I’ve recently realized that my department can now accomplish things it couldn’t in the past. The team has grown and matured over time. This wasn’t something I was formally taught as a manager, so I did some research and found that others have described similar stages of team development.
Here are a few examples of common models:
- Tuckman’s Team Development Model (classic, widely used)
- Situational Leadership (Hersey–Blanchard)
- Organizational Capability Maturity Models (borrowed from software/quality maturity)
- Lean/Kaizen Team Evolution
A team’s stage of development depends on two factors: each individual’s growth progression (which often mirrors the team’s overall development) and the team’s ability to work effectively together. My goal as a manager is to guide my team to the most effective stage of development by improving both individual performance and team cohesion.
I don’t expect every team member to be at the same level of development, but if the department functions well collectively, it can still be largely self-sufficient even when some individuals are not. This makes the department more resilient to change—for example, when new team members join.