Tuckmans model for Team Development
Contents |
Abstract
In every project the executing team plays an important role. In 1965, the American psychologist Bruce Tuckman introduced his model for group development. This model consists of 4 stages: Forming, Storming, Norming and Performing. Tuckman suggested that teams will need to go through all of those stages within a project to grow together and be successful. [1]. With his ideas, Tuckman set the basis for the research on group development and the related activities and processes.
According to the inventor, every phase is defined by certain characteristics and a set of activities that should be performed in order to move on. [2] This translates directly to the role of the project manager, who is responsible for guidance, group development and eventually the success of the project itself [3].
The Forming phase is characterised by orientation. The group members get to know each other, set goals, a timeline, and a structure. In the Storming stage first problems appear and frustration levels increase. The Norming phase then overlaps with the previous Storming stage. Within this phase, group members become aware of their peers’ strengths and start to value them. Productivity levels typically rise during Norming. Performing is the last of the 4 initial stages. It is about facing the challenges of the project and performing the actual tasks. [1]
Even though Tuckman’s model of group development certainly has evolved over time, it is still relevant today [2]. However, it has been subject to various changes and additions over the last decades. This article will focus especially on those adaptations and evolution and explain the differences, as well as application possibilities.
Tuckman's basic Model
In this section the basic model of Tuckman will be presented. In each section there will be a decription of the characteristics and tasks of the phase. There will also be a explanation about the role of the project manager in all of them.
Forming
Storming
Norming
Performing
Adaptations
There have been various evolutions of Tuckman's initial model. Some of them will be presented in the following.
Tuckman and Jensen
Swarming
Group Development for Practitioners
The Punctuated-Tuckman
Application
While Tuckman developed the theoretical model of group development, the practical takeaways might differ. Some of the application possibilities will be displayed in the following.
Bibliography
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Tuckman, Bruce W. (1965): Developmental Sequence in small groups. In Psychological Bulletin 65 (6), pp. 384-399.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Miller, Diane L. (2003): The Stages of Group Development: A Retrospective Study of Dynamic Team Processes. In Canadian Journal of Administrative Sciences 20 (2), pp. 121-134.
- ↑ Project Management Institute Inc. (2017): Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) (6th Edition), pp. 51-68
