Last week we examined Tuckman’s highly influential Stages of Group Development, which include Forming, Storming, Norming, and Performing. Each stage marks a progression within the group – the way group members interact and function as a whole. Below you’ll find basic explanations of the stages (for more detailed descriptions, check out this post): Forming: The group is coming together for the first time and members are being polite, while also sizing each other up. There’s little unity and potentially limited buy-in to the group’s goals. Storming: Members reveal their true opinions and conflict arises between members and leadership. Norming: People…

Only in the movies do groups come together and magically coalesce as if they were long lost soulmates, destined to come together for the greater good. In reality, things are often a bit less smooth. In most cases, teams go through a definable set of stages—something that Psychologist and professor Bruce Tuckman identified and developed a model for back in 1963. Tuckman’s “stages of group development” (sometimes referred to as “team” development) progress through the following phases: Forming, Storming, Norming, and Performing. Understanding the steps along the way can be helpful in speeding up the process since you’ll know what…

Change is difficult for most people as it is something that can bring about feelings of uncertainty and doubt, especially in a corporate environment where people’s livelihoods are affected. A good leader recognizes this and does her best to guide her people through this often troubling process. Whether it’s a merger, acquisition, change in management, product pivot, or other upheaval, the leader’s role is to manage in a way that puts people at ease. While in certain scenarios there may be specific to-dos that are a part of change management (create documentation, organize all-hands meetings, etc), below we’ll explore a…

A common experience among many of our clients is that they feel surprised at getting so much more out of our team building programs than they had expected. They gain insights and experience breakthroughs that they wouldn’t have normally associated with a team building exercise. People just don’t realize the far-reaching benefits of a structured program involving fun and engaging team challenges. More than just providing a fun way to interact, get to know one another, and have a good time, they are an excellent way to surface a lot of potential in your team.