8000-253 Assignment Example

A team does not become effective simply because people are assigned to work together — it has to be developed. Unit 8000-253 is about understanding how teams grow, what makes them work well, and what you as a team leader can do to help your team develop into a group that trusts each other, supports each other, and delivers results consistently.

This assignment example is written from the perspective of a team leader in a small veterinary practice, managing a team of four veterinary nurses and one receptionist.

Learning Outcome 1 — Understand How Teams Develop

AC 1.1 — Describe the Stages of Team Development

Tuckman’s model identifies four stages that teams move through as they become effective.

Forming. The team is new or has changed membership. People are polite but cautious — they do not yet know each other well enough to disagree openly or work seamlessly. When a new veterinary nurse joined the practice in January 2025, the first two weeks were ‘forming’ — she was quiet in team discussions, checked every decision with me, and had not yet established working relationships with the other nurses. My role was to make her feel welcome, set clear expectations, and introduce her to the team’s routines.

Storming. Once people feel comfortable enough to express their views, disagreements emerge. After three weeks, the new nurse began suggesting different ways of organising the prep room — which one experienced nurse took as criticism of the existing system. There was tension for about a week: short exchanges, a complaint about the new nurse ‘trying to change everything,’ and some avoidance of shared tasks. My role was to acknowledge the tension, facilitate a conversation between them, and help them find a compromise that incorporated the new nurse’s ideas without dismissing the experienced nurse’s knowledge.

Norming. The team settles into agreed ways of working. By month two, the prep room reorganisation had been jointly designed and both nurses were using it consistently. The wider team accepted the new member as a full contributor. Informal social interaction increased — coffee together before the clinic opened, sharing photos of their own pets. My role shifted from managing conflict to reinforcing the positive behaviours and shared norms that were emerging.

Performing. The team operates effectively with minimal intervention from the leader. The team now covers for each other without being asked, anticipates each other’s needs during procedures, and raises problems constructively rather than avoiding them. My role is to maintain the conditions that sustain performance — consistent communication, fair workload distribution, and continued investment in development.