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Team effectiveness is enhanced by a team's commitment to reflection and on-going evaluation. In addition to evaluating accomplishments in terms of meeting specific goals, for teams to be high-performing it is essential for them to understand their development as a team. Most of us are familiar with the concept of "the terrible twos" in early childhood; understanding that developmental stage makes it easier to accept the constant stream of "No No No No No" that we might hear from a two-year old. Teams go through stages of development. The most commonly used framework for a team's stages of development was developed in the mid-1960s by Bruce W. Tuckman. Although many authors have written variations and enhancements to Tuckman's work, his descriptions of Forming, Storming, Norming and Performing provide a useful framework for looking at your own team. Each stage of team development has its own recognizable feelings and behaviors; understanding why things are happening in certain ways on your team can be an important part of the self-evaluation process. The four stages are a helpful framework for recognizing a team's behavioral patterns; they are most useful as a basis for team conversation, rather than boxing the team into a "diagnosis." And just as human development is not always linear (think of the five-year old child who reverts to thumb-sucking when a new sibling is born), team development is not always a linear process. Having a way to identify and understand causes for changes in the team behaviors can help the team maximize its process and its productivity.
By Indeed Editorial Team Updated December 6, 2021 | Published July 6, 2020 Updated December 6, 2021 Published July 6, 2020 Group work is vital in many business sectors. Establishing effective work practices can take time and is often easier when the group leader understands how group dynamics function. If you regularly work on or supervise group projects, it's imperative to understand how the forming, storming, norming and performing group development structure works. In this article, we explain what this group development sequence is, describe why it's valuable, highlight how each stage works and offer a few other stages of group development to consider. Related: What Are the Pros and Cons of Group Work? What is forming, storming, norming and performing?Coined by psychologist Bruce Tuckman in his 1965 article "Developmental Sequence in Small Groups," the "Forming, Storming, Norming and Performing" model of group development explains how groups form and what happens in each stage of group development. The name refers to each of the four stages of group development and gives an indication of what type of behavior you can expect during each particular stage. Related: Project Management Process Groups and Knowledge Areas Defined Why are the stages of group development important?When working on a group project or overseeing a team, it's important to understand what the stages of group development are because knowing what to expect can help you and your team move more quickly to the stages that result in effective action. Several of the stages include inherent conflict. Knowing in advance to expect and normalize conflict within the group can make it easier to manage and effectively solve issues between team members, allowing the group to regain focus and attention on the goals of the project. Related: Stages of Team Development How do Tuckman's stages of group development work?Each of Tuckman's four stages of development is unique and necessary to establish a fully functional and effective group. The four stages are:
1. FormingIn the forming stage, the group is just beginning to get to know one another. For the most part, team members are overly positive and polite. They are most likely hesitant to share any conflicting opinions and simply want to get to know one another before work begins. A few key elements of this stage include:
During the forming stage of group development, you can expect to discuss issues like these in meetings:
Related: How To Set Goals as a Team 2. StormingIn the storming stage of group development, team members become more comfortable and begin to share dissenting opinions or ideas with the group. During this stage, true personalities become clear and conflicts might arise. Signs you're in the storming stage of group development include:
Common discussions in group meetings during the storming phase might include:
During the storming stage of group development, it's vital to remember that conflict is both necessary and expected when forming a new group or embarking on a new project. Normalizing conflict can help you, your teammates and the group leader respectfully and effectively solve any disagreements. Related: How To Handle Conflict With a Coworker 3. NormingIn the norming phase of group development, the team has resolved most, if not all, conflicts from the storming phase. The team's focus is on completing the project and each team member understands their role within the group at large. The group's hierarchy is clear, and all team members know to whom they should speak with any questions or concerns. Unity and cohesion are high, and the group is often able to resolve any uncertainties quickly and with little conflict. You'll know you're in the norming phase when:
During this phase, meetings are highly focused and may include discussions about items like:
Related: 11 Meeting Etiquette Rules 4. PerformingIn the performing phase of group development, the team tends to spend the majority of work time focused on individual tasks. Some meetings might still occur, but overall, the group knows what they need to do and how to do it. Often, the performing phase signals the conclusion of the project, since the team is now working effectively towards its completion. Signs your team is in the performing phase might include:
Group meetings might include the following:
Since the performing stage of group development finds the team at its maximum productivity, teams usually conclude projects during this stage. Related: 18 Tips for Meeting Deadlines What are the additional stages of group development?After Tuckman published his initial four stages of group development, other researchers established additional stages that some teams might see as they work towards their group goal. The most common three additional stages are: 1. SwarmingThe swarming stage is most common in the software development sector. In a swarm stage, the whole team comes together to solve a single problem as one unit. Once the team has addressed the issue, the members disperse back to their own tasks. Swarming can happen between any of the four traditional stages, but it's most common between norming and performing. 2. Re-normingVery frequently, groups will cycle through the storming and norming stages as the project transitions through phases. Some leaders like to refer to this as re-norming after the first instance of norming has already occurred because the later cycles of storming and norming are often much shorter than the first instance. 3. Adjourning or mourningThe adjourning or mourning stage is sometimes called the fifth stage of group development. For most teams, once the project is finished, the group disbands. When this happens, particularly if it's been a long-term project, team members might go through a period of sadness as their work structure dissipates and must be reestablished. |
What does storming mean in group development?
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