Nurturing The Development Of High

Nurturing the Development of High-Performing Groups Forming Stage • Meeting the group • Establishing trust within relationships • Understanding vision, mission, goals, and objectives

Characteristics • Tentative Exchanges • Polite Discourse • Anxiety Over Ambiguity • Silence

Storming Stage • Dissatisfaction with others • Disagreement • Competition • Criticism of procedures, vision, mission, goals

Characteristics • Criticisms are directed at others • People begin speaking about others rather than to them • Attempts to derail the group may be made • Attendance may become poor • New ideas may be generated • Groups may be dismantled

Norming Stage • The group structure begins to take shape • Roles and responsibilities are assumed • Increased harmony and cohesiveness occurs • A distinct culture begins to emerge Performing Stage • Focus is on collaboration, connection • Group is eager to improve performance and productivity • Achievements are recognized and celebrated • Return to previous stages when new members join or new challenges are presented

Characteristics • Agreed purposes, protocols, and procedures • Consensus-seeking • Care toward the feelings of others— respectful engagement • “We” vs. “I” mentality and approach Characteristics • Decreased emotionality • Increased productivity and performance • Increased cooperation • Improved decision-making and problem solving

Strategies • Articulating a vision, mission, goals, and objectives • Sharing the stages of group development, potential hurdles • Establishing protocols, processes, and boundaries • Formal and informal opportunities to meet and greet • Defining and tapping the expertise, experience, passions of the group • Reflection and response Strategies • Establish processes for resolving conflict • Provide strategies that allow for appropriate confrontation and mediation • Review mission and vision • Design relationship rebuilding activities • Reflection and response Strategies • Group members begin to assume more responsibility for successes • Conflicts are not avoided, but they are mediated effectively • New ideas, goals, and purposes begin to emerge • Reflection and response Strategies • Collaborative facilitation • Movement toward self-sustainment • Reflection and response

©Angela Stockman WNY Education Associates, 2009 Adapted from Smith, M.K. (2005) Bruce Tuckman: forming, storming, norming and performing in groups. The Encyclopedia of Informal Education, www.infed.org/thinkers/tuckman.htm. Last updated: November 16, 2006

©Angela Stockman WNY Education Associates, 2009 Adapted from Smith, M.K. (2005) Bruce Tuckman: forming, storming, norming and performing in groups. The Encyclopedia of Informal Education, www.infed.org/thinkers/tuckman.htm. Last updated: November 16, 2006