Four Stages of Team Development

Revision as of 20:09, 19 November 2014

Self-managed work teams need considerable time to perform up to its true capabilities. What a group is capable of achieving depends in part on its stage of development. The team's effectiveness can be improved if its members are committed to reflection and on-going evaluation. However, the most important aspect is that every team member understands their development as a team.

Although every group’s development over time is unique, researchers have identified some stages of group development that many groups seem to pass through. The most famous model is the Four Stages of Team Development, developed by the psychology professor Bruce Tuckman in 1965. Tuckman suggested that all teams go through a relatively unproductive initial stage before becoming a self-reliant unit.

Although there have been other written variations from many authors, Tuckman’s stages of development – Forming, Storming, Norming and Performing – are a helpful technique to recognize the team’s behaviour and feelings during the process. Identifying and understanding why changes occur is a key component of the self-evaluation process. This can help the team maximize its process and its productivity.

Introduction to the Model

Dr Bruce Tuckman published his Forming Storming Norming Performing model in 1965, in his article Developmental Sequence in Small Groups. He used it to describe the path that most teams follow on their way to high performance.

The Forming Storming Norming Performing theory is an elegant and helpful explanation of team development and behaviour. Tuckman's model explains that as the team develops maturity and ability, relationships establish, and the leader changes leadership style.

Tuckman’s theory states that all four stages are necessary and inevitable in order to the team growing, facing up the challenges, tackling problems, finding solutions, planning work and delivering results. This model has become the basis for subsequent models.

Every team changes and develops over time as it stays together. Tuckman described three issues that determine the effectiveness of the team:

• Content: relates to what the team does
• Process: relates to how the team works towards its objectives
• Feelings: applies to how team members relate to one another

Tuckman’s research suggests that most teams concentrate almost exclusively on content, to the detriment of process and feelings, which explains why teams which are strong on paper can under-perform.

Tuckman suggested that the life cycle of a team involves four stages. At each stage, the dynamics of the team change dramatically from periods of inefficiency and uneasiness through to a period of high performance. The ‘team growth model’ also suggests that unless the issues of processes and feelings have been satisfactorily addressed, it is unlikely that the team will reach the most productive final stage.

Forming

Stage 1: Immature group

In the first stage, Forming, members try to get to know one another and reach common understanding of what the group is trying to accomplish and how group members should behave. This is also a good opportunity to see how each member of the team works as an individual and how they respond to pressure. The individual's behaviour is driven by a desire to be accepted by the others, and avoid controversy or conflict.

• Feelings
  During the Forming stage of team development, team members are usually excited to be part of the team and eager about the work ahead. Members often have high positive expectations for the team experience. At the same time, they may also feel some anxiety, wondering how they will fit into the team and if their performance will measure up.

• Process
  Behaviours observed during the Forming stage may include lots of questions from team members, reflecting both their excitement about the new team and the uncertainty or anxiety they might be feeling about their place on the team.

• Content
  The principal work for the team during the Forming stage is to create a team with clear structure, goals, direction and roles so that members begin to build trust. A good orientation/kick-off process can help to ground the members in terms of the team's mission and goals, and can establish team expectations about both the team's product and, more importantly, the team's process. During the Forming stage, much of the team's energy is focused on defining the team so task accomplishment may be relatively low.

In this stage, some serious issues are avoided because the members only focus on aspects related to the team organization such as work distribution or group meetings. Also each member starts gathering the information necessary about the group task. Although it is really easy to stay in this state, avoiding the conflicts does not lead to “get the job done”.

Anyway, it is an important phase for the team’s development. The team starts to agree on the goals and to undertake the jobs. Members are highly motivated and behave adequately, but tend to work quite independently. They are more focused on themselves and usually this leads to ignorance of the problems and objectives of the team. For this reason, supervisors should manage the team during this stage.

The principal characteristics of the Forming stage are:

• Confusion: they haven't fully understood what work the team will do
• Uncertainty
• Assessing situation
• Testing ground rules: people start to work together
• Feeling out others: they make an effort to get to know their new colleagues
• Defining goals
• Getting acquainted
• Establishing rules

Storming

Stage 2: Fractional group

In the second stage, Storming, group members experience conflict and disagreements because some members do not wish to submit to the demands of other group members. Disputes may arise over who should lead the group. Self-managed work teams can be particularly vulnerable during the storming stage.

• Feelings
  As the team begins to move towards its goals, members discover that the team can't live up to all of their early excitement and expectations. Their focus may shift from the tasks at hand to feelings of frustration or anger with the team's progress or process. Members may express concerns about being unable to meet the team's goals. During the Storming stage, members are trying to see how the team will respond to differences and how it will handle conflict.

• Process
  Behaviours during the Storming stage may be less polite than during the Forming stage, with frustration or disagreements about goals, expectations, roles and responsibilities being openly expressed. Members may express frustration about constraints that slow their individual or the team's progress. This frustration might be directed towards other members of the team, the team leadership or the team's sponsor. During the Storming stage, team members may argue or become critical of the team's original mission or goals.

• Content
  Team Tasks during the Storming stage of development call for the team to refocus on its goals, perhaps breaking larger goals down into smaller, achievable steps. The team may need to develop both task-related skills and group process and conflict management skills. A redefinition of the team's goals, roles and tasks can help team members past the frustration or confusion they experience during the Storming stage.

During this stage, members open up to each other and different ideas compete for consideration. It can be contentious, unpleasant and even painful to members of the team who are averse to conflict. Tolerance of each team member and their differences should be emphasized. Without tolerance and patience, the team will fail. In some cases, storming can be resolved quickly. In others, the team never leaves this stage.

The team defines the problems that are most important to find solution for. They have to address the functions of members independently and together. The maturity of some team members usually determines whether the team will ever move out of this stage. Some team members will focus on trivial details to evade real issues.

This phase can become destructive to the team and will lower motivation if allowed to get out of control. Some teams will never develop past this stage. The team members will therefore have to resolve their differences. This way, they will be able to participate with one another more comfortably. The ideal is that they will not feel that they are being judged, and will therefore share their opinions and views. In addition, the team has to determine what leadership model they will accept.

Characteristics of the Storming stage are:

• Disagreement over priorities: members question the worth of the team's goal and they may resist taking on tasks
• Struggle for leadership: team members may jockey for position as their roles are clarified
• Tension: members who stick with the task at hand may experience stress
• Hostility: conflict between team members' natural working styles
• Clique formation

Norming

Stage 3: Sharing group

During the third stage, Norming, close ties between group members develop, and feelings of friendship and camaraderie emerge. Group members arrive at a consensus about what goals they should seek to achieve and how group members should behave toward one another.

• Feelings
  During the Norming stage of team development, team members begin to resolve the discrepancy they felt between their individual expectations and the reality of the team's experience. If the team is successful in setting more flexible and inclusive norms and expectations, members should experience an increased sense of comfort in expressing their "real" ideas and feelings. Team members feel an increasing acceptance of others on the team, recognizing that the variety of opinions and experiences makes the team stronger and its product richer. Constructive criticism is both possible and welcomed. Members start to feel part of a team and can take pleasure from the increased group cohesion.

• Process
  Behaviors during the Norming stage may include members making a conscious effort to resolve problems and achieve group harmony. There might be more frequent and more meaningful communication among team members, and an increased willingness to share ideas or ask teammates for help. Team members refocus on established team ground rules and practices and return their focus to the team's tasks. Teams may begin to develop their own language (nicknames) or inside jokes.

• Content
  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.

The team manages to have one goal and come to a mutual plan for the team at this stage. Some may have to give up their own ideas and agree with others in order to make the team function. In this stage, all team members take the responsibility and have the ambition to work for the success of the team's goals.

The characteristics of this stage are:

• Consensus: people develop a stronger commitment to the team goal
• Leadership accepted: the leader’s authority is respected
• Trust established: team members know one-another better, they may socialize together, and they are able to ask each other for help and provide constructive feedback
• Standards set
• New stable roles
• Co-operation

Performing

Stage 4: Effective group

In the fourth stage, Performing, the real work of the group gets accomplished. Depending on the type of group in question, managers need to take different steps at this stage to help ensure that groups are effective. Managers overseeing self-managed work teams have to empower team members and make sure teams are given enough responsibility and autonomy at the performing stage.

• Feelings
  In the Performing stage of team development, members feel satisfaction in the team's progress. They share insights into personal and group process and are aware of their own (and each other's) strengths and weaknesses. Members feel attached to the team as something "greater than the sum of its parts" and feel satisfaction in the team's effectiveness. Members feel confident in their individual abilities and those of their teammates.

• Process
  Team members are able to prevent or solve problems in the team's process or in the team's progress. A "can do" attitude is visible as are offers to assist one another. Roles on the team may have become more fluid, with members taking on various roles and responsibilities as needed. Differences among members are appreciated and used to enhance the team's performance.

• Content
  In the Performing stage, the team makes significant progress towards its goals. Commitment to the team's mission is high and the competence of team members is also high. Team members should continue to deepen their knowledge and skills, including working to continuously improving team development. Accomplishments in team process or progress are measured and celebrated.

It is possible for some teams to reach the performing stage. These high-performing teams are able to function as a unit as they find ways to “get the job done” smoothly and effectively without inappropriate conflict or the need for external supervision. By this time, they are motivated and knowledgeable. The team members are now competent, autonomous and able to handle the decision-making process without supervision. Dissent is expected and allowed as long as it is channelled through acceptable means to the team.

Supervisors of the team during this phase are almost always participative. The team will make most of the necessary decisions. However, even the most high-performing teams will revert to earlier stages in some circumstances. Many long-standing teams go through these cycles many times as they react to changing circumstances. For example, a change in leadership may cause the team to revert to storming as new people challenge the existing norms and dynamics of the team.

The principal characteristics are:

• Successful performance: hard work leads, without friction, to the achievement of the team's goal
• Flexible, task roles
• Openness
• Helpfulness
• Delusion, disillusion and acceptance

Further Development

While working on a high-performing team may be a truly pleasurable and growthful experience, it is not the end of team development. There is still a need for the team to focus on both process and product, setting new goals as appropriate. Changes, such as members coming or going or large-scale changes in the external environment, can lead a team to cycle back to an earlier stage. If these changes - and their resulting behaviours - are recognized and addressed directly, teams may successfully remain in the Performing stage indefinitely.

Some teams do come to an end, when their work is completed or when the organization needs change. While not part of Tuckman’s original model, it is important for any team to pay attention to the end or termination process.

Adjourning

Stage 5: Disbanding group

In 1977, Tuckman, jointly with Mary Ann Jensen, added a fifth stage to the 4 stages: Adjourning, that involves the process of unforming the group, letting go of the group structure and moving on. Some authors describe this stage as “Deforming and Mourning”, recognizing the sense of loss sometimes felt by team members. Adjourning involves dissolution. It entails the termination of roles, the completion of tasks and reduction of dependency.

• Feelings
  Team members may feel a variety of concerns about the team’s impending dissolution. They may be feeling some anxiety because of uncertainty about their individual role or future responsibilities. They may feel sadness or a sense of loss about the changes coming to their team relationships. And at the same time, team members may feel a sense of deep satisfaction at the accomplishments of the team. Individual members might feel all of these things at the same time, or may cycle through feelings of loss followed by feelings of satisfaction. Given these conflicting feelings, individual and team morale may rise or fall throughout the ending stage. It is highly likely that at any given moment individuals on the team will be experiencing different emotions about the team's ending.

• Process
  During the Ending Stage, some team members may become less focussed on the team's tasks and their productivity may drop. Alternatively, some team members may find focussing on the task at hand is an effective response to their sadness or sense of loss. Their task productivity may increase.

• Content
  The team needs to acknowledge the upcoming transition and the variety of ways that individuals and the team may be feeling about the team’s impending dissolution. During this stage, the team should focus on three tasks:
  • Completion of any deliverables and closure on any remaining team work
  • Evaluation of the team’s process and product, with a particular focus on identifying "lessons learned" and passing these on to the sponsor for future teams to use
  • Creating a closing celebration that acknowledges the contributions of individuals and the accomplishments of the team and that formally ends this particular team's existence.

This final stage involves the disengagement of relationships between team members and a short period of recognition for the team’s achievements. Sometimes, concluding the operations of a team is disturbing for members, especially if they have worked together for long periods of time. The process can be stressful, particularly when the dissolution is unplanned.

This stage is characterized by:

• Disengagement
• Anxiety about separation and ending
• Positive feeling towards leader
• Sadness
• Self-evaluation

References