Leadership Toolkit

Strategies and approaches for skill development in the classroom

The following section offers some strategies and approaches for skill development in the classroom.  Much of the material on teamwork is covered in the Teamwork Toolkit.  However, the emphasis here is on leadership through teamwork, because leadership can't happen in a vacuum. 

1. Leader's role in a team context: Position Description
2. Leader's role in the four stages of team formation
3. Implications of the four stages of team formation
4. Identifying team roles
5. Conducting team meetings
6. Checklist for students to help them conduct effective meetings
7. Identifying and managing conflict in a team
8. Understanding team dynamics

Leader's role in the four stages of team formation

The table below summarises the main stages of team formation (based on Tuckman's 1965 model), as well as the most important leadership roles during each stage.  The leadership role is not restricted to any one person at any one time: while any team needs a designated leader, a variety of members of the team can, and do, perform leadership roles concurrently.

Team formation stage	Characterised by	Main leadership role
Forming	Questions relating to: what information people need; when, where and how  the group will meet; how the group will communicate; what the type of commitment will mean; what the purposes and mission of the group are; and what agreement is needed to make the group functional.	facilitate social interchanges; be inclusive and empowering; make sure all shareholders and stakeholders are involved; seek diverse members to bring talent to the group; model the processes of inclusion and shared leadership; identify common purposes and targets of change; and create a climate where each person matters and build commitment to the group as a community of practice.
Storming	Issues relating to: conflict and differing opinions; disagreement about  goals; and argument about processes.	be ethical and open; be patient to give divergent views a full hearing; encourage participation; be aware when you might be biased or blocking the full participation of another; handle conflict directly, civilly, and openly encourage participants to identify their biases; and revisit the purposes of the group and targets of change.
Norming	Practical issues relating to: patterns of work; order and cohesion; distribution of workload; reporting; personal interaction; and group culture.	be fair with processes; practice collaboration; keep new members welcomed, informed, and involved; clarify individuals' responsibility to/expectations of the group and the group's responsibilities to/expectation of individuals; and clarify team roles, norms and values.
Performing	Achievement of task: getting the work done; solving problems; cooperating; and realising outcomes.	celebrate accomplishments and find renewal in relationships; empower members to learn new skills and share roles in new ways to stay fresh; revisit purposes and rebuild commitment; and facilitate task achievement.

 

Adapted from: Lucas, N., Komives, S.R., & McMahon, T.R. (1998).  Exploring Leadership: For College Students Who Want to Make a Difference.  San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, pp. 168-169, p. 171;
Daft, R.L. (2005).  (3rd ed.)  The Leadership Experience.  Mason, Ohio: Thomson South-Western, p. 390.

Tuckman's Four-Stage Model of Team Development
Retrieved from the World Wide Web on 30 October, 2006:
http://www.businessballs.com/tuckmanformingstormingnormingperforming.htm

Other Resources

Chapter Five: The First Meeting: Setting up the Ground Rules. From:
How to Grow Effective Teams and Run Meetings That Aren't a Waste of Time.
Retrieved from the World Wide Web on 30 October, 2006:
http://www.endsoftheearth.com/HTMLTeams/Chap5.htm

Team-based Learning
The Power of Teams for Powerful Learning [provides a video demonstration of]
Understanding the Differences Between 'Groups' and 'Teams'
Retrieved from the World Wide Web on 30 October, 2006:
http://ouvs.ou.edu/IDP/Clip11_Groups_to_Teams.htm

Team Process
Four stages of team development
Retrieved from the World Wide Web on 30 October, 2006:
http://www.teal.org.uk/et/teampro.htm

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