2019 - 09 - 23 - What Makes A Group A Team

There are many models that try to describe what happens to transform a group into a team. One of the more common and popular models is the Tuckman Model" Bruce Tuckman was charged by the US Navy to determine and describe this process and he came up with four basic steps that teams go through: 1. Forming: This is when the team comes together and starts to get to know everyone and figure out what's going on. The leader's role is to establish clear instructions so people can get to work quickly which helps people get to know each other better. 2. Storming: In this stage like hens in a hen house the group tries to figure out the "pecking order" and determine who's really in charge. It can be frustrating for everyone involved and the role of the leader is to continue with clear working directions and sometimes to give guidance or intervene with social or personal issues as well. 3. Norming: This stage is when group norms are established. These expected and behaviors within the group add predictability and stability. Members begin to understand their role as well as the roles of the other members. Respect grows and people start to help each other. The role of the leader at this stage is to help support the development of the norms and to connect people so they can help each other. 4. Performing: This stage is the stage where everyone is working well and things are getting done. The role of the leader at this stage is often just to be a resource and to shield the group from outside interference. Since teams change in the modern workplace a number of people have added a 5th step and called it a variety of different things from Adjourning, Mourning, Transforming, etc to describe what happens when the group breaks up or changes in some way. Which is an important consideration, since it's likely that from time to time a change in the situation or group membership can knock this lovely linear description on its head and you may find your group back in an earlier stage of development. Because try as we might to explain the world in linear ways, the world is rarely linear. Have you observed this pattern in the groups you've been a part of?