In the 1980s and 1990s, team-building activities were very popular. These team‑building activities were intended to produce highly effective teams that worked well together. Although the results of some team-building exercises can be debated, the effectiveness of authentic teams is undisputable.

Team building does not always lead to authentic team creation. However, for organizations that focus on team development and who are serious about the integration of their employees (inter-generationally or not), authentic teams seem to lead to the best results. This is particularly helpful for workplaces that may not be structured around teams yet do operate through project management, which requires different teams from cross-functional areas to work together on a particular goal.

Authentic teams go through the stages of forming, storming, norming, performing, and adjourning that were first described by B.W. Tuckman in 1965. The winning feature of authentic teams is that you do not have to develop a relationship with, nor like, everyone on the team. The pressure of conforming to someone else’s ideas of how we should behave is relieved by the flexibility of getting to know each other authentically.

Indicators of an Authentic Team

Q: Define the markers of an authentic team and record your responses

Building authentic teams requires effort. Remember that the difference in building authentic teams is much more meaningful and productive than simply holding team-building activities. Authentic teams appeal to individuals no matter what their generation and allow for input of equal value from every member.