3.3 The life cycle of virtual teams

Forming: This is an introductory phase characterised by participants' efforts to gain orientation and test out possibilities. It is therefore often also referred to as the ‘ice-breaking’ phase. The group shares information about themselves, gets to know each other, seeks orientation and initially tries to identify the boundaries of both interpersonal and task behaviours through experimentation. With regard to the objectives, the group attempts to define tasks through the identification of relevant information and respective ground rules relating to each task. All members further try to discover which interpersonal behaviour is acceptable to the group. Here they look towards the team leader, other members or existing structures and norms for guidance and support in this new and uncertain situation. The cooperation is often initiated with a virtual or in-person kick-off meeting, where group members introduce themselves and exchange initial information.

"I believe that this was the easiest stage we went through, getting to know each other better on a personal level. This stage might have taken a bit longer than usual due to the physical distance between us. We all had to overcome the initial shyness to build a team purely through virtual communication. But I think it was the right choice to put a lot of effort into this stage because it was the foundation for all the other stages."

Source: Learning journal, 2020

Storming: This stage is characterised, as its name suggests, by spirited discussions and arguments, more competitive behaviour and polarisation in interpersonal behaviour and at times conflict. Group members start to assess their own needs, and may attempt to put them ahead of the needs of the group. Similarities and differences between the group members become more visible and conflicts may emerge as the group tries to find suitable roles and responsibilities. There is a likelihood that group members disagree with the leader and with one another as a way to express their individuality. They tend to respond emotionally to task demands and exhibit resistance to suggested actions. Infighting and lack of unity are distinct features of storming. In a virtual environment it is especially important for both the team and the leader to develop sensitivity towards potential sources of conflict. This is even more critical in virtual settings due to the limitations on available communication channels.

"Looking back, this was the stage we really struggled and noticed the challenges of only communicating on a virtual basis. Brainstorming and having open discussions only in a virtual conference was difficult."

Source: Learning journal, 2020

Norming: This is the phase when the group has transformed into a cohesive team. It has overcome previous resistance and now, with needs of the various team members having been met, openness to other group members dominates the interaction, both on a task and personal level. Personal and more intimate opinions are exchanged and teams implicitly or explicitly recognise and agree on ways of working together and completing tasks, and rules are made accordingly. On the interpersonal level, members start to accept the group and the individuality of fellow group members, thus starting to form a team identity. In-group feeling and cohesion develop, new roles are adopted and new standards and norms are created through consensus. Cooperation plays a key role in Norming.

Performing: This is the stage when the team works together productively and focuses on producing results. Roles become flexible and the focus is shifted to the individual functions and competencies of the members in the group. Subjective relationships are established, the members adjust their behaviour to the goals of the group and respond to each other in ways appropriate to the task. Conflicts are used to test and align agreements. Constructive attempts to accomplish the task  incorporate a variety of opinions and methods. The members are highly motivated and willing to learn from each other. The group, now functioning as a unit, concentrates its energy on the task at hand. A group needs to reach the Performing stage in order to be fully effective and utilise the competencies of the group members to perform at its best as the following quote indicates:

I noticed that during the course of time everything becomes a bit more emotional. People celebrate achieving their goals and the steps leading up to themTOGETHER. But also people get annoyed. You can see it when someone does NOT answer for a certain time, probably because of an unpleasant situation, or loss of enthusiasm.

(Translated from the German quote below)

B8 (l.301—306): "Und ich stelle schon fest, dass im Verlauf der Zeit das alles so ein bisschen emotionaler wird. Man freut sich GEMEINSAM über erreichte Ziele, Zwischenziele. Man ärgert sich. Man sieht, wenn jemand über einen gewissen Zeitraum NICHT antwortet, dass er vermutlich, wenn es eine unangenehme Situation ist, vermutlich eher weniger begeistert ist."

Source: Randhawa, 2020, p. 103

Adjourning: This is the stage when the project starts to wind down and team members complete their tasks. Team members' thoughts start to be diverted and the team is dissolved, or, if possible, reassigned to a new task. Under certain circumstances, the end may cause disruption, and in the process of dissolution, group members may experience feelings of sadness, uncertainty and appreciation of fellow members and the group might experience what could be called a type of ‘mourning’. There may be further self-assessments and evaluations of the group's success.

Think about a team you have been part of: Referring to the team life cycle, how would you illustrate or describe this team's development? Draw / paste the figure into your learning journal or note down the description in the journal (you can also do both).