are responsible for.
- Enabling structure: The team has workflows and processes that support them in achieving their goals.
- Compelling direction: There is a set, clear end goal or direction that the team is working towards.
- Expert coaching: The team has access to a mentor or coach when they need additional help to perform at their best.
- Supportive context: The team has all the resources, training, and tools it needs to achieve its goal.
You can use this model when you are trying to determine which element or dimension is missing from the current team dynamic. From there, you can decide what actions will help to remedy the issue.
The Robbins and Judge Model
According to this model, there are four key elements that successful teams need to focus on.
These four elements are:
- Context: The team operates within a climate of trust, has adequate resources, a performance-based reward system, and effective leadership and structure.
- Composition: The way that the team is put together, including the personalities and abilities of each team member, the size of the team, the allocation of roles, and the preferences of each team member in relation to teamwork.
- Work design: Considering task significance, skill variety, and freedom and autonomy.
- Team process: The process through which the team achieves its goals, including committing to a common purpose, self-belief, managing conflict, organizing how the team will reach its desired outcome, accountability, and more.
Sometimes, even the strongest individual employees struggle to shift into a team mindset. This model can help increase ownership and engagement, while also enabling teams to connect with a larger, more meaningful purpose.
The Lencioni Model
The Lencioni model focuses on the negative aspects of team development rather than its positive aspects. Instead of emphasizing what is necessary to achieve success, Patrick Lencioni outlines five things that teams must avoid to be effective.
These dysfunctions are:
- Fear of conflicts
- Absence of trust
- Avoidance of accountability
- Lack of commitment
- Inattention to results
Although it can be beneficial to focus on the positives, the Lencioni model shouldn't be overlooked for its negative perspective on what to avoid. No matter how successful your team is, it can be helpful to understand what factors could be detrimental to your team and what to do if you end up facing one of them.
The Google Model
Auditing and analyzing their own teams, Google examined more than 250 attributes of nearly 200 teams within their company and conducted interviews with over 200 employees.
What they found is this: the effectiveness of a team isn't specifically about the individuals that comprise the team. Instead, the more critical factors are how the team members structure their work, interact with one another, and perceive their contributions.
In this model, five key dynamics must be present for a team to be successful:
- Dependability: Being able to rely on one another to produce high-quality work on time.
- Psychological safety: Feeling free to take risks without experiencing embarrassment or insecurity.
- Clarity and structure: Having clear roles, goals, and plans at the group level and for each individual.
- Meaning of work: Each team member's ability to work on something personally meaningful.
- Impact of work: The feeling and belief that the work being produced matters.
If you're trying to find places where your team can improve, the Google model can make it more possible for team members to discuss how to make the team better in a practical and structured way.
T7 Model
In this model, seven different variables impact the development and effectiveness of a team. Five variables are considered internal factors, while the other two are considered external factors.
The five internal factors – meaning that they have to do with the inner functioning of the team – are:
- Trust
- Talent
- Thrust
- Task skills
- Teaming skills
The two external factors – meaning that they apply to the larger decision-making context that surrounds the team – are:
- Team support from the organization
- Team leader fit
This model can be used when a leader is working to understand all of the pieces that come together to create an effective team. By examining each element, you can identify your team's strengths and weaknesses.
The Katzenbach and Smith Model
Developed in 1993, the Katzenbach and Smith Model proposes that there are five distinct levels of teamwork.
These are:
- A working group
- A pseudo-team
- A potential team
- A real team
- A high-performing team
All companies and organizations strive for the last option on this list – the high-performing team. Team members on this type of team go above and beyond simply collaborating to complete a task or project. According to this model, three potential outcomes can result from a high-performing team:
- Performance results
- Collective work products
- Personal growth
A team must work on accountability, skills, and commitment (known as "effectiveness factors") to achieve all three of the above outcomes.
The GRPI Model
Introduced in 1972 by Richard Behard and later popularized by Ronald Fry, Mark Plovnick, and Irwin Rubin, the GRPI model is one of the best-known team effectiveness models.
The four elements of this model (and the source of the acronym) are as follows:
- Goals: Clear objectives and direction are necessary for a team to be effective.
- Roles: The responsibilities of each team member must be clearly understood.
- Procedures: Processes and systems must be in place for the successful operation of a team.
- Interpersonal relationships: Every team member must develop relationships with the other team members, and it's essential that they can trust each other and communicate effectively.
If you are working with a team that appears to have no direction or is struggling to meet its goals, the GRPI model may help transform them from a dysfunctional to a functional team.
The LaFasto and Larson Model
According to the LaFasto and Larson model, there are five crucial elements of a successful team.
These five crucial elements are:
- Team relationships
- Team members
- Team leadership
- Team problem-solving
- A suitable work environment
Considering that this model prioritizes collective thinking, it is best suited for managers seeking to gain a deeper understanding of the dynamics of collaboration and teamwork.
The Salas, Dickinson, Converse, and Tannenbaum Model
This team development model is an adaptation of the Hackman model.
There are six variables they suggest as making up an effective team, which are:
- Team design
- Organizational context
- Team synergy
- Material resources
- Process effectiveness
- Group effectiveness
The Salas, Dickinson, Converse, and Tannenbaum Model is best used for teams that are already formed. Using this structure, you can analyze the context of your team and identify areas for improvement.
Team Development and Effectiveness: Where Does Your Team Stand?
There is nothing more incredible than a high-functioning, successful team that works together like a well-oiled machine. At the same time, sometimes even the best collection of employees can struggle to work together effectively and march forward toward a common purpose.
One of the best things you can do if you are trying to determine how your team can be more effective is to take a close look at every element in play. Using our Team Effectiveness Profile, you'll gain access to an assessment and workshop designed to boost output and enhance work satisfaction.
t can sometimes be challenging to identify what is blocking your team's ability to perform at its best. Using this assessment, you can gain a clear understanding of the issues and effectively overcome them.
If you believe that your team would benefit from a refresher on essential skills such as communication, decision-making, problem-solving, and time management, you'll want to take a look at our team development activities. Applicable in various industries, these activities can help individuals learn or refine essential skills that enable them to be effective team members.
Do you have any questions about the various types of team development models or related topics? If so, please feel free to leave a comment below. We strive to respond to comments within a day or two, and we're always happy to address any questions you may have.
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