Whether you are building a team from scratch or adding a new team member there will be some challenges to getting everyone to work well together so that they give the very best service to your customers.
Bruce Tuckman developed the forming, storming, norming, performing model in 1965. He believed that all of the phases are necessary and inevitable for a team to grow, face up to challenges, tackle problems, find solutions, plan work, and deliver results.
I’ve seen the stages play out in lots of different environments and while the stages are most clearly seen when everyone in the team is new, I've observed the changes that have taken place with the addition of just one new individual.
I was working as a project manager implementing a new HR system for an IT company and while I was there they recruited a new HR director (the role had been vacant for some time) when she first started all of her team (seven people) went out of their way to get her up to speed with all of the projects and processes – FORMING.
In the STORMING stage, as she asked for an increased number of reports and meetings which felt like micromanaging, some team members began to get disgruntled and one member of the team resigned.
Once the HR director had a firm grasp of the situation and what changes and improvements needed to be made, there was a team meeting to establish roles and responsibilities – NORMING.
Once everyone was clear about their roles the team started PERFORMING well.
Any changes come with challenges, people are not designed to like change. Here are some tips to help you go through the process as smoothly as possible:
Forming Stage
The team has just been introduced and everyone is overly polite and pleasant.
During this stage, you should discuss:
Member’s skills, background and interests
Project goals
Timeline
Ground rules
Individual roles
Team members need to develop relationships and understand what part each person plays, allow time for this and don’t get too hung up on deadlines.
Storming stage
Being in a team is like being in a relationship. At first, you may think someone is perfect. but then you discover that they aren’t. Once you’re aware of their flaws, you will either learn to accept the imperfections or the relationship will end quickly.
In the storming stage, personalities may clash. Team members might disagree over how to complete a task, or believe that they are better qualified to lead.
Remember that disagreements are normal. It is important to recognise conflicts and address them early on. As part of your ground rules, you should have something around respectful challenges.
Norming Stage
During the norming stage, people start to notice and appreciate their team members’ strengths. The team starts to settle into a flow. Everyone is contributing and working together as a unit.
Storming sometimes overlaps with norming. As new tasks arise, there may still be a few conflicts. Continue to address any conflicts that arise quickly and remember to reinforce and demonstrate positive behaviour.
Performing Stage
At the performing stage, team members are confident, motivated and have a clear understanding of their role within the team. they can work without supervision. Everyone is progressing to achieve the same goal.
The fourth stage is the one that all groups strive to reach but some do not make it. Normally it is because they fail to overcome conflict and can’t work together. This is why it is so important to address issues as they arise.
Let us know what you'll be doing to get your team through the forming, storming, norming stages so that you can reach the performing stage with ease.