Tuckman’s Stages of Group Development for Teams

The team may find that this is an appropriate time for an evaluation of team processes and productivity. A leader is essential at this stage to help the team figure out objectives and team roles and responsibilities. During the performing stage, the team functions as a unit and the energy of the group will benefit the task.

After the storming stage of Tuckman’s stages of group development, the team starts working in a fulfilling manner. Criticism is not taken personally any more, but is considered to be constructive and task-oriented. After reading everything above, you have a pretty good idea where your team is at – but does the rest of the team agree? We all perceive things in our own unique way based on past experience and what we know now. Goals, Signals, and Measures – One of the best investments you can make at this stage is clarifying what you’re trying to achieve and how you’ll know you’re successful. This workshop involves brainstorming, discussion, and decision-making. It can be tough at times – I won’t lie – but the shared understanding you’ll build is worth powering through.

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Initially, during the forming and storming stages, norms focus on expectations for attendance and commitment. Later, during the norming and performing stages, norms focus on relationships and levels of performance. Performance norms are very important because they define the level of work effort and standards that determine the success of the team. As you might expect, leaders play an important part in establishing productive norms by acting as role models and by rewarding desired behaviors.

• Members attempt to become oriented to the tasks as well as to one another.
• When conflicts are resolved, it can improve existing processes and bond members together.
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• Alternatively, some team members may find focussing on the task at hand is an effective response to their sadness or sense of loss.
• It doesn’t mean anything is wrong or that you’ve failed.
• The fourth stage is the one that all groups strive to reach.

Some teams don’t make it to this stage, so if you do it’s a real achievement. It’s the stage that every group will hope to make as it’s when you can get your best work done.

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It’s almost like being Captain America to The Avengers or Steve Jobs to Apple. Groups are so in-sync during the performing stage that it seems to happen naturally. The most effective and high-functioning teams are cultivated. Some teams skip over the storming stage or try to avoid conflict at whatever cost. Avoidance usually makes the problem grow until it blows up. For the team to perform at its best, a good leader will encourage creative conflicts and help celebrate and reward achievements.

Usually, group dynamics and roles have yet to be established, a team leader will typically emerge and take charge and direct the individual members. While there are no stages left, it’s important to ensure that your project ends on a high note. This may be the time for more oversight, similar to the forming stage, to encourage the tying up of loose ends. This is also an important time to meet with team members, provide feedback, and discuss next steps. While the norming stage sounds ideal, they must move on to the performing stage for true interdependence. To facilitate this group development, leaders should continue to give constructive feedback and support, and make collaboration as easy as possible. At this stage, things are going so well that team members might fear the break up of the team if further risks and innovations are taken.

What your team needs to move on to the next stage

Be intentional about teaming and you’ll go farther, faster. Trade-offs – In this exercise, you’ll agree on what you should optimize for and where you can be flexible, so you can make those small, every-day decisions about your work autonomously. Pose lots of questions to your team, even if you think you know the answer. Take a cue from the Atlassian Team Playbook and make time for these three activities.

Encourage your team to continue to break out of their comfort zone to achieve better results. Of the five stages of group development, the forming stage requires the most meetings.

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The team will also be developing trust – helping each other and asking for help, and many teams are socialising with each other by this stage. Explain how team norms and cohesiveness affect performance. Rickards and Moger proposed a similar extension to the Tuckman model when a group breaks out of its norms, through a process of creative problem-solving. Retrospective (30-60 min) – This classic agile technique works for any type of team in any industry.

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. Notice how I’ve represented Tuckman’s model as a circle? That’s because team development is cyclical, not linear.

The leader of the team will then describe the tasks to the group, describe the different behaviours to the group and how to deal and handle complaints. In Tuckman’s 1965 paper, only 50% of the studies identified a stage of intragroup conflict, and some of the remaining studies jumped directly from stage 1 to stage 3. Some groups may avoid the phase altogether, but for those who do not, the duration, intensity and destructiveness of the “storms” can be varied. Tolerance of each team member and their differences should be emphasized; without tolerance and patience the team will fail.