Groups and Teams in Organisations

Groups and Teams in Organisations
Group Definition: In the setting of an organisation, a group is the collection of people who are
located, grouped or gathered together, either by classification or in a more general sense. People are
often put in groups, such as a department, or groups are created by the same culture or objectives
within an organisation.
Team Definition: A team in an organisation is defined to be more competitive than a group, with the
intention of this grouping of people to be able to achieve a common goal, reach the same objectives.
Below are the slightly expanded definitions which have been created by scholars in the field of
Organisational Behaviour.
What is a Group?
A group is a number of people who;
 interact with each other;

 are psychologically aware of each other;
 perceive themselves aware of each other;
 or perceive themselves to be a group.
Schein’s (1980)
What is a Team?
A team is a group of people, each of whom possesses particular expertise; each of whom is
responsible for making individual decisions; who together hold a common purpose; who meet
together to communicate, collaborate and consolidate knowledge, from which plans are made, actions
determined and future decisions influenced.
Brill’s (1976)
Forming, Storming, Norming, and Performing

Understanding the Stages of Team Formation

You can't expect a new team to perform well when it first comes together.
Forming a team takes time, and members often go through recognizable stages as they change from
being a collection of strangers to a united group with common goals. Bruce Tuckman's Forming,
Storming, Norming, and Performing model describes these stages. When you understand it, you can
help your new team become effective more quickly.
In this article and in the video, below, we'll look at how you can use this model to build a highly
productive team.
About the Model
Psychologist Bruce Tuckman first came up with the memorable phrase "forming, storming, norming,
and performing" in his 1965 article, "Developmental Sequence in Small Groups." He used it to
describe the path that most teams follow on their way to high performance. Later, he added a fifth
stage, "adjourning" (which is sometimes known as "mourning").
Let's look at each stage in more detail.
Forming
In this stage, most team members are positive and polite. Some are anxious, as they haven't fully
understood what work the team will do. Others are simply excited about the task ahead.
As leader, you play a dominant role at this stage, because team members' roles and responsibilities
aren't clear.
This stage can last for some time, as people start to work together, and as they make an effort to get to
know their new colleagues.
Storming
Next, the team moves into the storming phase, where people start to push against the boundaries
established in the forming stage. This is the stage where many teams fail.
Storming often starts where there is a conflict between team members' natural working styles. People
may work in different ways for all sorts of reasons but, if differing working styles cause unforeseen
problems, they may become frustrated.
Storming can also happen in other situations. For example, team members may challenge your
authority, or jockey for position as their roles are clarified. Or, if you haven't defined clearly how the
team will work, people may feel overwhelmed by their workload, or they could be uncomfortable
with the approach you're using.
Some may question the worth of the team's goal, and they may resist taking on tasks.
Team members who stick with the task at hand may experience stress, particularly as they don't have
the support of established processes or strong relationships with their colleagues.
Norming
Gradually, the team moves into the norming stage. This is when people start to resolve their
differences, appreciate colleagues' strengths, and respect your authority as a leader.
Now that your team members know one another better, they may socialize together, and they are able
to ask one another for help and provide constructive feedback. People develop a stronger commitment
to the team goal, and you start to see good progress towards it.
There is often a prolonged overlap between storming and norming, because, as new tasks come up,
the team may lapse back into behavior from the storming stage.
Performing
The team reaches the performing stage, when hard work leads, without friction, to the achievement of
the team's goal. The structures and processes that you have set up support this well.
As leader, you can delegate much of your work, and you can concentrate on developing team
members.
It feels easy to be part of the team at this stage, and people who join or leave won't disrupt
performance.
Adjourning
Many teams will reach this stage eventually. For example, project teams exist for only a fixed period,
and even permanent teams may be disbanded through organizational restructuring.
Team members who like routine, or who have developed close working relationships with colleagues,
may find this stage difficult, particularly if their future now looks uncertain.
Using the Tool
As a team leader, your aim is to help your people perform well, as quickly as possible. To do this,
you'll need to change your approach at each stage.
Follow the steps below to ensure that you're doing the right thing at the right time:
1. Identify the stage of team development that your team is at from the descriptions above.
2. Now consider what you need to do to move towards the performing stage. Figure 1, below,
will help you understand your role, and think about how you can move the team forward.
3. Schedule regular reviews of where your team is, and adjust your behavior and leadership
approach appropriately.
Figure 1: Leadership Activities at Different Group Formation Stages
Stage Activities
 Direct the team, and establish clear objectives, both for

the team as a whole and for /community/Bite-
Forming
SizedTraining/SettingGoals.phpindividual team members.
Stage Activities
 Establish processes and structures.
 Build trust and good relationships between team members.

 Resolve conflicts swiftly if they occur. Provide support,
especially to those team members who are less secure.
 Remain positive and firm in the face of challenges to your
leadership, or to the team's goal.
 Explain the "forming, storming, norming, and performing"
idea, so that people understand why problems are occurring, and so
that they see that things will get better in the future. Coach team
members in assertiveness and conflict resolution skills , where
this is necessary.
 Use psychometric indicators such as Myers-Briggs and
the Margerison-McCann Team Management Profile to help
Storming
people learn about different work styles and strengths.
 Step back and help team members take responsibility for

progress towards the goal. (This is a good time to arrange a team-
Norming
building event.)
 Delegate tasks and projects as far as you can. Once the team is

achieving well, you should aim to have as light a touch as possible.
You will now be able to start focusing on other goals and areas of
Performing
work.
 Take the time to celebrate the team's achievements – you may

work with some of your people again, and this will be much easier
Adjourning if people view past experiences positively.
Key Points
Team formation usually follows easily recognizable stages, known as "forming, storming, norming,
and performing." Psychologist Bruce Tuckman, who created this memorable phrase, later added a
fifth stage, "adjourning" or "mourning."
You can use Tuckman's model to help your team reach the performing stage as quickly as possible.
First you identify the stage of development that your team is at. Then, you use strategies that move
your team through to the next stage in the team formation process. With focus and hard work, you'll
quickly have a high-performing team

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Groups and Teams in Organisations

A group is a number of people who;

 interact with each other;

Forming, Storming, Norming, and Performing

Using the Tool

Figure 1: Leadership Activities at Different Group Formation Stages

 Direct the team, and establish clear objectives, both for

 Establish processes and structures.

 Build trust and good relationships between team members.

 Step back and help team members take responsibility for

 Delegate tasks and projects as far as you can. Once the team is

 Take the time to celebrate the team's achievements – you may

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