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Group Formation Process

The document discusses Tuckman's model of group formation, which outlines five stages of development for teams: forming, storming, norming, performing, and adjourning. It describes the characteristics and tasks of each stage. Specifically, forming involves establishing purpose and roles, storming involves conflicts as disagreements emerge, norming involves improved communication and problem-solving, and performing involves high performance and flexibility. The model emphasizes that teams progress through each stage to become increasingly interdependent. Understanding these stages can help teams form more quickly and effectively.

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1K views

Group Formation Process

The document discusses Tuckman's model of group formation, which outlines five stages of development for teams: forming, storming, norming, performing, and adjourning. It describes the characteristics and tasks of each stage. Specifically, forming involves establishing purpose and roles, storming involves conflicts as disagreements emerge, norming involves improved communication and problem-solving, and performing involves high performance and flexibility. The model emphasizes that teams progress through each stage to become increasingly interdependent. Understanding these stages can help teams form more quickly and effectively.

Uploaded by

waqasjaved869673
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Group formation is a process that is common in any place where work needs to be done as a team.

In other words wherever there is a group there is a group development process going on without the knowledge of
the group member. As man is a social animal everyone would have experienced these stages in their life.

Tuckman's model of group formation is accepted universally as the basis for group development.

Tuckman's model comprises of four stages namely forming, storming, norming and performing. Mary Ann Jenson
added one more stage called as adjourning or dissolving.

Example for this would be college life, school life, working as a team for a competition, working as a team for
project, living in a hostel, team work in organizations. This type of group work and its stages has been in existence
from the beginning when man started working in groups.

In terms of personal life, marriage life where the girl gets to live with her husband and family has to under these
stages. Formation of good friends also has these stages. However this kind of personal group formation performance
stage is very long. Adjourning stage refers to end of life. This is my own opinion about group development in
personal life.

Forming:
Definition: Stage 1 teams are generally new teams that are learning how to work together
Characteristics of stage 1 teams: Members tend to be tentative and polite and to have little conflict
Critical skills and activities: Stage 1 teams need to identify their purpose, develop group norms, identify
group processes, define roles, build relationships and trust
Role of facilitator/leader: Stage 1 teams usually need a strong leader who can help the team go through its
forming activities
Storming:
Definition: Stage 2 teams have moved past the early forming stages and are now encountering some
disagreements and/or conflict. This is natural, but teams need to find effective ways to handle conflict
before they can move on to stage 3.
Group characteristics: Members of stage 2 teams tend to exhibit increased conflict, less conformity and
jockeying for power.
Critical skills and activities: Stage 2 teams need to learn how to resolve conflict; clarify their roles, power,
and structure; and build consensus through re-visiting purpose.
Role of leader(s): Stage 2 teams need leaders and other team members who are willing to identify issues
and resolve conflict.

Organizational Behavior
Group formation process Waqas Javed -15206
Norming:
Definition: Stage 3 teams have successfully moved out of the storming stage and are ready to move to a
higher level of communication and problem-solving.
Group characteristics: Members of stage 3 teams demonstrate an improved ability to complete tasks, solve
problems, and resolve conflict.
Critical skills and activities: Stage 3 teams need to learn to engage in more sophisticated problem-solving
and decision-making, continue the use of effective strategies for conflict resolution and take greater levels of
responsibility for their roles
Role of leader(s): In stage 3, leaders become less directive, team members feel empowered, and multiple
leaders emerge
Performing:
Definition: Stage 4 teams are at the highest level of performance and can process their strengths and
weaknesses while accomplishing their goals.
Group characteristics: In stage 4, the team takes a flexible approach to roles and structures depending on
the task at hand. The team is able to evaluate its effectiveness and views conflict is viewed as an
opportunity. Stage 4 teams tend to be energetic, creative, and fun!
Critical skills and activities: Stage 4 teams need to hold high expectations for their performance. They often
use sub-groups as well as the large group for decision-making and task completion. Teams also recognize the
need to ensure that all members are in agreement with the role and purpose of sub-groups.
Role of Leader: In a stage 4 team, its often difficult to identify the leader, because everyone is sharing in
leadership.
Mourning:
The phase whereby the project draws to a close. There may be a sense of loss and anxiety about having to
break up. The team briefs and shares the improved process during this phase. When the team finally
completes that last briefing, there is always a bittersweet sense of accomplishment coupled with the
reluctance to say goodbye.
Many relationships formed within these teams continue long after the team disbands.

The knowledge about these stages would help the team members and team leader to form a group at a faster pace
as well as achieve a greater level of performance. In addition to tuckman many others contributed changes to the
model however Tuckman's model has been universally accepted in group formation or development. The knowledge
on this model gives more acceptances on the current system of team work. This group development model
emphasizes that any team traverses through all four productive stages forming, storming, norming, performing by
slowly developing their nature from being dependent to independent to interdependent. Being interdependent is
always helpful in personal and every other aspect of life. However achieving it requires lot of work. Group
development is one way of attaining this interdependence in groups. Moreover being in an era of desk job and team
work this knowledge on group formation also seems to be inevitable.

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