How Teams Form

Establishing a professional team is often difficult. Personalities are unique, opinions differ and leadership styles vary greatly. Because of these factors, it is important to consult a model or theory to help understand the team forming process. The most well-known model to consider when working on developing a team is Bruce Tuckman's Model of Team Development.

A renowned university professor Bruce Tuckman suggested a sequence model to observe and analyze the group formation process. Holding a Bachelor's degree in Science, a Master's degree in Psychology and a PhD, Tuckman has held a variety of positions at a number of schools in the Psychology and Educational faculties focussing his academic studies on educational research in motivation and behavior. Known almost exclusively for his model on group development, Tuckman has also published a novel and various papers in the academic world. Currently Tuckman directs the Academic Learning Lab at Ohio State University, his work continuously influencing the way groups are analyzed and assisted in developing. The four key components of Tuckman's model are: Forming, Storming, Norming and Performing.

The initial stage, Forming, brings insecurities, trust issues and competition to the surface. During this initial stage indicators of insecurities, competition and issues of trust arise within the group. Individuals often are cautious in their approach and generally show little to no initiative, operating as individuals independent of the group as a whole. During this stage it is imperative for leadership to bring the team together as a cohesive unit and make sure the group members offer unique contributions to the team that will make it a success. Each member is looking for their purpose in the group, how their contributions fit with the rest of the team, and comparing themselves to several other members. This initial stage is a 'testing' period.

The next stage of development is: Storming. The Storming phase commonly is filled with conflict and challenges. Due to the start of trust being formed and confidence developed, members of the group begin to question the leadership on the direction of the team, its tasks and reasoning for progressing the way in which they do. As opinions begin form, the productivity and group focus will often be temporarily lost. During this time where roles, responsibilities and expectations are put to the test, it is vital for the leader to validate the members for their differences.

The next progression in the model is: Norming. This stage is marked by a group 'gelling' together. A stable group has begun to operate as a result of an established set of norms being acknowledged (e.g. expectations, methods, behaviors, values, etc.). Out of the development of structure comes the development of a team identity distinct to the group. Members begin to see the importance of making decisions to benefit the good of the team. Unity and productivity are by-products. Participation needs to be encouraged and group independence needs to be explored.

Finally, the very last stage proposed by Tuckman is the Performing phase. Team unity is evident and group satisfaction is apparent. Decisions are easily made by group members as they are confident in their contributions to the team and their roles are clearly defined yet remain flexible and functional. Group members begin to look outside of their domain in order to support others on the team. As the team becomes more functional, leadership begins to delegate the majority of the decision-making and responsibilities to the team. Conflict is minimal, trust has been established thus, negating the need for much supervision.

Ideally the group will move through each stage in a visible way, but as the model applies to human behavior, sometimes it may be difficult to determine in which phase a team may be. Often the phases of the proposed model will overlap as some individuals progress faster than others.

Tuckman presents a clear and accurate model for an often hazy process that is team development. The stages help leaders identify coming seasons of conflict, plan techniques for managing behavior and to grasp a better understanding of team interaction. Tuckman's model provides an insightful, clear resource for leaders seeking to raise the bar when it comes to dynamic team formation.