Refining skills for working in a collaborative leadership model
Teams working through the Norming stage have learned—and are continuously improving—how to function according to their defined shared purpose. Roles and responsibilities are already defined and accepted. Leaders selected by the group are acting as facilitators (not directors) at the will of your team.
Your team is practicing its model for shared leadership. Naturally, team members need to refine their collaboration skills and dispositions to ensure the team’s ability to act according to its shared purpose.
Some teams hire consultants to help them learn how to have productive meetings in which everyone’s voice is heard. Many teams also create norms for working through disagreements and use assessments to learn more about one another’s strengths, personalities, and working styles.
It takes time and practice for individuals and teams to become accustomed to operating in a collaborative leadership environment. For example, some people need to learn that they can’t always be the captain, while others need to unlearn the habit of always following orders.
