Tuckmans Five Stage Theory of Group Development is important to group success.

The first stage is forming, which is the ice breaking stage. Here the introductions are done as each member tries to evaluate others. The second stage is storming. In this stage individuals start to compare their views to the views of others. It is at this stage where conflict and power struggles may occur. The third stage is norming, where group roles and rules are established. The fourth stage is performing. In this stage roles and rules are followed in order to obtain the overall group goals. The last stage is adjourning, which allows the individual group members to evaluate their progress toward meeting their group goals. These stages of group development applies specifically to groups within a workplace. Employers can have several different groups to include, project committees and employee improvement teams. While working at Company X, I volunteered for an employee improvement team. The team was charged with presenting management with a prioritized list of employee concerns. The first step was an introduction phase and we played a game where we were partnered and had to tell the group something we learned about our partner. During this phase (forming), things were going well. There was very little conflict. The second phase (storming), began by the facilitator having everyone explain why they volunteered for the committee. During this phase, it became evident that individuals had different motivations for joining the group. Some individuals thought that pay was a priority and others thought 1 of 2

benefits were. Still others, such as myself, valued job autonomy more than others. Soon different subgroups formed, based on their stances. The third stage (norming). began when an elder employee stood before the members in response to the bickering. He expressed that the fighting was just what management wanted. He also advised that employees will not get any

benefits if they continued this way. He established himself as the unofficial leader. He then solicited others to perform such roles as time keeper, recorder, and scheduler. The next stage (performing), lead to a compiled list of employee concerns ranked by importance of the entire group. The last stage (adjourning), was not attained because the group was ongoing at the time of my departure from Company X. These 5 stages of group development are essential to success with group goals. Forming is essential to group cohesion. Storming is necessary for conflict resolution. Norming is used to define group goals. Performing leads to meeting actual group goals. Adjourning evaluates the process and the results of the group. It is essential to follow these steps in the correct order. Failure to do so may impede group progress, as the group would have to go back and address the step that was not thoroughly performed.

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