Investment: the team re-anchors mission, values, and goals.
Testing: teammates decide whether to buy in to the vision.
Dependence: the team learns to rely on the rhythm and structure of the culture.
Trust: accountability is put to the test.
Cohesion: personal connection supports collaboration.
Attachment: teammates enjoy a commitment to each other and the work of the team.
Innovation: struggle leads to problem-solving and growth.
Risk: the team decides whether change is worthwhile.
Independence: breakthroughs alter the team’s potential.
Distancing: teammates let go of the way it used to be.
Separation: the team redefines roles and responsibilities to accommodate new realities.
Loss: the team adapts to its changes and embraces new opportunities.
Depending on the way change is managed in your team’s story, the cycle then welcomes a new investment phase. This time, however, the goals may be different. Depending on the style of this phase’s leadership, workplace trust might weaken or strengthen. If it strengthens, greater innovation might be possible. Of course, another round of growth follows and we find out whether the team has an appetite for change. In the life cycle of the team, you always get to decide whether to stay stuck or move forward.
