Identify and explain about stages of team development.
According to Bruce Wayne Tuckman, developer of Tucker stages, there are 5 stages of team development. It starts with forming, followed by storming, norming, performing and adjourning. Forming stage are where members of a team comes together and starts assessing other members and where each one stands or role they play. At this stage, everyone gets acquainted and discovers acceptable behaviors and what others perceive of the task. No real job is actually done during the first stage and everyone is still wary and first impressions are built. Forming stage faces more challenges in groups that are more diverse, culturally and demographically.
Storming stage is the second stage. This is where group members fight for their ideas and opinion. Still, not much work is done at the beginning of storming, as everyone is more engaged in convincing others that they have the best idea. Cliques or allies are formed among each other either in agreement or disagreement involving group tasks or ways of tackling the task. Conflict may form at this stage and this is where the leader steps in. At the end of this stage, members are more clarified of the given tasks and each other’s interpersonal style. Efforts are made towards solving the task at hand and meet team goals while satisfying individual needs. Success in storming stage can be beneficial to the following stages.
Next, is the Norming stage, all team member are starting to work together and coordinate as one whole unit. Everyone knows the role they are playing and work load are carried out more efficiently. There are no more conflicts among members and members have more respect towards one another. The end of Norming stage leads to the Performing stage.
During Performing stage, members of the team are more cohesive and this is where real work is done. Members focus on the goal and operate with a stable structure. Everyone trust and rely on each other in completing the task. Everyone is able to work out disagreements without the help of a facilitator or team leader. However, teams can move backwards in a stage in a certain member or new member joins and gives a new opinion. A team at stage four might not necessarily move forward to stage five but instead move backwards to stage 2 or 3, the storming stage or norming stage. But, if a team succeeds, they will move towards the Adjourning stage.
Adjourning stage is where teams prepare to achieve closure and disband. Teams have completed the given task and achieved the goals, hopefully with success. Team members seek recognition and for their contribution throughout the process. All teams should ideally break up with the feeling they would look forward to working with one another again in the future.