By Judith Stein 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.
What Is a Group?A group is defined as two or more interacting and interdependent individuals who come together to achieve specific goals. Groups can be either formal or informal. Formal groups are work groups that are defined by the organization’s structure and have designated work assignments and specific tasks directed at accomplishing organizational goals. The table below provides some examples of formal groups. Examples of Formal Work Groups
Informal groups are social groups. These groups occur naturally in the workplace and tend to form around friendships and common interests. For example, five employees from different departments who regularly eat lunch together are an informal group. What are the Stages of Group Development?Group development is a dynamic process. Most groups are in a continual state of change. Even though groups probably never reach complete stability, there is a general pattern that describes how most groups evolve. Research shows that groups pass through a standard sequence of fives stages. As shown in the Figure below, these five stages are:
1. Forming stageThe forming stage has two phases. The first occurs as people join the group. In a formal group, people join because of some work assignment. Once they’ve joined, the second phase begins: defining the group’s purpose, structure and leadership. This phase involves a great deal of uncertainty as members ‘test the waters’ to determine what types of behavior are acceptable. This stage is complete when members begin to think of themselves as part of a group. 2. Storming stageThe storming stage is appropriately named because of the intragroup conflict. There’s conflict over who will control the group and what the group needs to be doing. When this stage is complete, there will be a relatively clear hierarchy of leadership and agreement on the group’s direction.
 3. Norming stageThe norming stage is one in which close relationships develop and the group becomes cohesive. There’s now a strong a sense of group identity and camaraderie. This stage is complete when the group structure solidifies and the group has assimilated a common set of expectations (or norms) regarding member behavior. 4. Performing stageThe fourth stage is performing. The group structure is in the place and accepted by group members. Their energies have moved from getting to know and understand each other to working on the group’s task. This is the last stage of development for permanent work groups. However, for temporary groups—project teams, task forces or similar groups that have a limited task to do—the final stage is adjourning. 5. Adjourning stageIn this stage, the group prepares to disband and attention is focuses on wrapping up activities. Group members react in different ways. Some are upbeat, thrilled about the group’s accomplishments. Others may be sad over the loss of camaraderie and friendships. You probably have experienced these stages as you’ve worked on a group project for a class. Group members are selected or assigned and then meet for the first time. There’s a ‘feeling out’ period to assess what the group is going to do and how it’s going to be done. This is usually followed by a battle for control: who’s going to be in charge? Once this issue has been resolved and a ‘hierarchy’ has been agreed on, the group identifies specific work that needs to be done, who’s going to do each part and dates by which the assigned work needs to be completed. General expectations are established. These decisions form the foundation for what you hope will be a coordinated group effort culminating in a project that’s done well. Once the project is complete and turned in, the group breaks up. Of course, some groups don’t get much beyond the forming or storming stages. These groups may have serious interpersonal conflicts, turn in disappointing work and get lower grades. Does a group become more effective as it progresses through the first four stages? Some researchers say yes, but it’s not that simple. That assumption may be generally true, but what makes a group effective is a complex issue. Under some conditions, high levels of conflict are conducive to high levels of group performance. There might be situations in which groups in the storming stage outperform those in the norming or performing stages. Also, groups don’t always proceed sequentially from one stage to the next. Sometimes, groups are storming and performing at the same time. Groups even occasionally regress to previous stages. Therefore, don’t assume that all groups precisely follow this process or that performing is always the most preferable stage. Think of this model as a general framework that underscores the fact that groups are dynamic entities and managers need to know the stage a group is in so they can understand the problems and issues that are most likely to surface. The basic foundation for understanding group behavior includes roles, norms and conformity, status systems, group size and group cohesiveness. In our next entry Opens in new window, we take a closer look at each of these aspects. During which stage of the group development process are group members often on their best behavior?During the performing stage, the team is achieving results and the group is performing at its best. The team leader should spend time developing each team member and introduce new goals to focus on. The Adorning stage is the final stage of team development.
In which stage of the group development process do group members resolve their power struggles so that something can be accomplished?-Groups that make it through storming and into the norming stage generally do so because a respected member, other than the leader, challenges the group to resolve its power struggles so something can be accomplished.
During which stage of group development would group cohesiveness be a factor?The norming stage is a time where group members become a cohesive unit. Morale is high as group members actively acknowledge the talents, skills and experience that each member brings to the group. A sense of community is established, and the group remains focused on the group's purpose and goal.
What is characteristic of the norming stage of team development?During the Norming stage, members shift their energy to the team's goals and show an increase in productivity, in both individual and collective work. The team may find that this is an appropriate time for an evaluation of team processes and productivity.
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In which stage of the group development process are group members uncertain about their roles?
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