Bruce Tuckman's Stages Of Group Development

Teamwork can be invaluable in all facets of life if understood and applied properly. Defined as, “work done by a number of associates, usually each doing a clearly defined portion, but all subordinating personal prominence to the efficiency of the whole,” (Webster, 1913) one of the most appealing aspects is the ability to divide and conquer. Delegation allows each individual within the group to simultaneously complete tasks that lie within their specific realm of abilities. This process lends itself to both efficiency and overall productivity, as everyone is able to consistently function at their individual best with a common goal in mind. This process also eliminates the tendency for individuals to get overwhelmed and distracted by parts of

The stages most frequently cited, Proposed by Bruce Tuckman in 1965, are a result of his examination of 50 articles dealing with group development in various settings; they are referred to as Tuckman’s Stages of Group Development. (Schuman, 2001) They deal with (1) orientation/testing/dependence, (2) conflict, (3) group cohesion, and (4) functional role relatedness, and are more commonly referred to as forming, storming, norming, and performing, in that order. (Tuckman, 1965) It was his belief that these four phases are inevitable. It is said that the most effective team leaders, and even members, adjust their style depending on the team’s current stage of development, making an awareness of these stages necessary for effective, as well as, efficient interaction and leadership.

Team members can be expected to begin engaging in power struggles and debates with one another leading to arguments about each others roles and responsibilities. Trust can become questioned as members try to exert control over one another where some may not see fit. Team members may begin to think that the group will not be able to live up to all of their early excitement and high expectations that were felt in the first stage. (Stein) This can cause progress to slow down, or even stop, leading some participants to feel as though their time is being wasted. Team members may even begin to question the initial mission and goals of the group altogether. For this reason, strong leadership is extremely necessary within this phase. Team Leaders need to stay positive during the storming phase and reiterate the tasks at hand. Leaders can also break objectives down in to smaller ones for members, making them seem more achievable. Moving forward from this stage revolves around the ability of the team to listen to one another and begin solving their problems. Interestingly, in Tuckman’s 1965 study, only 50% of the groups studied endured the storming stage. The other 50% went directly from stage one to stage