Teamwork: Team Development Products & Services

In 1965, psychologist Bruce Tuckman developed a model of the stages of team development that is still widely cited. Tuckman’s four-step model included the following stages: Forming, Storming, Norming, and Performing. In 1977, Tuckman added a fifth stage, Adjourning, to the original four. Most teams, regardless of the purpose for which they have been brought together, experience some version of Tuckman’s stages.

The earliest stage of team development, “Forming,” can be thought of as the “orientation” phase. During this phase, team members are trying to get their bearings and tend to be deferential, overly polite, and full of enthusiasm for the future. Team members are likely to begin discussing the team’s goals, ground rules, and individual roles on the team during this phase and will require firm direction from the leader because team roles and group dynamics have not yet surfaced.

“Storming” happens when team members begin to grate on one another’s nerves. They may experience a clash in working styles or expectations which can result in conflict, something that can be of great benefit to the team as long as it is openly dealt with and navigated through rather than avoided.

“Norming” happens when team members move past their previous challenges and begin to recognize other team members’ value and strengths, even if they differ significantly from their own (and sometimes because of it). People feel more comfortable challenging one another and providing constructive feedback during this stage because there is an increased level of trust and a sense of reliance upon one another for the team’s success.

The “Performing” stage is where team performance reaches its peak because all team members are using their individual skills to move in concert with their peers towards the same goal.

The “Adjourning” phase of team development is most prevalent on special-project teams where the team is disbanded once the project is complete.

Some teams never move beyond a certain stage. For example, if the team leader cannot find a way to help his or her team through the “Storming” phase, the team will become embroiled in petty conflicts and will never reach its full potential. Likewise, some teams may perform well enough as a collective but never truly experience the flawless symbiosis that exists on a true high-performance team. Backsliding into previous stages is also very common and isn’t always indicative of a problem; sometimes a high-performance team will return to the Forming or Norming stages when one or more team members are added to an existing team or the team is required to deliver its end products or services in new ways or to new customers who have different expectations.