Team membership is determined, and the team is charged with or identifies its purpose. Interaction among team members
is marked by polite exchanges. The team may engage in abstract discussions of the concepts and issues, without clear focus
on the task. Some members may become impatient with these discussions, perceiving them as irrelevant. The team may spend
time complaining about organizational problems and barriers to accomplishing the task instead of focusing on the task. To
progress through this stage, it may be useful to learn team members' backgrounds, skills, technical capabilities, interests
and access to resources.

Tool: Basic Communication Skills

We have all heard others describe an event or conversation differently than we remember it. Why?

• We attend to different things
• We bring different experiences
• We come from different cultures
• We have different values
• We make different assumptions

Much of the difference may be based in our Mental Models, our unconscious assumptions, our generalizations, beliefs,
values and biases. Yet, despite differing mental models, it is important that we have a common idea of our team's task,
a shared vision. (*Senge) How do we develop a common mental model of our task?

Explore the tools of Intrapersonal Skills and Interpersonal Skills to help your team communicate effectively and to develop a common mental mode.