A Game on Team-building

Introduction to Teams

Teams are groups of two or more people who interact and influence each other, are
mutually accountable for achieving common goals associated with organizational
objectives and perceive themselves as a social entity within an organization. All teams are
groups because they consist of people with unifying relationships but not all groups are
teams, some groups are just people assembled together without any focused objective.
Team effectiveness is the extent to which a team achieves its objectives.

Purpose of the Game

The purpose of the game is to teach the team development process.

Instructions for Playing the Game

The game is played with three baskets and three lemons. The baskets are kept at a
distance of 5 feet, 10 feet and 15 feet respectively. A lemon has to be thrown into any of
the baskets of their own choice to achieve the target set by the respective group which
should not be less than a score of 100. Each team is provided with 10 opportunities to put
the lemons in the baskets of their choice. Once all the chances are exhausted, the team
score will be calculated. The team which scores closest to the set target will be declared
the winner.
 An Overview of the Exercise

The game that has just been concluded was conducted with the purpose of deriving an
idea of the various stages of a team building process. The Five stages are:

1. Forming
The first stage is characterized by much uncertainty about the group’s purpose,
structure and leadership.

2. Storming
The second stage is characterized by inter-group conflict. There is conflict over who
will control the group and the stage is complete when there is a relatively clear
hierarchy of leadership within the group.

3. Norming
This stage is characterized by close relationship and cohesiveness.

4. Performing
The fourth stage is when the group is fully functional.

4. Adjourning
The final stage is characterized by the wrapping up of activities.

The team development model is a useful framework for how teams develop. At the
same time we must keep in mind that it is not a perfect representation of the dynamics
development.