The stages of group development

Have you ever noticed that when a team comes together, after a period of pleasantness, it can go through a difficult period of infighting and conflict? Some teams are able to move beyond the conflict, and others get stuck in that phase. Tuckman’s model of Group development (Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing, Adjourning) helps us to identify these phases and how to get past each of them.

Forming

The forming stage is when we first come together as a team. We are still putting our team structure and purpose together. Perhaps we don’t really know each other and have some insecurities in the beginning. We avoid conflict and look to a group leader for direction and guidance.

What does it look and feel like?

This phase can hold a range of different behaviours and feelings. We can describe it as a little bit bumpy in the beginning: polite, tentative, best behaviour, avoiding controversy, seeking out personal connection, cliques, attempts to define tasks and deciding how to decide, excitement, optimism, anticipation, anxiety, suspicion, wondering why others are here, apprehension, confusion or uncertainty over expectations, looking for acceptance.

What does a team need in this stage?

• Establish Ground rules (how the team will make decisions or brainstorm or…)
• Clarify the mission and purpose (what is the reason the team exists)
• Set goals (what useful contribution can people make)
• Assess resources (what knowledge, skills and abilities do people in the team have and what external resources are available)
• Formulate roles (who is doing what)

To advance to the next stage, we need to move beyond “safe topics” and risk having conflict.

Storming

During the storming phase conflicts begin to arise as we establish processes and organise ourselves, interpersonal conflicts arise particularly in relation to territory and expectations. Jealousy and power struggles can also arise.

What does it look and feel like?

Arguing, vying for power, lack of role clarity, misunderstandings, unrealistic goals, overwork, different points of view, personality clashes, defensiveness, confusion, resistance to tasks, questioning wisdom of others, going in circles, lack of progress.

What does a team need in this stage?

• Encourage sharing and listening
• Establish trust
• Create a culture that values ideas and input
• Develop a system to support each other
• Set individual goals
• Stay focused on team goals especially in the lowest points in the storming phase
• Resolve conflict and move forward to win-win solutions
• Regularly summarise and circulate decisions to ensure understanding
• Help team members work with other styles
• Support and praise to reinforce the helpful behaviours and expectations

To advance to the next stage, team members need to develop a problem solving mentality particularly in relation to conflict resolution and listening skills.

Norming

During the norming stage, teams start to develop standard ways of doing things instead of having conflicts over uncertainties.

What does it look and feel like?

Clarity on processes and procedures, boundaries are clear understanding of others, conflict resolution skills are apparent, routines, consensual decisions, goals are set and achieved, sense of belonging, high confidence, trust, negative feedback is expressed constructively, acceptance in the team.

A disadvantage of this stage is that a team can be subject to “group think” where team members think too similarly and creativity is stifled. Team members can be afraid to challenge the status quo in case they return to a storming phase again.

What does a team need in this stage?

Clear processes, shared problem solving, clear decision making processes, less top down structure, more empowerment and trust, more team interaction, more collaboration, offering of ideas and suggestions, greater contributions.

• Move as a whole towards team goals
• Diagnose and solve problems
• Bring out team and individual strengths
• Encourage ideas and solutions
• Encourage greater team interaction
• Share problem solving
• Strengthen processes
• Encourage dissenting views and play “devil’s advocate” (where someone is appointed to deliberately see issues and solutions from another perspective)

To advance to the next stage team members need to move beyond fear of conflict, and challenge the status quo in healthy and constructive ways.

Performing

In this stage team members are interdependent and find a good balance between the collective and individual needs.

What does it look and feel like?

Dissenting points of view are allowed, self-organising, understanding of each other’s strengths and weaknesses, individuals are flexible and can function as an individual or as a team, empathy, excitement, commitment, personal development, problem solving mentality, achieving goals, innovation.

Watch out for “backsliding” into the previous stages

What does a team need in this stage?

• Be flexible
• Ensure information is flowing
• Give positive reinforcement and support
• Use facilitative styles
• Allow decision making without supervision
• Have open dialogue
• Take full advantage of team strengths

Many teams do not reach the performing stage because are not able to tolerate dissenting views and work with conflict. The next stage occurs when the team moves on or comes to a natural close.

Adjourning

This stage represents a project finishing, or when a significant portion of the team moves on. It represents a period of change and loss.

What does it look and feel like?

Change, loss, relief, loss of motivation, periods of high energy and low energy, restlessness.

What does a team need in this stage?

• Evaluation and recognition of efforts
• Tie up loose ends
• Help others with the transition to “what’s next”
• Listening and reflection
• Say farewells
• Celebrate