The Forming – Storming – Norming – Performing model of group development was first proposed
by Bruce Tuckman in 1965, who maintained that these phases are all necessary and inevitable
in order for the team to grow, to face up to challenges, to tackle problems, to find
solutions, to plan work, and to deliver results. This model has become the basis for subsequent
models.
Teaming model Forming
In the first stage of team building, the forming of the team takes place. The individual's
behavior is driven by a desire to be accepted by the others, and avoid controversy or conflict.
Serious issues and feelings are avoided, and people focus on being busy with routines,
such as team organization, who does what, when to meet each other, etc. Individuals
are also gathering information and impressions – about each other, and about the scope
of the task and how to approach it. This is a comfortable stage to be in, but the avoidance
of conflict means that not much actually gets done. The team meets and learns about the
opportunities and challenges, and then agrees on goals and begins to tackle the tasks. Team
members tend to behave quite independently. They may be motivated but are usually relatively
uninformed of the issues and objectives of the team. Team members are usually on their
best behavior but very focused on themselves. Mature team members begin to model appropriate
behavior even at this early phase. The forming stage of any team is important
because the members of the team get to know one another, exchange some personal information,
and make new friends. This is also a good opportunity to see how each member of the
team works as an individual and how they respond to pressure.
Storming In the storming stage, enough initial trust
has been developed between team members that they start to feel comfortable expressing
discontent and challenging others' opinions. This stage is necessary to the growth of the
team. 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. 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. Supervisors of the team during this phase
may be more accessible, but tend to remain directive in their guidance of decision-making
and professional behavior. The team members will therefore resolve their differences and
members 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. Normally tension, struggle and sometimes arguments occur. This stage can also be upsetting.
Norming 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 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 danger here is that
members may be so focused on preventing conflict that they are reluctant to share controversial
ideas. Performing
It is possible for some teams to reach the performing stage. These high-performing teams
can 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 channeled through means acceptable to the team.
Supervisors of the team during this phase are almost always participating. The team
will make most of the necessary decisions. Even the most high-performing teams will revert
to earlier stages in certain 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 the new people challenge the existing norms
and dynamics of the team. Further developments
Adjourning, Transforming and Mourning In 1977, Tuckman, jointly with Mary Ann Jensen,
added a fifth stage to the 4 stages: adjourning, that involves completing the task and breaking
up the team. Norming and re-norming
Timothy Biggs suggested that an additional stage be added of Norming after Forming and
renaming the traditional Norming stage Re-Norming. This addition is designed to reflect that
there is a period after Forming where the performance of a team gradually improves and
the interference of a leader content with that level of performance will prevent a team
progressing through the Storming stage to true performance. This puts the emphasis back
on the team and leader as the Storming stage must be actively engaged in order to succeed
– too many 'diplomats' or 'peacemakers' especially in a leadership role may prevent
the team from reaching their full potential. Rickards and Moger proposed a similar extension
to the Tuckman model when a group breaks out of its norms through a process of creative
problem-solving. John Fairhurst TPR Model
Alasdair A. K. White together with his colleague, John Fairhurst, examined Tuckman's development
sequence when developing the White-Fairhurst TPR Model. They simplify the sequence and
group the Forming-Storming-Norming stages together as the Transforming phase, which
they equate with the initial performance level. This is then followed by a Performing phase
that leads to a new performance level which they call the Reforming phase. Their work
was developed further by White in his essay "From Comfort Zone to Performance Management"
in which he demonstrates the linkage between Tuckman's work with that of Colin Carnall's
"coping cycle" and the Comfort Zone Theory. See also
Group development Group dynamics
Group narcissism High-performance teams
References
Further reading Tuckman, Bruce. "Developmental sequence in
small groups". Psychological Bulletin 63: 384–99. doi:10.1037/h0022100. PMID 14314073.
Retrieved 2008-11-10. "Reprinted with permission in Group Facilitation, Spring 2001"
White, Alasdair A. K. "From Comfort Zone to Performance Management" 2009 White & MacLean
Publishing ISBN 978-2-930583-01-3 [1] Blanchard, Ken and Parisi-Carew, Eunice, The
One Minute Manager Builds High Performing Teams, William Morrow, 2009.