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Stages in the formation of groups and teams

some models

How teams are formed - three models

Stages teams go through (Honey)

Stages in the development of groups (Tuckman)

Stages in group problem solving (Hunt)

Teamwork dynamics - beyond the COWDUNG

How Teams are formed - Three Models

Stages Teams go Through

Source: Honey P (1994) Teams and Leaders; Trainer’s Guide; Melrose Film Productions

Stages in the Development of Groups

1. Forming

The group is not yet a group but a set of individuals. This stage is characterised by talk about the purpose of the group, the definition and the title of the group, its composition, leadership pattern, and life-span. At this stage, each individual tends to want to establish his personal identity within the group, making some individual impression.

2. Storming

Most groups go through a conflict stage when the preliminary, and often false, consensus on purposes, on leadership and other roles, on norms of behaviour and work, is challenged and re-established. At this stage a lot of personal agendas are revealed and a certain amount of interpersonal; hostility is generated. If successfully handled this period of storming leads to a new and more realistic setting of objectives, procedures and norms. This stage is particularly important for testing the norms of trust in the group.

3. Norming

The group needs to establish norms and practices. When and how it should work, how it should take decisions, what type of behaviour, what level of work, what degree of openness, trust and confidence is appropriate. At this stage there will be a lot of tentative experimentation by individuals to test the temperature of the group and to measure the appropriate level of commitment.

4. Performing

Only when the three previous stages have been successfully completed will the group be at full maturity and be able to be fully and sensibly productive. Some kind of performance will be achieved at all stages of the development but it is likely to be impeded by the other processes of growth and by individual agendas. In many periodic committees the leadership issue, or the objectives and purpose of the group, are recurring topics that crop up in every meeting in some form or other, seriously hindering the true work of the group.

Based on Hunt J (1979) Managing people at work; Pan

Orientation

The relationships of one member with another have to be worked out. Members are disoriented, not able to solve problems realistically. Questions of roles and power have not been resolved - balance has not yet been achieved.

Deliberation

The interactive process of the group is brought to bear on the problem. This is the research, data analysis phase. Roles emerge, task and maintenance role performances are clearer. Claims for power (expertise, experience etc) are signalled by members.

Conflict

Individuals formulate their positions. Unfavourable comments are frequent. Polarization of attitudes occurs, and a reaction to the emergent roles and power distribution. Further counter claims for power are made.

Emergence

There is a reduction in the amount of conflict, and fewer unfavourable comments. Ambiguous comments permit a shift in ground. Role for task orientation and maintenance orientations are implicitly allocated to individuals - ie power is distributed and balanced.

Trust

This stage is marked by the sharing of honest communications. It is the best phase for problem solving, where personal animosities (or organizational games) are minimal. Balance has occurred within the group. Role allocations are accepted by role performers.

Reinforcement

Argument is minimal, as members become aware of the inevitability of the decision they are to make. Balance has been superseded by problem solving as the focus of attention. Decisions are made.

Teamwork Dynamics - beyond the COWDUNG

COWDUNG is Waddington's acronym for the 'conventional wisdom of the dominant group'

Reynolds M (1994) Groupwork in education and training; Kogan Page

Barker A (1997) How to hold better meetings; Kogan Page

The conventional wisdom suggest that teams are formed of those who are task oriented and those who are maintenance oriented. These first form then they storm and norm and so they reach the stage where they perform.

But in real life it never seems to be as simple and happy as these academic models suggest. Those who operate with, and try to intervene in, real life groups have the need of models which come closer to the messy, conflict ridden, real world with which they deal.

Reynolds (1994) reviews the literature and suggests that as an addition to the groupthink model of Tuckman, it is useful to have the models of Bion and Potter in your advisory portfolio.

Barker (1997) goes along with Tuckman in seeing teams as passing through stages but he relates these to the model of Jung as this relates to the questions we must ask at the different stages, and to the model of Wallaczek in terms of the kinds of conversations we must hold to combine thinking with positive group behaviour.