Basic Group Theory

7/27/2019 Basic Group Theory

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Basic Group Theory: Tuckman’s Five Stagesof Group Development

Bruce Tuckman has provided us with what has become the staple of

group dynamics — his “Five Stages of Group Development!"

Tuckman#sresearch led him to determine four $later five% phases of groupdevelopment — forming& storming& norming& and performing $later& headded ad'ourning% ( The phases are not to be perceived as se)uential&because groups are messy& and cycle through the phases throughouttheir process

Stage 1: Forming. *n the forming stage& personal relations arecharacteri+ed by dependence

Group members rely on safe& patterned behavior and look to the groupleader for guidance and direction Group members have a desire for

acceptance by the group and a need to be know that the group is safeThey set about gathering impressions and data about the similarities anddifferences among them and forming preferences for future sub,grouping-ules of behavior seem to be to keep things simple and to avoidcontroversy Serious topics and feelings are avoided The ma'or taskfunctions also concern orientation

.embers attempt to become oriented to the tasks as well as to oneanother Discussion centers around defining the scope of the task& how toapproach it& and similar concerns To grow from this stage to the ne/t&each member must relin)uish the comfort of non,threatening topics and

risk the possibility of conflict

Stage 2: Storming. The ne/t stage& which Tuckman calls storming & ischaracteri+ed by competition and conflict in the personal,relationsdimension an organi+ation in the task,functions dimension

0s the group members attempt to organi+e for the task& conflict inevitablyresults in their personal relations *ndividuals have to bend and mold theirfeelings& ideas& attitudes& and beliefs to suit the group organi+ationBecause of “fear of e/posure! or “fear of failure&! there will be anincreased desire for structural clarification and commitment 0lthoughconflicts may or may not surface as group issues& they do e/ist

1uestions will arise about who is going to be responsible for what& whatthe rules are& what the reward system is& and what criteria for evaluationare These reflect conflicts over leadership& structure& power& andauthority There may be wide swings in members# behavior based onemerging issues of competition and hostilities Because of the discomfortgenerated during this stage& some members may remain completely silentwhile others attempt to dominate



*n order to progress to the ne/t stage& group members must move from a“testing and proving! mentality to a problem,solving mentality The mostimportant trait in helping groups to move on to the ne/t stage seems to bethe ability to listen

Stage : !orming. *n Tuckman#s norming stage& interpersonal relationsare characteri+ed by cohesion

Group members are engaged in active acknowledgment of all members#contributions& community building and maintenance& and solving of groupissues .embers are willing to change their preconceived ideas oropinions on the basis of facts presented by other members& and theyactively ask )uestions of one another 2eadership is shared& and cli)uesdissolve 3hen members begin to know,and identify with,one another&the level of trust in their personal relations contributes to the developmentof group cohesion *t is during this stage of development $assuming thegroup gets this far% that people begin to e/perience a sense of group

belonging and a feeling of relief as a result of resolving interpersonalconflicts

The ma'or task function of stage three is the data flow between groupmembers4 They share feelings and ideas& solicit and give feedback to oneanother& and e/plore actions related to the task 5reativity is high *f thisstage of data flow and cohesion is attained by the group members& theirinteractions are characteri+ed by openness and sharing of information onboth a personal and task level They feel good about being part of aneffective group

The ma'or drawback of the norming stage is that members may begin tofear the inevitable future breakup of the group6 they may resist change ofany sort

Stage ": #erforming. The performing stage is not reached by allgroups *f group members are able to evolve to stage four& their capacity&range& and depth of personal relations e/pand to true interdependence

*n this stage& people can work independently& in subgroups& or as a totalunit with e)ual facility Their roles and authorities dynamically ad'ust tothe changing needs of the group and individuals Stage four is marked byinterdependence in personal relations and problem solving in the realm of

task functions By now& the group should be most productive *ndividualmembers have become self,assuring& and the need for group approval ispast .embers are both highly task oriented and highly people orientedThere is unity4 group identity is complete& group morale is high& and grouployalty is intense

The task function becomes genuine problem solving& leading towardoptimal solutions and optimum group development There is support for



e/perimentation in solving problems and an emphasis on achievementThe overall goal is productivity through problem solving and work

Stage $: %&'ourning. Tuckman#s final stage& adjourning & involves thetermination of task behaviors and disengagement from relationships

0 planned conclusion usually includes recognition for participation andachievement and an opportunity for members to say personal goodbyes5oncluding a group can create some apprehension , in effect& a minorcrisis The termination of the group is a regressive movement from givingup control to giving up inclusion in the group The most effectiveinterventions in this stage are those that facilitate task termination and thedisengagement process

Footnotes" 7ou can retrace his footsteps in “Developmental Se)uence in SmallGroups&! 8sychological Bulletin& 9:& :;<,:==( 0dapted by George .ason >niversity& 5enter for Service and2eadership& http4??wwwgmuedu?student?csl?@stageshtml

5itation4http4??tepuoregonedu?resources?crmodel?strategies?basicAgroupAtheoryhtml

http://start%28%27http//www.gmu.edu/student/csl/5stages.html');



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