Friction to Flow

Every Stage of Team Forming Is Important

“Coming together is a beginning, staying together is progress, working together is success.”

Henry Ford
Industrialist & founder of Ford Motor

Teams fail at three stages: they never really form (just coexist), they fall apart under pressure, or they never learn to truly collaborate.

Each stage needs different support to reach the next level.

One thing you could do this week to reduce friction and increase flow:

Individual’s Tip: Invest in one work relationship. Have coffee, ask about their challenges, offer support. Relationships are the foundation of teamwork.
Team Leader Tip: Create rituals for each stage: fun kickoffs to start, weekly check-ins to maintain, proper celebrations when you succeed together.
Executive Leader: Map team journeys visually – show how teams evolve from awkward beginnings to high performance. Normalize the messy middle.