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Groups and Teams Essay

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Groups and Teams

The forming, storming, norming, performing model of team development was first introduced by Bruce Tuckman in 1965. He argued that these phases are all necessary and inevitable for the team growth, overcoming challenges and tackling problems, finding solutions, planning work and delivering results. Tuckman later added a fifth phase, adjourning, which is referred to by some as the mourning stage, which involves completing the task and breaking up the team. (Wikipedia, 2005) All teams, whether social, academic, or professional go through these five phases during team development (more permanent teams may not immediately face the adjourning phase) either consciously or subconsciously and the cycles are repeated …show more content…

An effective and non confrontational way to enter the storming phase is by brainstorming. Putting everyone?s ideas and thoughts onto paper and considering each idea equally. If team members are unable to agree to certain terms, the team is disbanded and moves immediately in the adjourning phase. If team members are able to agree and make ?efforts to find ways to accomplish team goals while also satisfying individual needs? (p. 269, ¶ 1), then members have taken the first step towards norming.

The norming stage is the quiet after the storm. It is where team members begin to come together as one unit and adjust individual behaviors to each others? styles while developing habits that make the team work in a more natural and fluid manner (Wikipedia, 2005). An example of norming in action, which all UoP learning teams encounter, is creating the learning team charter. During the norming stage, the team agrees upon rules, guidelines, acceptable behaviors and consequences. The learning team charters at UoP are to be completed at the start of every new course whether the team has changed or not. The charter asks questions such as when and where the team will meet and how it will be decided, how the team will manage conflict, and what the goals of the team are. Once this stage is complete, the team is well on its way to effectively accomplishing tasks or assignments. Ground rules are set and personalities

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