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It’s rare for a team to click instantly. Most need time to “gel” and function at their full potential. Team members go through a series of stages as they evolve from being unfamiliar with each other to becoming a fully functioning, cohesive unit. These stages are best described in Bruce Tuckman’s forming, storming, norming, and performing model.
Understanding these group development phases is crucial to helping your team become more effective faster.
This article deep dives into all four stages and explores what they entail. Read on to learn why this group dynamics concept is so popular and how each stage of group development manifests.
Psychologist Bruce W. Tuckman came up with his famous group development model in the mid-1960s. He discussed his concepts of forming, storing, norming, and performing in a paper titled “Developmental Sequence in Small Groups.” Since then, the model has become a valuable framework for evaluating teams and has been adopted by organizations worldwide.
Individuals have their own unique behaviors and feelings, as does each team. The four stages act as the basis for team conversations when changes in team behavior start to get in the way of productivity. Understanding why things are happening in certain ways significantly aids self-evaluation.
The model’s true potential lies in observing where a team is in the developmental stage process and helping it reach a stage that aligns with collaborative work.
New teams form and go through changes in the real world every day. When this happens, they can enter a new developmental stage. For instance, a team that is harmoniously norming or performing may return to the storming stage when a new team member joins. It’s a project leader’s responsibility to anticipate such developments and help the team quickly get back to performing.
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Try magic searchBelow are the things that occur in different stages of Tuckman’s group development model.
This is the very first phase. It starts when a new team forms. It involves a period of orientation and getting acquainted with each other.
Politeness
Shying away from controversy
Hesitancy joining in
Self-orientation
Cliques
Members seeking approval and safety
Decision-making as members try to define tasks and processes
Irrelevant discussions
Anticipation, excitement, and optimism
Fear, suspicion, and anxiety
Apprehension and uncertainty
Questions on why they are there and what is expected of them
A clear team mission and vision
Precise tasks and objectives to focus on
Clearly defined roles and responsibilities
A list of ground rules that help ensure effective team collaboration
An outline of expectations
Operational guidelines to streamline team processes
Efficient face-to-face meetings
Enhanced productivity in virtual meetings
Getting initial feedback from project managers
Offering clear guidance and organization for tasks
Giving team members time to get to know one another
Cultivating an optimistic team environment
Engaging actively with the team’s activities and progress
Recognizing when a designated leader is essential for decision-making
Ensuring clear and direct communication from the leader to team members
Storming is the most difficult of all phases. It’s full of uncertainty, and team members are often confused about what to do. People start to push out of the preset boundaries, and friction or conflicts could arise.
This is the stage where people’s preferred working methods and styles surface and clash. Structural, power, and leadership issues dominate this phase.
Disagreements and conflicts
Members vying for leadership roles, signaling a power dynamic shift
Variances in perspectives and personal styles
Uncertainty or confusion regarding individual roles within the team
The team begins the process of self-organization
Internal power struggles and clashes
Less inclination toward seeking consensus
Limited progress in achieving collective goals
Setting goals that are perceived as unrealistic
Concern over excessive work
A defensive nature
Confusion and a waning interest in team activities
Resistance, particularly when it comes to handling assigned tasks
Inconsistent attitudes toward the team
Doubting the wisdom of some team members and their decisions
Increased jealousy and tension
Uncertainty about freedom within the team and influence over other members
Openly voicing frustrations
Recognizing and understanding stylistic and personal differences among team members
Revisiting and redefining team roles and ground rules for cohesion
Ensuring clarity and understanding of the team’s overarching purpose
Developing both inter- and intra-personal relationships
Establishing a culture of constructive feedback, both given and received
Implementing effective conflict resolution strategies
Cultivating effective listening skills to enhance communication
Dealing with code of conduct violations
Being open to and incorporating feedback from the project lead for continuous improvement
Acknowledging conflicts openly and taking steps to address them promptly
Guidance on effective conflict resolution methods within the team
Encouraging conflicting team members to reach a consensus
Fostering a sense of accountability by ensuring team members take on their assigned responsibilities
Encouraging active team involvement and fostering the emergence of shared leadership
Recognizing and addressing challenges in the team’s decision-making processes
Providing consistent support and acknowledgment for team efforts
By this stage, the team has turned a corner. They have started buying into the process and can work together effectively. They have stronger trust in each other and can achieve better cohesion. They also start putting aside their differences and work together toward a common objective.
Agreeing on procedures and processes
Relating to each other comfortably
Improved focus and energy
Shared problem-solving and balanced influence
Effective conflict-resolution
Attempting to make consensual decisions
Creating teamwork routines
Setting and achieving various milestones
A strong sense of belonging and unity
Elevated confidence
A newfound ability to express criticism constructively
Mutual acceptance and inclusion of all team members
A prevailing sense of trust
Confidence and assurance that everything is on track and will work out
A sense of freedom to express ideas and actively contribute to tasks
Establishing clarity and consensus in decision-making
Fostering a creative environment for innovative solutions
Encouraging collaboration to overcome challenges
Leveraging all available resources for efficiency
Taking collective responsibility for effective leadership
Using feedback and insights for continuous improvement
A collaborative leadership approach
Constructive feedback and consistent support from project leads
A leadership style that is adapted to allow for flexibility and creativity
Actively encouraging and facilitating interactions among team members
Ensuring every team member’s input is valued and considered
Making the collaborative process more transparent and understandable
Empowering team members to actively participate in decision-making
Prioritizing the cultivation and maintenance of solid team relationships
This is the best stage for any team to be in. By now, members have learned to put the group’s needs before their personal needs. Everyone focuses on shared goals and discovers ways to solve upcoming challenges.
While the team retains a fixed structure, members have complete interdependence and can adapt to meet each other’s needs.
Clear roles
A fully functional team
Interdependence within teams
Teams can organize themselves
Flexible members can work well individually, within subgroups, or as part of the wider team
Team members clearly understand their colleagues’ strengths and weaknesses
Commitment
Empathy
Understanding of collaborative work ethic
Strong bonds
General sense of satisfaction
Feeling excited and having fun during tasks
Plenty of creativity and personal development
Continual discovery of how to make the enthusiasm and momentum last longer
Continuous assurance from project leads that the team is moving in a collaborative direction
Enhanced flexibility within the team structure to adapt to changing needs
Implementation of assessments to gauge and enhance team knowledge
A constant flow of relevant information
A culture of constructive feedback (both giving and receiving)
Open dialogue and regular communication between team members and project leads
Shared leadership
Watching closely, inquiring about, and addressing the team’s needs
Collaborative efforts
Minimal direction from project leads
Support and positive reinforcement
Ensuring any new and essential information reaches the team on time
Most evolving teams naturally reach the adjourning stage. It wasn’t included in Tuckman’s original model but is now recognized as the fifth stage by most experts.
The adjourning stage occurs when the team finishes its project or an organization’s needs change. The group is disbanded, and the people are redeployed.
When a long-term project ends, some members may feel a little low as they now have to reestablish their work structure and move on. A ceremonial acknowledgment of the work and success of the team can help provide closure.
A team’s lifecycle consists of five stages:
Forming
Storming
Norming
Performing
Adjourning
Tuckman’s Ladder refers to Bruce Tuckman’s model of group development, which includes the forming, storming, norming, and performing stages.
During the storming stage, a team might experience conflicts over leadership roles or different approaches to work.
In the norming stage, team members may exhibit a strong sense of belonging, mutual acceptance, and a general atmosphere of trust.
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