Essay Sample on Understanding Group Development: Tuckman's Model Explained

Introduction

Groups are referred to as a typical arrangement in the business environment today. Any manager working with or supervising groups ought to be familiar with the way they develop over a period. Possibly the best-known system for the development of a group was advanced in 1965 by Bruce Tuckman. Initially, he identified four group development stages, and the fifth was later introduced after ten years. The stages were universal to each team despite the purpose, culture, location, members, goal, and demographics of the group. The stages were said to move from establishing to producing plus. However, even though the stages seem to be linear, groups may move in the opposite direction depending on the trials that may inspire the team along with the communications tactics that are being used. Some groups can also get stuck in the stage and never realize their potential fully (Jones & Bartlett Learning, n.d). At each stage, the critical success component for shifting to the proceeding stage is communication. This paper discusses the Group Development models, as discussed by various researchers.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Save 25%

Forming Stage

The first group development stage is called forming stage. It represents the period where the team is just preparing to come together, where it is characterized by apprehension and uncertainty. Members are watchful with their characters, which are controlled by the willingness to be recognized by all group members. Skirmish, personal sentiments, and controversy are avoided even if affiliates are beginning to form facsimiles of each other as well as gain an empathetic of what will be done together by the group members. Some people believe that this thoughtful behaviour hinders the team from getting any actual work done. Typical results of this stage comprise of things like understanding the drive of the cluster, defining the way the group will be systematized and assigning authority responsibilities (Jones & Bartlett Learning, n.d). It also includes a conversation of the major stages or signposts of the goal of the groups, outlining general goals of the group, and discovery of the resources that will access for the team to use.

Storming Stage

The second group development stage is the storming stage. In this phase the opposition and skirmish are at its utmost. It is said that it is utmost because now that the members of the team have knowledge of the work and the universal feel for their identity as a team and who the members of the area, they have a feeling of confidence as well as start to address several more essential issues surrounding the team. Such issues can recount to things such as the task of the group, roles and responsibility of the individual or with the lineup associates themselves.

The stage of storming is where the overriding of the followers of the group develop, whereas other, less challenging members remain in the coziness as well as haven of overwhelming their feeling just like the way they did in the forming stage. Even though these entities stay quiet, problems may continue to exist. All members of the group have an elevated need for clarification. Questions surrounding authority, structure, criteria of evaluation, reward system, responsibilities, leadership, and rules tend to appear during this storming stage. For the group to proceed to the following stage, such questions need to be answered.

Consequently, many groups have tried, but only a few are able to go beyond the storming stage. The performance of the team at this stage may decrease since energy is used in unproductive activities. Members tend to disagree with the goals of the group, and subgroups along with factions may form within strong errands or agreement areas (Janse, 2020). To succeed in this stage, members are expected to work for them to overcome hindrances, to accept individual variances, and to work via conflicting ideas on goals and tasks of the team.

Norming Stage

After the group has received the intelligibility that is so dreadfully needed, then it can proceed to the next group growth phase, and this is known as the norming stage. In this stage, it is the period where the team becomes a consistent unit. At this stage, the individual’s self-esteem is high since the members of the group actively acknowledge the skills, experience, along with talents brought by each member to the group. A continuity sense is recognized, and the team remains engrossed on the determination and the goal of the squad (Tubbs, 1994). Members are independent, flexible, and all of the trust of each other. Furthermore, leadership is shared, plus the members of the group are always willing to familiarize with the group needs.

The information in the group flow impeccably and is uninhibited because of the security sense members experience in this stage. Successfully, moving via this stage implies that the group has elucidated its purpose as well as the strategy for accomplishing its goals. The collaboration norms have an ability to address issues ranging from when specific communication modes will be used such as telephone versus e-mail, to how group meetings will be conducted as well as what should be done in case of a conflict (Janse, 2020). Norms turn to a way of facilitating collaboration and simplifying choices since affiliates have shared expectations concerning the way work will be done.

Performing Stage

The fourth phase in group progress is the period of performing. At this stage, members work together effortlessly on independent errands and can manage to communicate as well as coordinate effectively. There are a few destructions of time-consuming that are based on relational as well as a group dynamic. As a result, motivation usually is on top, and members of the team have self-assurance in their aptitude to attain goals. Since the members of the team know each other clearly, it makes it possible for them to handle any challenge that is experienced by the team members. Besides, the toles as well as responsibilities of the group members changes depending on the circumstances, since at this stage every individual is correspondingly a duty-oriented as well as persons-oriented and, therefore, can accomplish efficiently.

Adjourning Stage

The final stage of the cluster growth is Adjourning stage. In this stage, the group is terminated, plus the members of the group become detached from each other. Every team is formed for a reason, and after fulfilling the determination, then the team is deferred. For instance, project teams are created only for a fixed period, and after the period is over, they are dissolved. Permanent teams may be disbanded via organizational restructuring. Some researches refer to this stage as deforming or mourning since group members feel the sense of loss during the separation of the group (Janse, 2020). Notably, the members of the team who have developed intimate working associations, or who like a routine with colleagues, sometimes may experience challenges in this stage, particularly if their imminent looks uncertain.

Conclusion

Group development stage has played a vital role in various teams. They have helped people to come together and create intimacy in the society. They have helped several groups to develop and achieve their purposes, and after that, they become terminated. It becomes hard for some members to terminate their team because of the bond that is always created with some members during the working period.

References

Janse, B. (2020). What is the Tubbs Systems Model? Definition and explanation | toolshero. toolshero. Retrieved 24 June 2020, from https://www.toolshero.com/management/tubbs-systems-model/.

Jones & Bartlett Learning. Samples.jbpub.com. Retrieved 24 June 2020, from http://samples.jbpub.com/9781284112009/9781284112009_CH02_PASS03.pdf

Tubbs, S. (1994). Team Leadership: A Systems Approach. Managementconsultingcourses.com. Retrieved 24 June 2020, from https://search.proquest.com/openview/c6421cbcd96e947425ff9df59d16c80a/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=27332.