Forming Storming Norming Performing Developmental Model
Posted by Babou on April 28, 2008
We can find Bruce Tuckman’s Forming-Storming-Norming-Performing model, the most famous model for team development, has more relation to Tannenbaum & Schmidt’s Continuum theory and Situational Leadership Theory. Though he came up with four stages(forming-storming-norming-performing) in his initial publication in 1965, he added ‘Adjourning’(some refers this as ‘Mourning’) , to include team breaks after project completion, in later 1970s.
Tannenbaum & Schmidt Continuum theory explains the relationship between the levels of freedom that a manager chooses to give to a team, and the level of authority used by him. Resemblance between Continuum theory & this theory is in existence of different team developmental levels & movement between those levels as team develops.
Situational Leadership deals with the relationship between follower’s developmental level & leadership behavior(directive/supportive) based on the task/situation. SL resembles same structure if we represent the four stages in different quadrants.
Tuckman’s theory aims on the way in which a team handles a task from the initial formation of the team through to the completion of the project. Development level moves from one stage to the other sequentially as they mature as a team but time taken in each stage depends on understanding of and commitment to the goals of the team.
The five stages of team development have been characterized as:
Forming:
* Formation of team happens & the team comes together
* Members feel anxious and spend their time finding out about each other
* Individual roles and responsibilities are unclear
* Highly depending on the manager/leader
* Equivalent Situational Leadership style: Directing
Storming:
* Team members come up with ideas through debates on how to proceed with the task
- about task priorities;
- clarity on purpose of the task;
- roles & responsibilities and
- processes to follow
* Influence of ideas and power struggles may arise
* Compromises may be required to enable progress
* Team members may challenge the leader & leader coaches
* Equivalent Situational Leadership style: Selling
Norming:
* Work as a team starts
* Roles and responsibilities are clear and accepted
* Team begin to exhibit participative behavior & decision making happens by group agreement
* Commitment, trust and unity increases
* Equivalent Situational Leadership style: Supporting
Performing:
* This stage is characterized by high levels of:
- goal orientation,
- interpersonal relations,
- independence, motivation,
- knowledge and
- competence in team members
* Team know what,why & how of the task they are executing
* High level of respect in the communication between team members
* Team expects delegation of task instead of instruction/assistance
* Equivalent Situational Leadership style: Delegating
Adjourning:
* Happens when project completes
* Members moving out of the group after project goal achievement
* Everyone can move on to new things
* Achievement celebrated
* Members feel difficulty as they have developed close working relationships with other team members
