Working As A Team

Group Development - Stages

Stages

Studies on groups have found that they often go through stages while working together. These four stages are:

forming
norming
storming
reforming

The advantage of understanding this cycle is that you will not be surprised by a stage such as storming where there is open conflict, and so that you can support stages such as forming or norming to improve the strength and eventual success of the group. Rarely are groups in schools formed by a set of people who are all volunteering to be present. So being sure that every member of the group understands the purpose and focus of the group is very important. Continually coming back to that purpose, helps keep the group moving forward and focused.

Forming

A group is often formed by people volunteering or being told to be part of the group. Either way, once the group is formed it is good to send a note to all members identifiying them as a member, thanking them for being a part of the group, and letting them know who the other members are. When a group first comes together it is important for the members to begin to know each other, to collectively accept their task, and to identify the steps they will take to complete that task. These are the key activities in the forming stage.

Taking a few moments for people to introduce themselves to each other through a mixer or an ice-breaker can be well worth the time. The activity does not have to be "cutesy" but should provide some time for people to mingle and meet each other. Having refreshments or "breaking bread" with a shared meal are often good openings to a long-term group endeavor. If the group is making a decision for the district or school the group should be identified to that district or school staff. All these activities promote an atmosphere that says the "group" is important and also the relationships within that group.

Norming

Norming follows pretty quickly after forming, and is often part of the first get together. It is the time for the group to discuss how it is going to work together. The "rules" by which the group has discussions and makes decisions are called "norms." It is important that all members agree upon the norms so that they will support them. The norms increase the success of the group process and thus the group task outcome. (See "Productive Groups" for sample norms).

Storming

As with accepting conflict (see "Accepting Conflict" page), storming is often an inevitable stage in the life cycle of a long-term group with a critical task. This stage may see conflicts, disagreements, emotions running high, and raised voices. It is also a part of the normal course of events. Knowing this will not make the stage any easier, but may prevent the group from giving up in frustration before seeing the project through. This is an important stage because it generally means that the group has moved beyond "being nice" and having surface level discussions only. It means that the members are serious about their task and are willing to tackle the difficult underlying issues.

Even though storming is normal, you want to ensure that the group survives this stage to move onto the next stage. Using protocols to help people engage in civil dialogue could be useful. Protocols are tools that guide group conversation (see page on "Productive Groups"). Protocols can move the conversation onto neutral territory to focus on the goal and the objective criteria for meeting that goal. Moving away from personal opinion and positions is vital. Cooling off and reflective time are useful tools, as is asking for the perspectives of others outside of the group, so that members realize that it is not just one person's opinion that is raising an issue. Revisiting the norms and goals regularly is extremely helpful to weathering this stage. Please remember that this stage does not have to involve extreme conflict, it can be mild also.

Reforming

This stage is a revisit to the "forming" stage. Revisiting the goal and purpose of the group, and the tasks and responsibiities of each of the members make up this stage. At this point, the group should be moving forward and feeling productive. Progress is being made toward the goal and the momentum is on the group's side.