Stage 5: Implementation

At this stage the team begins to execute its mandate and is clearly focused on achieving its goals. It is now clear as to who is doing WHAT, WHEN and WHERE. There is a collective sense from the team that they are making progress and that they can measure their performance against established plans and procedures. Evidence of this stage is that deadlines are set and are being met.

“Well-implemented teams are willing and able to be accountable to deadlines and standards. You will find people fixing problems as they occur and not passing them off to others. The leader is not nagging everyone into performance but providing timely support and feedback. Productivity is high. You feel the first sense of high performance (Team Performance: Creating and Sustaining Results, p. 52).

Blocks at this stage show up as a pattern of missed deadlines, conflict and confusion associated with the execution of tasks, and the group not being aligned around tasks.

The Role of the Leader

"If we're only intuitive, we're likely to be dreamers. If we're only rational, we may find life to be disillusioning and dispiriting. But if we combine both faculties within ourselves, we can live as effective visionaries in the world."

                                                                                                                          FRANCES VAUGHN