Building teams that not only collaborate but actually “gel” together is one of the key elements of success in modern organizations. The phenomenon of “gel as a team” refers to the process in which team members start to function as a cohesive whole, where individual skills and personalities harmoniously complement each other, creating an efficient organism. As research from Harvard Business Review shows, effective teams do not leave collaboration to chance – they are three times more likely to begin projects by determining how they will work together before diving into task division. In this article, based on the latest research from prestigious academic journals, we will analyze the team gelling process, identify key success factors, and present practical methods for building team coherence.
The Essence of the “Gelling” Process in Teams
The term “gel” in the context of teams refers to a situation where people collaborate effectively because their skills and personalities fit well together. In English, the expression “They have gelled very well with the rest of the team” or “The team is starting to gel at last” is used. This process does not happen automatically but requires conscious efforts to build relationships, trust, and a shared vision.
Bruce Tuckman proposed a model in 1965 where a team goes through four stages of development: forming, storming, norming, and performing. Research shows that the transition between the storming and norming stages is critical for the team gelling process. According to MIT Sloan Management Review, teams that share knowledge both within the group and with external parties perform better. Interestingly, the greater the structural diversity of a team (in terms of geographic location, functional assignment, reporting managers, and business units), the stronger the correlation between external knowledge exchange and performance.
Key Elements of an Effectively Gelled Team
Research conducted by Harvard Business Review identified five key behaviors related to trust that distinguish the best teams:
1. Establishing Collaboration Rules from the Start
High-performance teams begin collaboration with a discussion on how they will work together. Michael Bungay Stanier in his book “How to Work with (Almost) Anyone” suggests a series of questions that team members can ask each other during “Fundamental Conversations” before starting a project. Team members take turns sharing information about: 1) tasks they excel at, 2) their communication preferences, and 3) successful and unsuccessful collaborations they’ve experienced in the past. Such a conversation helps build trust by signaling respect for others’ strengths and preferences, agreeing on the process, and encouraging team members to speak up when they see opportunities for improvement.
2. Proactively Sharing Information
Studies show that members of high-performance teams are much more likely to take responsibility for informing others, rather than expecting the manager to do it. They not only avoid hiding information but also proactively share updates with their colleagues, creating an inclusive culture. Greater transparency not only fosters trust but also drives creativity, productivity, and profitability.
3. Sharing Recognition
Members of high-performance teams are more likely to share recognition for their achievements with their teammates, thanking those who contributed to their success. This increases the likelihood that colleagues will feel appreciated and promotes the norm of reciprocity, which contributes to the experience of trust. Recent studies suggest that when we share credit for our achievements, we come across as more likeable, without seeming less competent.
4. Constructive Approach to Misunderstandings
High-performance teams don’t experience fewer conflicts but differ in how they interpret and respond to misunderstandings. Members of such teams are more likely to believe that misunderstandings in the workplace lead to better decisions (rather than ruining relationships) and view their colleagues as more effective in preventing misunderstandings from turning into personal conflicts.
5. Proactively Resolving Tensions
Members of high-performance teams are more interested in “hearing whether they upset a teammate” and are more likely to proactively reach out if “something didn’t feel right between me and a colleague.” They often adopt a growth mindset toward professional relationships, believing that even the best work relationships have ups and downs, but most can be repaired.
The Importance of Diversity in the Team Gelling Process
Research shows that structural diversity in a team can positively affect its performance. Jonathon N. Cummings from MIT Sloan School of Management conducted a field study of 182 workgroups in a Fortune 500 telecommunications company. The groups worked on various projects, including product development, service improvement, and process management. The study found that the more diverse the teams, the stronger the correlation between external knowledge exchange and performance.
At the same time, it’s important that the team isn’t too large. According to M. Gellert and C. Nowak, the optimal team size is between 4 and 9 members. A team that’s too large can cause diffuse responsibility, coordination problems, and difficulty in task division.
Team Cohesion as a Key Element of Gelling
Team cohesion is a key element in the gelling process. Studies indicate that team cohesion can be a mechanism through which the positive affect of a team leads to the development of the entire collective. Team cohesion reflects mutual trust and respect as well as a sense of belonging to the team.
Interestingly, task interdependence can strengthen the link between a team’s positive affect and cohesion. Task interdependence refers to the degree to which team members must coordinate actions and share knowledge, information, and resources to perform tasks. In environments with high task interdependence, positive emotions shared and transferred in the workplace are more likely to build social bonds between members.
Practical Methods for Building Team Cohesion
There are several practical methods that support the team gelling process:
1. Strategic Onboarding Practices
Borrowing practices from the new employee onboarding process is a great way for people who are new to each other (but not necessarily new to the company) to collaborate smoothly. It’s worthwhile to start the process as soon as a new team is announced, meeting with each team member individually to explain their role and answer any questions. The first day of the team’s work should be planned so that all members feel special as part of a new unit.
2. Team-Building Activities
Team exercises are a proven way to unite a diverse group of people to use their varied skills, abilities, and personalities to create a unified approach to achieving a goal or task. Examples of such exercises include:
- Mine Field: An exercise aimed at building trust and repairing cracks in relationships. It involves setting up a “minefield” of obstacles such as chairs, boxes, and cones, and guiding team members through it blindfolded.
- Who Killed the Maid?: An integration scenario for employees, where a group of participants takes on the role of a detective team solving a criminal mystery. The whole activity is based on real work in criminal departments.
3. Online Integration for Remote Teams
In the era of remote and hybrid work, online integration is becoming increasingly important. Examples of such activities include:
- Virtual Coffee/Tea/Lunch: A 15-minute break for informal chat with the team (not about work!) is a great solution to make employees feel a bit like they’re in the office.
- Keystone Conversations: Michael Bungay Stanier suggests a series of questions that team members can use to conduct “Fundamental Conversations” before starting a project. Team members take turns sharing information, helping to establish collaboration norms.
Practical Examples from Life
Example 1: IT Team Transformation in a Financial Company
In one of the largest banks in Poland, the IT team responsible for a key banking application was performing below expectations. Team members worked in silos, communication was limited, and deadlines were consistently missed. A new team leader implemented the “gel as a team” method through:
- Reorganizing the office space so that all team members worked close to each other
- Introducing daily 15-minute status meetings
- Organizing monthly workshops where the team solved complex technical problems together
- Introducing a code review practice where programmers reviewed each other’s work
After six months, the team not only started meeting deadlines but also introduced several innovations that significantly improved the application’s performance. Team members began spontaneously organizing joint lunches and extracurricular activities, demonstrating the deep “gelling” of the team.
Example 2: Sales Teams Merger
After the merger of two pharmaceutical companies, the sales teams were combined, leading to tensions and competition between representatives of both companies. Management applied the following team gelling techniques:
- A three-day integration trip where participants were mixed in different team-building activities
- A mentoring program where experienced representatives from one company became mentors for people from the other company
- Reorganizing sales regions to force representatives from both companies to cooperate
- Introducing a team-based bonus system instead of individual bonuses
Within a year, the team not only achieved but exceeded sales targets, and employee engagement surveys showed a significant increase in job satisfaction and identification with the new organization.
Challenges in the Team Gelling Process
A challenge in the team gelling process may be the presence of individualists who “just don’t fit into teamwork.” As J. Richard Hackman, a professor of social and organizational psychology at Harvard University, points out, companies often make the mistake of getting rid of individualists, while a better solution may be to leverage their talent in a way that doesn’t pose a threat to the team.
Another challenge is effectively gelling remote teams. In the Pracuj.pl “Professional Lifestyle” study, Poles most frequently indicated meetings (67%) and integration trips (59%) as the most effective forms of tightening relationships between colleagues—tools that are practically unavailable in the context of reducing social contact. Therefore, alternative online integration methods must be sought.
Conclusion
The “gel as a team” process is the foundation of building high-performance teams. Research from reputable sources like Harvard Business Review and MIT Sloan Management Review confirms that teams that have successfully gelled exhibit higher levels of trust, better communication, a constructive approach to conflicts, and proactive tension resolution.
The key to success lies in consciously building these elements through appropriate onboarding practices, team-building activities, and communication strategies. It’s especially important to understand that the gelling process requires time and patience—it doesn’t happen instantly but through a series of experiences that build mutual trust and respect.
In the age of remote and hybrid work, traditional methods of team building must be complemented by new, innovative approaches. Companies that successfully implement team gelling strategies will gain a competitive advantage through increased efficiency, innovation, and employee satisfaction.
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