Understanding the five stages of team development

Projects sink or swim based on the strength of their team. For many project managers, this is a daunting thought. Along with shepherding deliverables to completion, they’re responsible for maintaining healthy and productive group relationships.

One of the best ways to foster high-performing group dynamics is to navigate the five stages of team development, as defined by psychologist Bruce Tuckman. By recognizing the team’s position within the evolutionary process, project managers can better support them in developing self-confidence and learning to trust themselves and others. Project leaders can help the group identify its strengths, overcome challenges, and gel into a cohesive, well-oiled machine that delivers quality work.

What are the Tuckman stages of group development?

In the mid-sixties, psychological researcher Bruce Tuckman published a study of the evolution of group dynamics. In it, he identified four stages of team development: forming, storming, norming, and performing. He revisited his theory in 1977 with co-author Mary Ann Jensen and added a new stage to the process: adjourning.

Like infants going through growth periods to reach adulthood, teams progress through various stages until they reach maturity, each marked by behavioral and emotional features. For the project manager, it’s less about managing and more about leading teammates through the evolution, identifying and addressing events during each instance. Then, the group will transition to the next phase, improving performance and outcomes.

Here is a summary of each stage, including the associated feelings, behaviors, and needs:

1. Forming

Forming is the initial stage of group development. When the team meets for the first time, everyone feels out the dynamic and identifies their place within the group.

Feelings

Upon introductions, team members often experience a mix of emotions. They likely have high expectations and are excited to start work and demonstrate their skills. They may also feel anxious, wondering if they’ll measure up.

Behaviors

Initial interactions will be polite, with the goal of making a good impression. Leaders should expect plenty of questions as everyone tries to understand the project and performance requirements.

Needs

To help team members find their footing, they require clarity surrounding the following aspects of the project:

• Mission and vision

• Project structure and guidelines

• Goals, objectives, and tasks

• Outcomes and deliverables

• Roles and responsibilities

• Communication channels

This information calms anxieties and lays the foundation for initial interactions between colleagues. It also builds trust between team leadership and the rest of the group.

As part of project orientation, the project manager should provide opportunities for the group to get to know each other via icebreakers and team-building activities.

Expectations

Team members spend most of their energy learning the ropes during this phase. Although enthusiasm for the work is high, actual productivity will be low.

2. Storming

Storming is likely the most challenging phase for project managers. It’s an adjustment period that tests even the best leader’s conflict management and listening skills.

Feelings

Mistakes will happen as team members acclimate to new roles and processes. Some may feel frustrated with the slow pace of progress. Individuals may begin to question their abilities, and the group may develop collective doubts about achieving the project’s goals.

At this point, the team may struggle to integrate different personalities and working styles. They might question leadership’s capacity to resolve conflict.

Behaviors

Some members may become defensive, expressing irritation or disappointment with the pace, work styles, or constraints. There may be disagreements about roles, expectations, and goals. Eventually, frustration may spill over to questioning leaders’ and sponsors’ capacity to achieve the project’s mission and objectives.

Needs

Teams should remember that growing pains are essential to becoming a cohesive unit. At this point, leaders should refocus on the work at hand, breaking down large goals into smaller, achievable tasks to build confidence. Project managers can do the following to remove teamwork roadblocks:

• Clarify the team’s purpose

• Offer feedback regarding roles and structure

• Offer support and praise

• Expand roles responsibilities

• Encourage shared leadership

Expectations

Project managers must actively resolve feelings of frustration and confusion. Morale and performance will improve as the team addresses issues and learns to work together.

3. Norming

As the group works through its issues, team members modify their expectations to match the project’s reality, resulting in a flexible and inclusive team culture.

Feelings

The more team members learn about each other and their capacities, the more comfortable and accepting they become. They begin expressing authentic thoughts and feelings while relying on each other’s strengths, improving processes and outcomes. Individuals develop personal connections.

Behaviors

With greater comfort comes frequent and meaningful communication. Team members are more willing to offer insights, constructive criticism, and help.

Needs

As team members begin sharing feelings and ideas, the feedback drives creativity. To keep innovation flowing, leadership must establish opportunities for:

• Collective problem-solving and decision-making

• Shared responsibilities

• Collaborative leadership

• Feedback

Expectations

As energy shifts from conflict resolution to achieving a common goal, individual and team performance will improve, making it the ideal time to evaluate team processes and productivity.

4. Performing

Performing is the evolutionary sweet spot. Members recognize they are stronger together and become unified. They see concrete progress toward the project’s goals.

Feelings

Team members recognize strengths and weaknesses in themselves and others, boosting confidence in their ability to deliver the project’s outcomes. They continue to bond over their satisfaction with group progress, motivating each other to become a more effective team.

Behaviors

Proficiency with project workflows allows the group to anticipate and resolve potential roadblocks. Collective contributions may result in a fluid team structure, allowing members to take on different roles and expand their knowledge and skill set.

Needs

As the team progresses to the project’s outcome, reinforce members’ commitment to the group. Project managers should continue to offer performance feedback and opportunities for greater responsibility and professional development while celebrating accomplishments and milestones.

Expectations

At this evolutionary stage, the team’s operations and creativity are at their peak, maximizing performance and productivity.

However, you can’t rest easy yet. The team leader’s job of nurturing teamwork isn’t over once the group reaches the performing level of development – quite the opposite.

Teams can regress. Project scope adjustments and staff turnover can roll everyone back to previous stages of group development. It’s up to project management to help them regroup and return to a high-performing state.

5. Adjourning

All good things must come to an end, including teams. Team management includes facilitating the dissolution process at the end of the project.

Feelings

Team members often feel mixed emotions in the lead-up to a project’s conclusion. Some may be concerned about their future role and responsibilities. Others could feel grief over the changes and mourn the loss of professional relationships. Still, others may experience a sense of satisfaction or anticipation.

Behaviors

Depending on how they manage emotions, some workers could become less focused and struggle with productivity in the final phases of work. Others might become engrossed to distract themselves from feelings of loss and anxiety.

Needs

Leadership should validate group members’ emotions. The transition should include acknowledgment of everyone’s contributions and an opportunity to say goodbye. Leadership can boost team morale with the following actions:

• Holding final one-on-one meetings with individuals to discuss their contribution and development

• Conducting a retrospective to identify lessons learned and improve processes for future teams

• Recognize and reward individual efforts

• Hold a meaningful celebration to give the team closure

• Offer everyone the chance to wrap up loose ends

Expectations

Team members will likely feel conflicted about the project’s closing, which could impact their performance.

How can team leaders help throughout the stages of team development?

As the team leader, the project manager is responsible for setting the group up for success. Here’s how:

1. Establish goals: Provide a shared sense of purpose and community by aligning team members with a common goal.

2. Introduce team members: Foster teamwork and minimize potential conflicts by helping the group identify each other’s strengths through team-building activities, knowledge sharing, and personality tests.

3. Delegate: Build resilience and encourage professional growth by delegating tasks that take team members outside their comfort zone while strengthening their weaknesses.

4. Facilitate communication: Not everyone is comfortable speaking up in a group setting. Let team members share ideas and opinions through private communication channels. These also allow team leaders to learn about and support individual goals.

5. Schedule feedback sessions: Don’t wait until the team retrospective to solicit feedback. Conduct feedback sessions at various development stages to brainstorm solutions to issues as they arise.

Foster team development with Tempo’s Strategic Roadmaps

Establishing an effective team is a big job, but the right project management tools can help. Tempo’s Strategic Roadmap application is a powerful communication tool that aligns teams with project goals and objectives. The software solution allows IT, product, and project teams to prioritize ideas, manage tasks, and track progress using an audience-friendly roadmap.