In 1965, Bruce Tuckman an Educational Psychology Researcher, developed a unique group dynamics model that still carries weight today. Though the model has since been added to, his original phases labeled Forming, Storming, Norming and Performing – clearly describe a pattern of group behavior that we all have experienced a time or two in our education or career lives.
When Forming, group members experience the honeymoon period. During the Storming phase they begin “jockeying for position.” In the Norming phase, group members begin to settle into their roles. And during the Performing stage the group productively works together.
With the level of turnover that businesses are experiencing today, team leaders can sometimes find themselves stuck in the Forming and Storming stages as they recruit and train, only to have to re-recruit and re-train yet again. If this is is your dilemma, remember the power of the pre-emptive strike. Knowing and talking about these phases with your team from the start, helps them to identify what is happening in real time and can move the group through the Storming stage more quickly. Additionally, by immediately defining the expected group outcomes and emphasizing them consistently, team leaders can propel the process leading their team more quickly into Performing.