The Five Stages of Team Development Principles of Management

They’re working together smoothly, they have a clear vision and they’re achieving their goals. This is the ideal stage for any team, and it’s what every team should strive for. The final stage, adjourning, involves the termination of task behaviors and disengagement from relationships.

If they have reached the performing stage then there could be a sense of mourning if they have grown close. It’s important at this stage that the group starts to develop an understanding of the part each person will play. The team has just been introduced to each other and the task has been allocated. This is an interesting psychological moment as team members tend to behave independently at this stage.

Stella takes a back seat in their discussions as she’s generally a more laid back person, and is fine with whatever they decide. Yet, Daniel wants her opinion about the broccoli, and she’s expected to pitch in with the discussion about splitting the vegetables. They’re all really excited about the prospect of having access to fresh vegetables every day — they understand the benefits such a project would have for their family’s everyday meals. The position of this unofficial leader may also be occupied by the strongest authority figure in the team. They are also overly positive about the project, because it’s new, and new is always exciting.

Have you ever wondered why it takes some time for a new team to hit peak performance? In this article, we discuss the different stages of team development and how leaders can guide their team through those stages to increase collaboration. Next up is the performing stage, which tends to be where there is the most cohesive work environment, people are happy and excited and team performance is at an all-time high.

Stage #3 — The Norming Stage

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.

In this respect, all information provided is without guarantee of correctness, completeness and up-to-dateness. Provide positive feedback along the way and especially at the end of the project. Implement quick and effective problem-solving strategies with your HR team. Create a space for easy and open communication, such as a chat app.

Stage Five of Team Development: Adjourning Stage

Groups without rules are disjointed, prone to conflict and inefficient. You don’t have to gain superpowers from a serum or create one of the most iconic brands of your generation to be a great leader. They usually fail to overcome conflict and can’t work together. If you’ve reached the fourth stage, pat yourself on the back. Of course, you may still think that your tech guy’s choice in music is obnoxious. But, you also admire his knowledge of web design and coding skills, and value his opinions on anything tech-related.

As a leader, your role is to remind your team members that conflicts are natural. Disagreements occur because each team member has a unique viewpoint on how to address the difficulties that the entire team faces. They may start having disagreements about how to do a task or express their concerns if they think someone is not doing their fair share of work.

The project as a whole is being wrapped up and final tasks and documentation are completed. As the workload becomes smaller, it’s common for team members to be taken off the assignment and delegated to a new project. The team members also usually debrief and discuss what went well and what could be improved on for projects in the future. Your organization benefits significantly from the five stages. As a team goes through the stages, individual members learn more about their potential and how to work dynamically as part of a collective. The team development stages also acquaint members with each other’s talents and roles and prepare them for future leadership positions.

Why do some sources call team building a four stage process?

If teams get through the storming stage, conflict is resolved and some degree of unity emerges. In the norming stage, consensus develops around who the leader or leaders are, and individual member’s roles. Interpersonal differences begin to be resolved, and a sense of cohesion and unity emerges.

• Ideally, your team is made up of reliable people that know and fulfill their responsibilities.
• During the adjourning phase, focus on the supportive leadership style to make sure everyone on the team feels valued.
• As a leader, your role is to remind your team members that conflicts are natural.
• This gives everyone a chance to introduce themselves and establish roles and responsibilities that will help move the project along with ease.
• Therefore, you can apply it according to the status of your team.

At this stage, the project is coming to an end and the team members are moving off in different directions. At this stage, the morale is high as group members actively acknowledge the talents, skills and experience that each member brings to the group. A sense of belongingness is established and the group remains focused on the group’s purpose and goal. Members are discreet with their behavior, which is driven by their desire to be accepted by all members of the group. This stage presents a time where the group is just starting to come together and is described with anxiety and uncertainty. For example, if you’re working cross-functionally, the individuals from one team are assigned the role of reporting back to their team what they’re working on.

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However, during the norming stage, there can be a few overlaps with storming. As new tasks appear, there may still be some incidents of conflict. However, as you’ve already gone through the worst part these disagreements may be easier to address. Now, these 5 stages are vital to help you anticipate your team effectiveness, i.e. your ability to be efficient and productive with your work, both as individuals and as a group. Regardless of how we personalize our leadership coaching, we’re committed to helping leaders unlock their full potential. Check out our blog for more leadership insights, and reach out to our team to schedule a free consultation.

Team leaders should implement measures for managing competition and potential conflict among members. They also need to streamline competition and ensure the projects they’re handling stay on track. Finally, plan for adjourning in advance to help groups progress through gruesome stages of team formation.

Tuckman’s Theory gives a solid idea of what most teams go through. When working in a supportive and cohesive team, creativity can be sparked and team members will have high morale. At this stage, looking to a strong leader for guidance is vital.

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Once a group is clear about its needs, it can move forward to the third stage of group development, the norming stage. Group leadership is very important, but the facilitator can step back a little and let group members take the initiative and move forward together. Group interaction are lot more easier, more cooperative, and productive, with weighed give and take, open communication, bonding, and mutual respect. At this stage, group members are learning what to do, how the group is going to operate, what is expected, and what is acceptable. Bruce Tuckman presented a model of five stages Forming, Storming, Norming, and Performing in order to develop as a group.

Implications of Tuckman’s Model for Project Management Teams

At the end of the project, the team will begin to wrap up their tasks and start to disband and move onto other projects. The second stage of team development is usually the most tumultuous, hence the name. But don’t panic, not all teams go through this period of storming. These 5 stages of team development are still relevant today – perhaps now more than ever as more businesses work remotely. At this time, he proposed four stages of team development that he believed necessary in order for a team to grow, tackle problems, find solutions, and deliver results.

How Can Leaders Initiate Team Development?

Measure both the team’s and each individual’s overall performance to quantify all contributions. Continue to encourage collaboration and teamwork by reinforcing the norms that have been established to this point. Continue creating opportunities for collaboration and teamwork to maximize the creativity and camaraderie present at this stage. Remove certain elements of the team’s structure to encourage individuals to take greater responsibility. Establish effective conflict resolution techniques to prevent tension from causing deeper damage.

This is when the team is at optimal performance and is able to accomplish tasks quickly because members flow through the process. Team leaders need to make sure that the stronger personalities don’t inadvertently stages of team development dominate the team and its outcomes. All members should be actively participating before this stage is complete. The team also needs a strong team leader who helps direct and keeps the team to task.