Forming: Getting oriented and getting acquainted.

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We have all worked in a group or team at some point in our careers. A team is brought together to achieve a common goal. The team needs to have members who have complementary skills and who are committed to a common purpose to achieve performance goals. However, teams don’t move immediately toward performing but instead evolve over time. There are five stages of group and team development:

Forming: Getting oriented and getting acquainted. A high degree of uncertainty as members try to figure out who is in charge.
Storming: Personalities start to emerge, along with roles and conflicts within the group.
Norming: In the third stage, conflicts are resolved, relationships develop, and harmony and unity surface.
Performing: Members concentrate on solving problems and completing the assigned task.
Adjourning: Members prepare to disband. Some members may be reassigned or terminated from the group, or the group might be dissolved.
Think about a time when you joined a new group—it could be at work, in a family setting, or with a social group.

Respond to the following:
Which of the five stages was the most challenging for the group to work through, and why?
How might you have helped the group work through that stage differently, based on what you know now about the five stages of group and team development?

Sample Solution

Thinking back on my experiences joining new groups, the most challenging stage for one particular team I joined was Storming. This was a committee formed at my previous workplace to develop a new employee onboarding program.

Why Storming Was Challenging:

  • Conflicting Personalities: The group had strong-willed individuals with diverse opinions on the program’s structure and content. This led to frequent debates and clashes in ideas.
  • Unclear Leadership: There was no designated leader to facilitate discussions and mediate conflicts. This resulted in a lack of direction and some members feeling unheard.
  • Limited Time: We had a tight deadline to complete the program, which added pressure and exacerbated existing tensions.

How I Could Have Helped Differently:

Looking back with my knowledge of the five stages, I could have positively impacted the team’s progress through Storming in several ways:

  • Acknowledge the Stage: Openly discussing the “Storming” phase and its characteristics could have normalized the disagreements and helped members understand it as a natural part of team development.
  • Facilitate Discussions: By actively listening and guiding conversations, I could have helped the team focus on finding common ground and building on each other’s ideas instead of solely highlighting differences.
  • Propose Team-Building Activities: Simple icebreakers or collaborative problem-solving exercises could have fostered a sense of camaraderie and understanding, allowing members to see each other as teammates rather than adversaries.
  • Advocate for a Leader: Suggesting a team lead to manage discussions and ensure everyone had a chance to contribute could have fostered a more organized and productive environment.

Learning from the Experience:

By recognizing the Storming stage and taking proactive steps, I could have helped the team navigate this challenging phase more effectively. This experience highlights the importance of understanding group development stages and applying that knowledge to build stronger, more collaborative teams.

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