As a kid, my favorite pastime was to play with Play-Doh. It is the best children’s toy, and if anyone disagrees with me I will fight them on it until they either walk away or agree with me. Here is a comprehensive list of what makes PlayDoh so great:
- It comes in a million different colors. People love color. The world went nuts with the invention of color TV. Why? Because black and white is boring.
- You can make whatever you want with it. Do you want to make a city? You got it. An airplane? Sure thing. A plateful of spaghetti? Yep. Play-Doh offers endless possibilities.
- It’s squishy. It is a scientific fact that people love things that are squishy. Mashed potatoes are more fun to eat then baked potatoes. Bean bags are more fun to sit on than chairs. Play-Doh is the best toy because it is moldable.
It turns out that the things that make Play-Doh so great are also the things that get me excited about working on new teams. Think about the traits of Play-Doh in the context of Forming. The different colors are the different people on the team, and the various experiences and ideas they bring. Forming is colorful and exciting because, in this stage, the possibilities are endless! The team can mold their vision and draw on their many shared and unique experiences. In the Forming stage, the team can build their vision into what ever they want it to be.
It is important to remember Forming is an exciting and dynamic state filled with high enthusiasm and team spirit. Do not be discouraged if your team slips back into Forming! Shifting back into the Forming stage simply means that the team members have the unique opportunity to look back to the experiences and ideas they share, as well as the ones that make them unique, and use those things to build a vision that is better and more vibrant than the last one.
Remember that Forming is fun, fabulous, and build something incredible!
