Tuckman Team-Development Model

- Have you ever been part of a really great team? What was it that made that team so awesome? And we you a great team from the very beginning or did it take some time for you to learn how to work together? Every time we bring people together to work on a project, we're creating a new team. But just because they're on a team doesn't mean those folks are working together as a team. The Tuckman model describes four phases that groups go through on their journey to becoming a team. The first step is forming, when the group is being created and people are jetting to know each other. At this point everyone is super polite and maybe a bit reserved. They just aren't sure what to expect from anyone else. But as they work together they start to experience friction, and the team hits the next phase, storming. Maybe someone doesn't like the way that other people are doing things. It's not what they're used to or the way that they would do it. That tension can come to the surface in disagreements and sometimes even fights. So then what? Well that's when it's time for the group to enter the next phase, norming. During norming you deal with the issues that are causing conflicts, and you set rules or norms. That gives people a chance to express their concerns in a constructive way, and it means that they need to listen to one another and make some compromises. And then the team is ready for the fourth phase, performing, because then you've got a team that is able to communicate, deal with issues and move on. Going through these stages is natural. If you're prepared for it, then you can even do things to manage the process. For example, doing team-building exercises at the beginning of a project can help your team go through the forming, storming and norming phases more quickly and in a low-risk environment. We all want to work with high-performing teams, but teams like that don't just appear. They evolve. And you can help them get there by supporting them on the journey using the Tuckman model as your guide.