Tuckman’s Model of Group Development

Bruce Tuckman’s model of group/team development describes the 5 stages that each team goes through.

5 stages are:

• Forming
• Storming
• Norming
• Performing
• Ajourning

Forming – As the word suggests, the team is in the formation stages. The team is fairly new and people do not fully know or feel comfortable with each other. Often in this phase the process and procedures are still being formulated and the goals are fairly unclear. People could possibly experience shyness, anxiety and uncertainty. Also the level of trust is fairly low because the relationships are in their early stages. It is really important that the Team Leader or Manager instills trust and creates an environment that reduces anxiety and uncertainty. Possibly by providing consistency,transparency and setting clear expectations for each member of the team.

Storming- This is usually where the conflict emerges due to differences in personalities and working styles. Re-activity is often fairly high during this phase and the people within the team may feel frustrated or even angry. This can be a fairly volatile stage and the Team Leader must create a collaborative environment where each member of the team is included in team meeting discussions, explore and understand differences between team members and what it means for the dynamic of the team and even make any necessary changes or adjustments to goals and processes based on the situation.

Norming – Here through the guidance of the Team Leader or Manager the members gradually work through their differences.There is a sense of belonging and working for a common goal. On an emotional level, members start to socialise with each other and start considering one and another as friends and feel comfortable in asking for help, assisting one another and sharing experience and knowledge.

Performing– Here the team believes in the strength of the team. There is a high level of trust and lower levels of anxiety and frustrations. Any disagreement that arises within the team is usually solved in a positive manner. There is a clear understanding of roles and responsibilities of each member of the team.The Team Leader or Manager is able to delegate more work and create more of an autonomous environment.

Adjourning – This happens when the team breaks apart possibly due to restructure or if a project comes to an end. Some of the emotions felt here would be a sense of grief and loss, sadness, uncertainty and again anxiety. Here it is vital for the Team Leader or Manager to provide support and guidance to assist team members on the next step in their careers.

It is important to note that each person is unique and not everyone in the team will experience the same level of emotions. It is vital for the Team Leader or Manager to have a level of emotional intelligence in understanding this and work with each member to create a team that has a clear goal, a sense of belonging and transparency in creating high performing employees.