Dr Bruce Tuckman
Dr Bruce Tuckman’s model of team behaviour is a useful model for describing the different stages of what teams or groups move through as part of their development. The model is most commonly referred to as the Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing model of team development.
The model asserts that a team moves through each of the four stages identified below.
Stage 1 – Forming
In this stage of development the team is highly dependant on the leader for direction. Team vision, mission and goals are in the formative stage so the leader is very proactive in the setting of the goals and the driving towards their achievement. The team are “feeling” their way in these earlier days of bonding. Boundaries are unclear so team members will be testing each other as well as their leaders to identify what are the acceptable norms, practices and behaviours. Roles and responsibilities will also be sketchy so the leader will be evolving these while exploring the strengths and weaknesses of the individuals on his team.
Stage 2 – Storming
As the name of this stage suggests, this is where the team enters into the stormy phase of their development. The honeymoon phase of building relationships within the team is over as conflict is the main theme for this part of the development cycle. Conflict emerges as people become a little more honest and more real with each other. Team members start to view themselves in relation to other team members and the team leader. People slip into their destructive patterns of behaviour as they become more comfortable with each other. When things start to go wrong team members become more judgemental as they criticise and blame each other. Making decisions in this stage is difficult as emotions and warped logic get in the way of the decision making process. In this phase the leader spends time resolving the conflicts and works more in a coaching style helping the team to focus more on the their goals rather than on each other.
Stage 3 – Norming
What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger may be a true adage as the team comes out of the storming stage and into the norming stage of development. People are able to put their differences to one side and focus on the task in hand. Roles and responsibilities are clear now as the storming will have presented these as issues to be dealt with. The leader now changes their style to a more facilitative type of leadership role helping to develop the individuals in the team by delegating to them more and more responsibility. The leader is now the facilitator of the decisions for the team rather than the person who makes them. This empowers the team and improves motivation and morale leading the team to the next stage of performing.
Stage 4 – Performing
Awareness, commitment, engagement, motivation, accountability and a sense of responsibility and achievement are all high now as the team becomes highly effective. The team has a shared vision, mission and a common sense of purpose. The team may even now look to greater achievements and bigger goals as their confidence soars. The team is now highly autonomous as the leader delegates most of the responsibility to the team members. New members that join the team in this stage would rarely if ever be involved with the leader as the team now brings new members into its fold. The leader is now responsible for the direction of the team, day to day management of the team will be carried out by team members as less instruction is required from the leader. The team is more strategically aware; the team knows clearly why it is doing what it is doing. The team has a shared vision and is able to stand on its own feet with no interference or participation from the leader. The leader may intervene if they observe the team losing its way but this will be achieved with a light touch with the real redirection being achieved by the team itself.
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