3. Stages of Team Development: Group Formation Theory
To appreciate how you may need to adapt your leadership style with the maturity level of the team, it is helpful to be aware of the fundamental stages a group goes through to becoming an effective, high performance team.
You will obviously need to adapt your leadership from a more instructional/directive style at the early stages of leading the team, to a far more facilitative/collaborative style at the high level of maturity.
| Stages of group development: | Group maturity: | |
|---|---|---|
| Forming | Group is 'undeveloped' | Immature |
| Storming | Group is 'experimenting' | Immature |
| Norming | Group is 'settling down' | Semi-mature |
| Performing | Group is now a team! | Mature |
| Mourning | Group is disbanding | Mature |
Forming: group is 'undeveloped' and generally people are concerned with 'who fits where'. This is usually the initial stage of a group of people meeting for the first time, but it can also happen when a new member of a team joins an established team, such as a new leader, or a strong character.
Storming: group is 'experimenting' and concerned with how they work together. Only a small amount is being achieved at this stage. The group is likely to be showing signs of conflict and as well as lively debates and discussions.
Norming: group is 'settling down' and starting to feel more comfortable with working with each other. Far more is being achieved at this stage, although there is room for improvement!
Performing: group is now a team! It is mature with goals being achieved and an atmosphere that is relaxed and purposeful. The team is likely to be feeling confident at this stage with a really open and honest dialogue taking place.
Mourning: group is disbanding. This fifth stage should not be forgotten. An acid test of how well a team has worked together can often be found at the mourning stage. If there has been great camaraderie and the team has produced great results, the team is likely to feel great sadness and loss at breaking up. Often successful teams once disbanded, keep in touch afterwards, and certainly feel a bond when meeting up in the future.
Next > Setting Up a Team Building Event
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About the Author
Written by Kim Larkins.
