How teams work: 3 2 Implications of the team development model Open University

Although members understand each other, conflicts may still arise at the norming stage of team development. Nonetheless, the conflicts can’t spiral into dysfunction because the team has gelled. Members have a more profound commitment to each other and the project’s completion, so it’s easier to handle conflicts. https://globalcloudteam.com/ During the first meeting, team members also learn their roles and what’s expected of them as they work towards attaining the shared goal. Ground rules that will govern the team get outlined at the forming stage. Team leaders need to facilitate introductions and highlight each member’s background and skills.

To guide your team as it develops, it helps to understand the stages of group development. The first step in a team’s life is bringing together a group of individuals. Individuals focus on defining and assigning tasks, establishing a schedule, organizing the team’s work, and other startup matters.

Storming Stage of Group Development

The team is flexible as individuals adapt to meet the needs of other team members. This is a highly productive stage both personally and professionally. Each of these stages plays a crucial role in bringing a team from Point A to Point B. However, not every team will progress through these stages in a neat, linear fashion. As a leader, it’s important to be aware of the different stages your team is going through and how you can help them move forward.

At this stage, the group is just beginning to form and members often meet each other with anxiety and uncertainty about the group’s final outcome. Members are also cautious and discreet in their behaviors towards other group members as they seek to be accepted by their peers. The forming stage of group development allows group members to form impressions of one another, while conflict and personal opinions are often avoided this early in the group development process. Comparatively, the orientation stage of group development is similar to a first day on the job or the first day of school. While working on a high-performing team may be a truly pleasurable and growthful experience, it is not the end of team development.

Tuckman’s Group Development Stages

The storming stage is the most difficult and critical stage to pass through. It is a period marked by conflict and competition as individual personalities emerge. Team performance may actually decrease in this stage because energy is put into unproductive activities.

Differences among members are appreciated and used to enhance the team’s performance. Design challenging, unique, and varied activities that will have a significant impact on the individuals themselves, the organization, or the external environment. For example, one group member may be responsible for crafting a new incentive-pay system through which employees can direct some of their bonus to their favorite nonprofits.

Why are the stages of group development important?

Tuckman’s model is an explanation and understanding of how a team develops. As well, it helps to train people in group work enabling them to accomplish their full potential (Bruce Tuckman’s 1965, n.d.). After the storming phase, the norming stage of group development begins. The norming stage is characterized by cooperation and integration as a result of group members finally receiving clarity in their goals and addresses to their concerns. Norming represents a time when the group returns to being a cohesive unit and the morale needed to complete group tasks remains high. Group members acknowledge the talents, strengths, and skills of other members on the team, leading to a sense of community and motivation to work towards the group’s ultimate goal.

• Use this quiz to check your understanding and decide whether to study the previous section further or move on to the next section.
• Interestingly enough, just as an individual moves through developmental stages such as childhood, adolescence, and adulthood, so does a group, although in a much shorter period of time.
• The rest of the members remain quiet while the two individuals vying for control question each other’s methods and deviate from their assigned roles.
• Team members shift their attention away from task orientation to a relationship focus (McShane et al., 2018, p. 233).
• This phase is usually short in duration, perhaps a meeting or two.
• The first stage of group development is forming, a time characterized by uncertainty and stress between members of the newly created group.

Team members start to open up to each other and confront one another’s ideas and perspectives. Establishing ground rules from the get-go ensures they get followed as the group moves from one stage to the next. A critical rule to emphasize is that team members should always listen to each other and feel free to consult and raise concerns.

Storming

The adjourning stage is a time for both mourning and celebration. Mourning because team members are paring after forging deep relationships during the project and celebration for a job well done. In the adjourning stage, most of the team’s goals have been accomplished. The emphasis is on wrapping up final tasks and documenting the effort and results.

The setting is unfamiliar and uncertain to each team member as they learn about their fellow peers. The first meeting between a team often consists of introductions, stating the purpose of the group, and outlining deadlines and task four stages of team development assignments. After a group has completed their task they must dissolve and disband from both the task and group members. This stage begins to occur as the process of organizing tasks and processes surface interpersonal conflicts.

Adjourning

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. Leadership is shared, and members are willing to adapt to the needs of the group.