Use Tuckman’s Phases of Development to Complete Any Group Project.
Whether you’re in school or at work, a group project can be a double-edged sword. Working independently may be preferable if you are prone to distractions or don’t want to depend on someone else’s schedule or poor productivity. On the other hand, of course, it would be great to have other people with whom you can exchange ideas and share responsibilities.
It all comes down to understanding your group dynamics and making them work for you, and Tuckman’s four stages of group development can help you do this.
What are the four stages of group development, according to Tuckman?
Back in 1965, psychological researcher Bruch Takman proposed that the process of team growth and development consists of four stages. If you follow these steps, you can develop your maturity, abilities, and skills while strengthening the relationships that keep the group moving. The goal is for you all to become more cohesive, rather than relying on one team member to take the lead or carry most of the weight.
Here are Tuckman’s four stages:
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Formation
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Stormy
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Rationing
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Performance
A few years after developing this basic list, Tuckman also suggested adding “delay” as a possible fifth stage, but for the most part, you can find success with this model by focusing on the four classic stages.
How do Tuckman stages work?
Here’s how each of the four steps works and how you can use them in your group projects.
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Forming: This is the first stage of developing team relationships, so it involves coming together and defining a clear goal, as well as any challenges or opportunities that may arise along the way. When you exchange numbers with your classmates to create a chat and discuss a group assignment, you are already forming. Meeting in the workplace, at the library, or virtually are all ways to participate in the formation, but coming together is just the beginning. You’ll still have to define an overall goal, so consider using methods like SMART or PACT to structure your work and clearly define what you’re all going to work towards. It’s also helpful to create a single source of truth (SSOT) in advance, so create a Google Drive or similar folder where everyone can add resources, updates, and content. (The first document should be a record of the formation and meeting phase, including a clearly defined goal that you have set for yourself as a group, as well as a description of who is responsible for what.)
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Storming: You might think this refers to brainstorming, but it actually predicts a storm of conflict. Tuckman suggested that interpersonal conflicts may arise during the assault stage. During formation, people usually feel polite and ready to get to work, but at this stage differences in work style and personality may arise, which can lead to arguments and other unproductive behavior. The good news is that in his original study, only half of the groups he studied experienced internal conflict at all; the other half were able to move straight to normalization, skipping this step altogether. If and when an assault occurs, take into account the criticisms expressed by each team member and make adjustments to the process if necessary. An important element of successful teamwork is adaptability, so be prepared to adjust roles and responsibilities as conflicts arise so that everyone can work comfortably. The goal in this stage is to move to a problem-solving mentality, and the first problem you solve is internal conflict.
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Normalizing: Whether you get past the storming phase or not, normalizing is an important phase of group work because this is where true collaboration begins. Normalization is what happens when you allow some flexibility, overcome conflicts, and reach a point where everyone knows, is happy with their role, and can actually get to work. At this stage, people should be comfortable expressing their opinions and communicating news to other group members, but it is easy to get too comfortable, so it is wise to also schedule periodic meetings and check-ins. Like formations, they can be done in person or virtually, but they should be planned in advance and allow time for everyone to share what they’ve been working on, what they’re working on, and what challenges they’re facing.
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Performance: This is the stage when all group members are happy with your progress. If you don’t feel motivated, knowledgeable, and prepared, then you haven’t reached the execution stage yet, but once you do, the rest of the project should go smoothly. It’s important to note that reaching any of these phases does not necessarily mean that you will not return to the previous phase; think of them as a loop rather than a linear path.
The “delay” phase proposed by Tuckman involves completing all assigned tasks and dissolving the group. This usually happens naturally: you present your report during a midterm exam or a big meeting at work, and you don’t need a group afterwards. However, this stage can be useful, even if only for people who will later move to another group or work together again. You can make a team disbandment more productive by conducting a post-action review , which reviews what you set out to do, what you actually did, and what could be improved to make the next project go more smoothly.
Understanding and defining these steps will help you perform better, set expectations, and stay on task, but it’s also important to establish clear guidelines for everyone’s roles in the group. Set deadlines and check in to find out not only where you are at, but also how the project is progressing, so you don’t get to the end of the schedule and find out you missed something important.